The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-07-25


As was generally expected, the Mills
bin passed the House Of Representatives
Saturday, the vote being-yeas, i62 I;
nays. ll9. Only two Republicans voted
for it-Fitch, of New York, and Nelson,
of Minnesota-and only four Democrats,
including Mr.. Randall, who was not per-
sonally present, but was paired with a
Democrat, voted against it. ON the one
amendment which was separately voted
on, cotton ties, Gear, Of Iowa, voted with
the Democrats, but when il came to the
bill as a whole, he returned 20 the
fold.
The substantial unanimity of the two
parties was foreshadowed by the debate
and numerous votes on amendments, but
at the opening Of the session it did not
seem probable. 1t is especially remark
able that the Republicans should be so
harmonious. On the Democratic side
was the club of patronage, welded un-
blushingly for the bill. The administra-
ton championed it from the start and
resorted to all available means to bring
pressure to bear in its favor. No Demo-
cratic Congressman could hope to get IA
vors from any Of the departments who
was not in line. Notwithstanding all
that Cleveland and his cabinet could do
four of their own party refused TO vote
for the measure. The Republicans, on
the other hand, had no club which they
could use if they would, yet the "kick-
ers" in the two parties stood 4 to ?. Ev-
identity the free trade sentiment in the
Republican party has almost reached the
vanishing point.
And what bill it is The New York
Press says Of it: First, it is sectional
bill of the rankest type. 1t leaves the
duty on rice, on sugar, on iron ore and
on pig iron-in fact on nearly every 9th
er industry in which the Southern States
are interested-and remorselessly takes
the products of hundred important
Northern industries from the dutiable
schedule and places them on the free
list.
Ii is an unscientific and inharmonious
bill, because il has been patched up
wholly with the view of securing enough
votes to drag it through Congress by the
ears. Itpretends to give the manufact-
urers of wooden goods, of worsieds, Of
carpets, of flax, Of jute, Of hemp, Of
chemicals, Of woodenware, Of paints aud
variety of other commodities Of free raE
material, but with malicious intent to de-
stroy the industries the bill makes rel
atively greater reduction in duty on the
manufactured article. In this way the
producers of the raw material will be en-
tirely destroyed and the manufacturers
of the finished article seriously crippled.
II is in no sense whatever 4 revision of
the tariff Every irregularity, every Sec
ton capable of misconstruction, every
loose phrase, every loophole by which
foreign importers are enabled TO take adj
vantage of domestic producers is left in
hopeless state of uncertainty. The in
equalities of the present tariff would be
greatly magnified by this bill. For ex-
ample, in the metal schedule the rate Of
duty on the highly manufactured articles
has been reduced below the importing
point, but the duty on iron ore and pig
iron remains the same.
1t is, moreover, a cowardly bill-not an
open, daring attack, such as those led by
Morrison, but bill that remorselessly at
tacks the unorganized industries, like the
production of wool, and has not the cour
age to face an organized industry like
that Of iron ore mining, coal mining, the
production of pig iron, or the great sugar
trust. And why? Because the friends
of President Cleveland and the men he
expects to furnish the money for his cam
paign are largely interested in these great
mining, oil and railroad trusts, while
Democratic interests own the sugar mo-
nopoly.
Yes, the bill is passed, and Mills is
elated. 1t was great victory. And one
that marks out certain defeat for the
Democratic party next fall. The imme-
date effect of the passage of this bill will
be business disaster. Should it become
law it means thirty per cent. lower
wages TO a majority of our wage earners
and no work whatever for a very large
minority. In spite of the lying state
ments that it is not free trade bill it
will bring ruin and desolation into thous-
ands of happy homes and give no equiv
alent. 1t is the first step toward the alb
solute free trade which Mr. Cleveland
and a majority Of his party believe in
and advocate with the same arguments
that Golden used forty-fve years ago"