National Republican., 1883-01-27

was greeted with applause.
Mr.. Mills opposed the bill as being a well
acknowledged perversion of the power of
congress granted by the constitution. The
object Of tho bill was not the raising of
revenue, but to prevent the raising of rcv-
enuc. There was no difference between the
principle of the bill and communism. Both
meant the taking away of the property of one
citizen in order to bestow IL upon another.
He eontonded that tho bill was clearly un-
constitutional, and made an argument in
favor Of the nd valorom method of taxation,
oritioising the pending measure for its ad-
mixture of specific and adj valorem duties.
He addressed himself especially to the con-
sideration of the duty on cotton ties,
declaring that no southern man could
vote for this accused bill, which, in
response to demand for n reduction of that
duty, increased it 152 per cent. This bill had
been characterized as the best tariff measure
ever presented TO an American congress- In
his opinion there never had been contained in
the same amount of paper so much diaboliCal
iniquity, so much fraud, so much false pre-
tense, so much robbery, as was contained in
this bill. 1t was claimed that the passage of
this measure would take the tariff question
out Of politics. That was not so, and at tho
beginning of the next congress forty or fifty
men would be found striving to have the
honor to introduce measure to repeal this
iniquitous law. He wanted to see the west
ern man who would go homo and tell his peo-
pie that he had bowed down upon his knees
TO the Pennsylvania Baal, and voted to in
crease the duty on steel wire.
Mr.. McLano said that he had voted for the
creation of the tariff commission, and he must
confess that he had been disappointed in its
constitution. He had voted for 1t, not because
he believed that information was necessary,
but because he did not wish TO DO put in u
position of refusing any information to the
country. He found in tho report of the COM
mission no novelty as to facts and no novelty
as to theory. 1t declared that all the manu-
featuring interests of tho country should be
protected for the benefit of the laboring man.
The gentleman from Iowa (NIr. Kasson) had
based his defense of protection on the same
ground, but the number of laboring people
who would be protected by tho proposed leg
islation was insignificant as compared with
the whole number of laborers in the country.
1t was not the laboring man whom it was pro-
posed to protect, but the manufacturer, and
any statement to the contrary deserved rep
rotation. He preferred tho existing law to
the pending bill, and when ho said that he
expressed but in other words how odous the
measure was to him. If congress passed this
bill IL would be told in the future, and with
good reason, not to disturb those industries
which would be carried on under the pledge
contained in tho bill. That was one reason
why he would not vote for it. He was OPP
posed to it also because it reduced the rev.
onue without reducing the burden of taxation.
He would decrease the burden of taxation,
but increase the revenue. When the commit
tee on ways and means reduced 5 per cent.
the duty on articles which were prohibited
the revenue was reduced but not the burden
of taxation, because the articles still remained
prohibited. But if the duty was reduced 20
per cent. the revenue would be increased, be-
cause the article would bo imported /;
because he believed that an opportunity would
occur for the repeal of internal revenue laws
and the substitution therefor of n revenue tax
on imports he was opposed to any but salts.
| factory adjustment of this question. He re-
ferred to the action of congress on the subject
Of the tariff thirty years ago, when the gentle
man from Pennsylvania and himself were on
different sides of the question, as they were
to-day.
Mr.. Kelley. No; was foolish enough then
to be democratic free trader. Laughter
Mr.. McLane said that he had noticed that
no free trader ever became protcctionist who
was not suffering from great confusion of
mind. 1t was the gentleman from Penn
sylvania who had said that the internal
revenue system should be removed, and yet
he came into the house TO support this bill,
which reduced the duties on imports and
perpetuated tho existence of the internal
revehuc tax,
Mr.. Kelley said that bill to reduce that
tax passed the house last session, and was now
in the'senate. He could not be put in false
position, because he had voted to lay aside the
internal revenue bill in order to reach the
tariff bill.
Mr.. McLane said that the gentleman had
placed himself in q false position by having
at the last session yielded his personal con-
victions to the dictates of caucus.
The committee then rose, and the house al
8 o'clock adjourned.