The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-07-26
A MONSTER, BORN OF TYRANNY

-
That is what the Mills bill is, when it's
provisions are carefully examined and
the processes ey which it was put
through the House are looked into. We
believe every word that is said about it
by the New York Press-the best author.
ity on the subject of the tariff of any
newspaper in the country-and so we
make the words of the Press our own:
Those of the so called protection Dem.
ocrats who could not be purchased by
the promise of federal patronage in their
districts were systematically bought by
restoring the industries carried on in
such districts to the dutiabe lists. In
no case was this done, however, unless
the member promised 20 vote for the
bill. BY direct bulldozing, by exempt
ing certain industries, by the use of fed
eral patronage, by vetoing appropria-
tions for public buildings, by threats and
by the free use of the party lash, the free
traders have forced through their so
called tariff bill by an ominous majority
of thirteen.
And what bill 1t is ! FIRST, it is a
sectional bill of the Tankest type. 1t
leaves the duty on rice, on sugar, on iron
ore and on pig iron-in fact, on nearly
every other industry in which the South
ern States are inLerested-and remOrse-
lessly takes the products of a hundred
important Northern industries from the
dutiable schedule and places them on
the free list.
1t is an unscientific and inharmonious
bill, because it has been patched up
wholly with the view of securing enough
votes 10 drag it through Congress by the
ears. 1t pretends to give the manufac-
turers of wooden goods, of worsteds, OF
carpets, of flax, OF jute, of hemp, of
chemicals, of woodenware, of paints and
variety of other commodies free raw
material, but with malicious intent TO
destroy the industries the bill makes
relatively greater reduction in duty Oh
the manufactured article. In this way
the producers of the raw material will
be entirely destroyed and the manufac-
turers of the finished article seriously
crippled.
1t is in no sense whatever a revision
of the tariff. Every irregularity, every
section capable of miscOnstruction, every
loose phase, every loophole by which
foreign importers are enabled to take
advantage of domestic producers is left
in hopeless state of uncertainty. The
inequalities of the present tariff would
be greatly magnified by this bill. For
example, in the metal schedule the rate
of duty on the highly manufactured ar
ticle has been reduced below the import.
ing point, but the duty on iron ore and
pig iron remains the same.
1t is, moreover, cowardly bill-not
an open, daring attack, such as those led
by Morrison, but bill that remorseless-
ly attacks the unorganized industries,
like the production of wool, and has not
the courage to face an organized indus
try like that of iron ore mining, coal
mining, the production of pig iron, or
the great sugar trust. And why? Be
cause the friends of President Cleveland
and the men he expects to furnish the
money for his campaign are largely in
terested in these great mining, oil and
railroad trusts. while Democratic inter
ests own the sugar monopoly.
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 be-
come law it means thirty per cent.
lower wages to majority of our wage
earners and no work whatever for very
large minority. In spite of the lying
that il is not free trade bill
1t will bring ruin and desolation into
thousands Of happy homes and give no
equivalent. 1t is the first step toward
The absolute free trade which Mr.. Cleve
land and majority of his party believe
ments that Golden uaed forty-five years
ago.