The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-07-27
Passag e OF the Mills Bill.

In spite of the predictions to the contrary
the Mills bill for revision of the tariff in the
interest of the masses who earn their living
by the sweat of their brows passed the House
of Representatives last Saturday. The vote
was 1872 yeas to 149 nays. Several Demo.
Gratis voted against it and several Republi.
cans for it. A letter from Randall was read In
which he wanted it distinctly understood
that If he had been well enough to be pre-
sent he should have voted against the bill.
The debate was closed by Mr.. Mills in bril-.
liant speech. He began by calling attention to
the fact that there is in the vaults of the United
States Treasury SG0S, ZOO, 900, or nearly one.
third of all the gold, silver and paper money in
the United States. When all the money peces-
sary for the legitimate demands of the govern.
ment have been provided for there will still he
in the treasury 1929 600 900 to represent the nm.
necessary and unjust taxation which was placed
upon the people of the United States, This
lax amounts TO - on the 500 at the present
time-a degree OF taxation far in excess of that
levied by any State. The bill under consider
alton, he said, could not be termed a free trade
measure az ii proposes TO reduce the tax TO az
per cent State taxation was levied on lands
houses, stock, bonds, horses and cattle, and the
property owners would not permit any party or
which would levy tax of IS on the hundred
Speaking OF the free wool clause, he said
that wool is necessary article for man and for
beast. 1t Is the basis tor all articleS of cloth.
ing. GOD never Intended that it should be
taxed. 1t should be free. So should salt
which Is on the free list. Salt is necessary in
all kinds of food; 1t is indispensable, and II
should and must be free But any and every
reduction we make is charged to us as "frce
traders" And yet we are not in favor of free
whisky"
Sugar was found at duty of SIS. Is and the
committee reduced it to $G2Sl There was no.
body making much fuss about the enormity of
that reduction. The bill cut down the revenue
from sugar eli ,'o9,OO0. This was next to the
largest reduction made in any schedule of the
bill. 1t had been constantly charged that the
Dill was sectional; that II barely touched sugar
ana the committee on ways aud means threw
IFS arm around the sugar industry TO shield IL:
yet tue reduction in sugar was only second to
that IN the wooden schedule. There ought to
be high duty on sugar, because Democrat he,
lieVed that taxation was tribute rennired
from citizens for the support of the govern
ment, and because they believed that In LAYING
taxation 1t ought to be SO laid as to be as litle
burdensome as possible.
by the tariff on sugar The government got
<5S,OO,O00, with $4,000, 600 Protection I'm
order to get S5S,000,0O0 into the public Golfers
cost SOoOo0OO OF protection TO the sugar
planters OUT In order TO get SIS, 000, 600 into
and
wooIen goods 1t cost the people over S4OO 600
700. Why, then, should the duty on sugar be
repealed III order that more burdcnsome tax
az hlghcr rate on wooden and cotton goods
anu IRON ana steel may be retained? The duty
on provisions under existing law was S91 ri
The committee left it at $3.50. YET IL was
charged that this was free trade measure.
Item by item the free list in the bill was
noted ana comment made upon them ave
make medicines for the sick free and mt
them against free whisky" said he. f"'
The present duty on wool and woolens ia
S'S.ol. The committee left it at S3S 60 n re-.
1uction OF over $50 on every 800 of taxation.
rms reduction seemed large, but 1t was caused
ny 'ne piacins Oh raw wool on the free list
amounted to $4,000 600, but the wooden manu-.
lactuter was not injured. lie was beneGtted
lhs Dill gave the manufacturer free wool and
~ per cent. taxation, and still it was said to be
II free trade measure. ~ ~
In speaking of the free trade Iist be man.
TONED tln-plate, from which duty of 81. 700
wv was received. Not pound of this tin nlate
was made in the United States. The indnstry
did not give man employment in this conn
NY anu Ihe piacing OF the article on the free
isl would not take dollar from apy manuiac
turing establishment. Tin-plate could be
lounu In the home of every poor man, and the
committee proposed to remove the dutv and
put So,ooO,Ooo back into the pockets of the poor
Peop'e vi tue country II that was free trade
make the most fit
lie discussed and defended the repeal of the
duty on lumber. 1t was time that the poor
people should be considered in the reduction
OF taxation. The taxes had been removed
from incomes, from manufactures, from rail
roads, from telephone and telegraph companies
ana from express companies, and now the
Democratic party came upon the stand and said
that 1t Intended to help the man in the log
house on the prairie and give him free lumber
Returning. .g 10 the wooden schedule, Mr.. Mills
ia
on wooden goods by taking taxation off the
WOOL That was not raised by skilled labor and
scarcely by any labor at all. 1t grew on the
sheep. The sheep produced it. lie had heard
much sympathy expressed for the sheep. The
Democratic party's sympathy was for men. not
for sheep. 1t proposed to bring down the
price OIL wooden clothing so that the poor peo-
pie could get 1t to wear in winter time The
people Today were compelled to wear carpet
instead OF clothing wool, and now the wool.
growers ana wool manufacturers came to an
agreement that the duty should be SO high that
no wool and no wooden goods could be brought
IN. lie supposed that the people could afford
TO go naked, but for him and his party he
w woniasay, Wear good clothes and vote the
Wool had been put on the free list not only
10 cheapen the clothing Of the people, but in
order that our workmen might have the max.
ing oil the 44,OOO, 900 worth of wooden goods
that were imported into this country. 1t was
proposed to let all the wool the people re-
CURED come in free and let our own people
make the wooden goods. This would increase
Inc demand for labor, and in thus increasing
Inc demand for labor increase the rate of wages
III Is the old, old story" said Mr.. Mills, in
conclusion. 1--WE stand here in the face of the
american people contending for the rights of
The people who are plundered and wronged,
VINO are appealing to Congress to do them JUS
lice, who are appealing for the right of protec-
a,oh IN lts pest sense, and asking Congress to
shake the hand of monopoly from their pockets
and let them have the proceeds of their own
labor. And, MIR. Chairman, we will do It,"