The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-23
TIE MILLS BILL PASSES
After Weak Speech Delivered by II
Alleged Author.


After u Weak Speech Delivered by IT.
Alleged Author.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 22.-When
the house met yesterday morning the
galleries were filled with spectators, ut
tracted to the Capital by the announce
ment that the day would witness the
close OF the great tariff debate and the
vote on the first passage OF the Mills bill.
Chairman Mills offered two amend
ments intended to correct typographical
errors and they were adopted. He then
proceeded TO address the House. He
said the majority had tried to bring in a
bill to reduce excessive taxation and
lessen the influx Of money to the treas
ury. By the amendments which had
been made in Committee Of the Whole
the total reduction OF duties had fallen
from S53 100000 to S5O,O0OOOO, the free
list from S2G, 900, 900 to 9O,OOO,OOO. The
relative rate Of duty had fallen from Al. .i0
per cent, not TO 40, but to 42.49 per cent,
and yet this measure, so very moderate,
was characterized as Free Trade meas
ure! Was $42.40 on every hundred dol
lars Free Trade 1t was an enormous
amount OF taxation. 1t was a tax which
the wealth OF the country would not
permit to stand for n moment State
taxation was levied ntlands, houses.
stock, bonds, horses and cattle, and the
property owners would not permit any
party to carry or administrate, to remain
in power an hour which would
levy tax OF S. on the hundred
Yet this bill, c.,rrying taxation OF
$40 40, was cilaractc ized asa FREQ Trade
measure. The term Free Trade seemed
to have double meaning. Some gen
tlemen seemed to understand that Free
Trade meant the absolute unfettering OF
our.foreign commerce from all taxation.
The Democratic party had used the
term Free Trade as term expressing
the freedom Of our commerce from all
obstruction, save that OF just and neces.
sary taxation 70 support the economical
administration Of the Government. The
tariff OF 1916 had been called Free
Trade tariff, and he had hiL' .sIf spoken
OF the decade from 1850 to 1860 rs the
Free Trade period, because in that time
commerce was not restricted by obstrUc-
tions thrown in its way by capitalists and
monopolists. He then proceeded to take
I'D and discuss in detail the various
schedules Of the bill,
Mr.. Mills addressed himself TO the
consideration of
THE FREE LIST.
On that list, he said, had been placed ar
ticles amounting to 'S20,000Q0O. The
largest was wool, from which SG,39O,00C
was received. When the Democrats
wished to put wool upon the free list
they were charged with breaking the
middle link out ofthe chain. The gen
tlemen who were charging the Demo
cratic side OF the House with bringing
in Free Trade measure had taken the
duty off cotton and put that article on
the free list. The first tariff ever
framed in this Government after the
Constitution was adopted embraced in
its title declaration OF thelprinciple Of
encouragement to home industries and
he proposed 10 encourage home indus.
tries by putting wool on the free list
Applause. .f.'H
The next largest item on the free list
was tin plate, from which n duty oi
s., 100, 600 was received. Not pound oi
this tin plate was made in the United
States, The industry did not give q
man employment in this country, ant
the placing Of the article on 1.-THE free list
would not take n dollar from any manu-
featuring establishment.
The next item was salt. Salt had frs
been put on tho free list by Thomas
Jefferson. God had made salt for mar
and beast and it ought not to be taxed;
because n few people were interested in
the salt monopoly the committee was
branded before the people Of the United
States rs being Free Traders.
Gentlemen on the other side said
"You must tax the people on. theil
clothes, on their food, on their employ
ment OF labor, and II you want anything
free take free drink OF whisky
| Laughter and applause.] They discuss
ed and defended the repeal Of the duty
on lumber. 1t was time that the poo
people should be considered IN the re
duction of taxation. The taxes hat
been removed from incomes; from man
ufactures and from railroads, -as from
telephone and telegraph companies, ant
from express companies, and now thu
Democratic party came upon the StanC
and said that II intended TO help themaI
in the log house, on the prairie and Civ
him free lumber. For doing this the!
were charged with being Free. Traders
No reduction Of the tariff commended
itself to the judgment of those VIII
made the charge, unless it was coupled
with free whisky. The duty on Opium
which amounted to S467, 900, had beef
removed. Not an ounce OF it was grow
in the United States, but the gentlemen
/ on the other side did not want opium
touched. Itwas the tax on whisky the,
wanted done away with, and not o.
opium. No industry would be hurt be
cause cheap medicine was given to tn
suffering and dying, Ostrich feather
had been placed on the free list ,OI
trich feathers were not found on tn
western prairie in the northern forestl
but '-'''-
OUR BEAUTIFUL FEMALES '
, wanted ostrich feathers and they woul
,, want some when Grover Cleveland VIZ
inaugurated on March 18th next. [Iaugl
: ter and applause1 Returning 10 tn
8 woolen schedule Mr.. Mills said that th
e bill proposed to reduce the duties 0
woolen goods by taking taxes of IL
wool that was not raised by skilled labt
0 and scarcely by any labor at all.
1 grew on the sheep. The Democrat
d party's sympathy was former, not shee
II nrnnnaeh 10 hiring hnwn tho nricaa