Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-24
sPErcH OF HON. 8. L. xnlIKEn


A01luk 0lE QcU8tt Up00 lui8 que 9bl0H H1O4t
everything has been discussed that has enter
ed into the Imagination Of man. Gentlemen
on the other side of the House have talked of
the crushing weight of Federal taxation, As
if some taxation were not absolutely necessary
10 sustain the Government; as if they expect
TO run the Government without it, and relieve
the people Of that burden. OF course they
expect nothing Of the kind
They have acclaimed against the mainte-
nance of a surplus, which has accumulated
during a Democratic administration, and
harangue like men denouncing to the people
somebody who designs to rob them.
Now this il all absurd nonsense, or some
thing worse. No member of this House 8
so stupid or bigoted, / believe. as to think
that any party or person desires to make the
necessary evil of taxation more than neces-
sarily burdensome, and | know no one who
does not agree that the surplus should be dis
posed Of by reduction Of the revenues OF
| the Government.
But how shall the revenues be reduced? is
| the question. IL does not follow that am
opposed to the reduction of the revenue of
the Government and distributing the surplus
among the people because do not favor the
Mills bill.
Imay think have proposed better method
Of doing it, Indeed I think | have in a bill
which introduced esriv in this session of
Congress, and which has been smothered in
the Committee on Ways and Means, the
Democratic majority Of which brought forth,
after much secret labor, the Mills bill now
before Us. There are two ways of reducing
the public revenue. One is to so do it as
not to disturb the business nor injure the in
| jure the industries of the country. The other
| is to make the new tariff bill an instrumen,
for the destruction of property and disaster
| to American workingmen. Mr.. Mills and a
great majority Of his party in this House have
chosen the latter method. In this can not
stand with him.
| | am a friend to every legitimate industry
in this country, wherever located / would
| no more ruin by vicious and partial legisla-
ton the rce-grower of South Carolina than
| the lumberman of Maine. Both should be
rendered the friendly hand and neither re-
| ceive a shifting blow from the General Gov
ernment. And would give aid, strength,
and dignity to labor in Texas as readily as in
New England | would help it in both and
injure it in neither Legislation inimical to
industrial investments and labor in America
is not necessary to effect a reduction of our
revenues, nor for any other commendable
purpose.
The Mills bill seeks to reduce our revenues
not only by surrendering the vantage ground
which Americans occupy in the fields of Ia
Dor and industry, but it selects certain sec
tons of the country for particularly severe
punishment.
How THE MILLS BILL AFFECTS MAINE.
Look OF my own State, Maine, for instance.
That is neither Democratic nor doubtful
State and the Mills bill aims a fatal blow a,
almost all its great industries. Maine has
$40 ,00O, 900 invested in lumber. In its forests
on its rivers, in its mills and upon its vessels
carrying its lumber to the markets of the
world, thousands of its people are employed
and immense sums are paid for labor. Ye,
the Mills bill would consign this industry to
New Brunswick. Our great stone industry
nearly as large, capable of indefinite ex-
pansion-for the raw material is exhaustless
an industry in the cost of whose products
% per cent is for labor, it relegates to the
same foreign province.
1t cOOlly directs our wool growers to
slaughter their hocks and go out of business
and let those parts of their land which il
aeapted to nothing but sheep grazing lie idle
IL Informs our tarch-makers, our cattle
raisers, our growers of potatoes and
vegetables that they must sell their products
as cheaply AS their poorly paid Canadian
neighbors, who live with email comforts and
no luxuries, or be driven out of the markets
of their own country And the Democratic
party which, under the inspiration of the
Golden Club, the Parsee merchant and
British influences has labored and brought
forth this bill have taken measures to bind
! us in truculent, Unjust, and dishonorable
bonds to Canada unless we shall place fish
on the free list and the same British Ameri
can combination are endeavoring to repeal
the wise laws enacted by our forefathers
which protect the last vestige of our ship
yards and make it possible to create an
American marine and provide sailors to man
an American navy.
Now what do you gentlemen leave to Maine
after making sure the destruction of hel
lumber, stone wool. potatoes, and starch in.
dustries her fisheries and her ship-yards?
You answer her manufactures, do YOU
What does this bill leave Maine? duties
upon such goods as they produce that her
mills will have to stop, her work shops will
be shut, and her immense water-power
already occupied will run to waste and the
enterprise now seeking to further utilize i,
will be asserted.
~, .
nav au'a"'"Res are 10 oe reapen 1or the
sacii"ce oi 'nese great INDUSTRIES not only 10
Maine bnt in all the northern tier of States
Shall we get cheaper lumber, or wool, OF
nsn' or shipsf 10 not gentlemen realize
tha' wnen we snaii nave distroyed our own
industries, besides the erect upon the mar
ke' OF taxing OUT OF II our immense products
'he foreigner VIII enter IT, having monopoly
Oh nf "hi ne then sell TO us cheaper than
our own people competing win MN and
competing with each o'her sell TO us nowf NO
he WIN do as he has always done under
similar circumstances lie VIII charge US
All he can get, not what he can afford to sell
and tho co,sumor of onr wooI al s,arn,,
viii each send his money out of the country
ana pay mgher price Tor these articles than
he now pays to his own countrymen who pro-
duce them from our own raw material and
by the labor OF our own workmen
But why does tins wonderful child of foreign
and native parentage the Mills bill, attack
so savagel, these particular industriess
Why do 1t and leave rice to pay ! IL per cent.
duty and sugar more than 10 per cent? Do
our people need sugar and rice less than
they need monumental stone, wood -puip