Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-04-18


the House proceedings yesterday was the
beginning of the debate on the tariff bill.
Mr.. Mills opened for the Democrats while
Mr.. Kelly represented the minority.
Prior to taking up the tariff bill under
the call of committees for reports, the fol-
lowing among Others were submitted and
referred TO the committee OF tho whole:
From Commerce, for the establishment of
a lightship with fog signal at Sandy Hook;
from Military Affairs, for the location of q
branch soldiers home in Grant county,
Ind; from Labor, To create boards OF arbi-
tration for settling controversies between
common carriers and their employees.
Bills were reported and placed on the
calendar for the erection of public build
ings at st. Albans Vt; Sioux City, Iowa;
New Orleans. La. Brownsville, Texas; Hot
Springs, Ark; Watertown, n. y; Helena,
Mont. Hudson. n. Y; and Racine, Wis.
Also bill to increase the appropriation
for the public building at Troy, n. Y.
The bill prohibiting the importation OF
convict made goods was reported and placed
on the House calendar.
When the call of the committees had
been completed, Mr. Mills, of Texas, was
recognized and moved that the House go
into a committee of the whole for the con-
sideration of the tariff bill.
The motion was carried without divi-
sion and Mr.. Springer of Illinois, was in
vited to take the chair. At the suggestion
or Mr.. Kelley of Pennsylvania, and amid
some little applause. the limitation of one
hour was removed, as far as Mr.. Mills
speech was concerned.
Mr.. Mills opened by saying that the war
tariff taxes after laTsse of a quarter of a
century were higher than during the war.
The income tax imposed to meet war ex-
penses was swept away. 1t was tax on
wealth but it was gone; but the war on
clothing, on food, on impliments of labor
remained, and the war was still being pros
ecuted against the people-a fiscal war, ex-
hausting in its demands, and every effort
to remove or lower that taxation had been
resisted and defeated.
The Democrats had been taunted, Mr..
Mills said, with the charge that they had
failed to reduce taxation. This charge had
been made by the minority, which had
been guilty OF preventing action on the
money bills brought into the House by the
Committee on Ways and Means. Turning
his attention TO the wooden manufacturers
he argued the public was injured by the
present excessive tax and nobody benefit
ted. High duties prohibited and limited
importations and expectations, and we
were feeding the people of Europe, and
WuSu VIC pun cll tllt SOOus VIC
sent US in exchange food. it amounted to
taxing our own agricultural exports.
A reduction of duties would not check
manufacturers and cramp labor. We al
ways imported more goods when prices were
high. Under lower duties we could export
more goods, our manufactures would run
steadily and labor would be constantly en-
ployed. Not more than ten per cent. of the
goods consumed in the entire United States
would be imported if all the custom houses
were tore down and the government sup
ported BY direct taxes.
Protectionists argued that manufactured
articles were cheaper there than in any
other country as a result of protection. 1t
was not SO, but supposing twas, why then,
should they resist so strenously any effort
to lower duties If they were able to under
sell European manufactured Did the
manufacturers pay higher wages because
productions enabled them to do ltY No.
Jay Gould was able to pay his bostblack
$500, but he did not do it. He paid the
market prices "He paid his nickel like a
little man" Higher wages were made by
coal, steam and machinery, and higher
wages meant lower cost of production.
This accounted fol the fact that free trade
England paid higher wages than protection
France and Germany, and yet controlled
the worlds markets
He had requested the present chief of the
labor bureau TO ascertain if there was any
exception to the rule that wages depended
on the efficiency of labor and the result of
highly paid efficient labor was low cost OF
product. In answer he read tabulated
statement, prepared by Mr.. Wright, giving
the result of his inquiry, which appeared to
fully bear out the rule. tsSs
In concluding Mr.. Mills said he hoped
the bill which had favor throughout the
country would receive q majority of the
votes of the House, though it was not all
the committee could ask.
1t was a very general bill. yet it would
send comfort and happiness into all homes.
and bosoms of the poor laboring people oil
this country and he asked the House in be-
half of these people to consider their claims
and help to reduce the burdens that had
been loaded upon them.
When he sat down, applause and cries OF
"vote," "yote," came from the Democratic
side OF the hall.
He was at once surrounded by crowd
of Democratic members who pressed for
ward to shake his hand and tender congrat-
uistions.
The bill was an anachronism; it had no
relation to this era: it belonged TO the sad
dsst epoch in our national history, the
period between 1894 and 1861. During that
period slavery dominated our nation coun-
Oils and guided the administration of our
national affairs in hostility to national in
terests, and in the interests of free trade,
twice threatened war.
1t was in the interest of free trade that
war was threatened in support of the doc
trine of notification. and it was in the in
terest of free trade that the country was
involved for more than four years in a
fratricidal war, the proportions of which
were more gigantic than ever characterized
a civil war. The entire south knew that
free trade was essential TO the perpetuity
of slavery in the republic, and it should
also know that the logic that could defend
free trade in a country endowed with the
foundless diversity of the elements of
manufacture and the immense supply of
the forces for their conversion which we
enjoy, vanished when slavery was abol.
ished.
Mr.. Kelly, of Pennsylvania, then took
the floor in opposition to the bill.
He said the enactment of the bill would
instantly paralyze the enterprise and
energy of the people. Under the baneful
influence of such law the census of 1890
would announce the overthrow of our
manufacturing supremacy and the reduc-
ton of our commanding commercial posi-
tiou to that OF confidential dependence. Il
was studiously designed TO produce these
dire results and nicely adapted to that
wicked purpose. 1t was confessed by par
tisan measure, and was framed in the inter
est of party whose leaders appear to be
sblivious to the overwhelming social and
economic changes wrought by the abolition
Of slavery.
The gentlemen who framed this bill and
Nan1d hrnnH paithar rpnHifioa tin,, I,o-
cussion of its provisions by their associates
in the Committee tn which the prenara