The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-28
The Origin and Some of the Advocates OF the
Mills Bill.

The Origin and Some of the Advocates OF the
Mills Bill.
10 the Editor of the INDIANAPOLIS Journar
The real basis and groundwork of the Mills
tariff bill should hs kept steadily in mind. and
can be found in Article i, Section s, OF the Con-
s~titution Of the late rebel States, which reads a.
follows: 1.-THE Congress shall have power to lay
and collect taxes, duties, imposts and sxcises for
revenue necessary to pay the debts, provide for
the common defense, and carry on the govern
ment of the Confederate States; bat no bounties
shall be grantsd from the treasury, nor shall
any duties or taxes on importations from for
eign nations be laid to promote or foster any
branch Of industry; and all duties, imposts and
excuses ehall be uniform throughout the Con-
federate States"
President Cleveland, in his message OF Dee. 6,
1887, to Congress. says: But our present tariff
laws, the vicious, ineQuitable and illogical source
OF unnecessary taxation, ought TO be at once re-
visad and amended. The radical re-
duction Of the duties imposed on raw material
used in manufactures. or its free importation, 10
of course au important factor 10 cay effort to
reduce the price of these necessaries.
Such reduction, or free Importation, would
serve, besides, to largely reduce the revenue"
The Mills tariff bill was reported in the ma
tional House of Representatives April 2. 1888,
by Hon. Roger q. Mills, of Texas, who, in his
u pti IL thC OAoNio-
iohs of that bill, said: IF We had no tariff, il all
the custom-housss were torn down and the gov
eminent was supported by direct taxation. not
more than 10 per cent of all the manufactured
products consumed by all the people would be
imported into the country. We must make q
departure Instead of laying on the burdens Of
taxation upon the necessaries of life, instead Of
destroying our foreign commerce, We should en-
courage 1t as we would encourage our home
commerce. We should remove every uuneces-
sary burden. We should Law taxes 20 obtain
revenue, but not restrict Importation We
should place every material of manufacture on
the free list. start ND our fires, put our wheels
in motion and put oil our people at work at good
wages"
The frat plank in the platform adopted by the
Democratic national convention, at st. Louis,
June z, 1888, reads as follows: THE Demo
cratic party OF the United States. in national
convention assembled, renews the pledge OF its
fidelity to Democratic faith, and reafirms tho
platform adopted by its representatives in the
eonvsntion of 1884, and Endorses the views sx-
pressed by President Cleveland in his last earn
est message to Congress as q correct ipterpre-
tation OF that platform upon the question Of
tariff reduction, aud also indorsss the efforts Of
our Democratic representatives 10 Congress to
secure Q reduction of excessive taxation"
The ways and means committee OF the present
Congress consists Of eight Democrats and five
Republicans. The Democratic members are:
Roger Q. Mills, Of Texas; Benton McMillip, of
Tennessee; Clifton r Breekinrides Of Arkansas;
William c. p. Breckenridge, ~ Kentucky; Henry
G. Turner, OF Georgia; William L. Wilson, Of
West Virginia; William l. Scott. Of Pennsyl-
vania, and William d. Bynum. OF Indiana The
Republican mem bers are: William D.. Kelley, Of
Pennsylvania; Thomas NJ. Browne. Of Ind lana;
jr., OF Ohio, and Julius c. Burrows. OF Michigan.
OF the Democratic majority of the committee,
five Sci yed In tho confederate army. viz, Mills,
G. r Breekinridgs, w. c. P. Breckinridge