Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-12

WAsHIsGToy, May 12.-The feature in
the House yesterday was Representative
hcott's speech on the tariff.
Mr.. Mills, of Texas, from the Committee
"a Rules reported resolution which was
adopted, providing that hereafter the House
shall meet at IL g. m, and after debate on
The tariff shall have closed, the House shall
adjourn daily at p. m.
Senate bill was u passed providing for
the erection of public building at Youngs-
town, Ohio. An amendment reduces the
appropriation from Sl0o, 600 to $4,000.
The House then went into Committee OF
the Whole on the tariff bill. Mr.. Scott, of
Pennsylvania, secured the floor, and began
his speech with a defense OF the science OF
political economy and the correctness of
its conclusions He asked whether this
great country, sixty million strong, with
Inventive genius keener with labor more
skilled, than any other people on the globe,
should decline to compete FOR supremacy
in the marts of mankind and continue
forever to trade among ourselves,
under the insane delusion that we
were growing rich by the process.
The bill was framed in the interest of the
people-of the whole people. 1t was in
tended in the first instance 70 stay the
mounting surplus in the treasury, threaten
ing overwhelming and possible immediate
diaster, even now wildly impending; and
second, TO relieve, as far as prudence would
permit at this time, the oyerburdened in
dustrics of the country from excessive taxa
ton, the proceeds of which DO not pass into
the treasury. but 90 directly TO the support
of grasping monopolicS, which were for the
most part, combined IN utterly indei.nsi-
ble and atrociously oppressive trusts. II
fl,s.h Hill Ail hlr n7,,r,H&h
these purposes, il vas because the majority
of the ways and means committee was in
competent to frame such law; snd of that
the country would be the judge.
The majority of the Comp:ittee on Ways
and Means realized an2 appreciated the
the condition of affairs existing in the
country to-day; and however desirous they
might be to extend that full measure OF
relief to the wage workers and the grea;
agricultural classes Of the country, to which
they are 50 justly entitled, invested capital
had its claims upon them.
Keeping these objects in view, il had
sought first 70 relieve these manufactur-
ing industries by placing on the free list,
as far as il possibly could, such articles a
were essentially necessary 10 them to en-
able them to compete, not only with their
home markets. but in the markets OF the
world. Secondly, in the revision and re-
adjustment of the various schedules under
the existing tariff, - leave ample duties on
all merchandise that could possibly be i'm
ported from abroad, in competition with
our home products, and 10 protect our
home manufacturers and the labor en-
ployed by them. Since the Secretary
of the Treasury had resumed the pur-
chase of bonds this month May the
amount o.Icrcd and purchased would not
Al 81 81 ttn datl fo
collected from the ! cople, after paying
her, from the daily expenses of the Gov
ernment. The b! LOW under considera-
ton had bee1 formed To- the double pur-
pose of redlIcin th surplus and relieving
the country of needless taxation. The
changes made, the majority of the COM
mittee believe. will accomplish these OBJ
iects but he wished To- lc clearly under
stood that the interests uf labor had been
steapiiy held in view at every stage of the
proceedings and that this bill furnished
that protection to labor which his oppo-
nenls professed to give, bu 10 which their
policy had been directly opposed. The ef-
feet of the bill would be not to reduce his
wages, but to lessen to him the cost Of the
nscessaries of life, and 10 decrease his de-
psndence upon the employer. Extreme
poverty and liberty never existed togeth-
er. Starving men and women could not be
free.
He then turned to another veIed ques-
ton, wool When he called il veIed, he
did not mean that it was not clear or easily
solved upon correct principles, but only
that the Bourbon took his stand upon wool
and howled the more lugubriously, albeit,
more unreasonably, than on anything else,
because he hoped thereby TO delude the
farming interests 10 his support This bill
put wool on the free list. 1t did 30 not on
ly in the interest of the woolen manufact-
urers, but in that of sheep husbandry itself.
To enable the manufacturer of this country
TO compete in his home market and to eI-
port surplus abroad, he must be able to
purchase his wool as fayorably, not only as
to his price, but as TO the selection Of quail
tiles and kinds, as does his foreign compe-
titor No better illustration of the results
of moderate duties or free raw material
could be pointed to than the carpet indus
tries of this country. Russian carpet woods,
grown in southern Russia, bordering on the
Black sea, practically secured, were largely
imported into the United States, l am
creditably informed that if five cents per
pound is removed from Donskoi and other
carpet woods, We can compete with the
world on carpets and keep our home
market
The aim of the majority Of the commit
tee had been to readjust the duties upon
woolen goods, so as To enable the manufac-
turer not only to pay the same wages they
are now paying, but to cheaper goods,
thus enabling them to command the home
market, which they are largely deprived of,
and to compete in the foreign one. Free
raw wool and the duties proposed on the
manufacture of wool would accomplish
that object, unless the committee was
grievously mistaken. Immediately after
wool was free, our manufacturers would
begin to draw upon the markets of the
world for raw material to meet the Ameri-
can demand. The result would be an ad-
vance in wool in foreign markets, and an ad.
vance abroad would advance the price here,
tariff or no tariff.
Mr.. Gear, of Iowa, reviewed the history
of tariff legislation in the United States in
support of the proposition he laid down.
that while the country was prosperous
when the tariff was high, the reverse was
true when the duties were fixed on a reve-
nue. basis. Discussing the Mills bill, which
he said would destroy American labor he
stated that the most prominent Democrats
in his district had told him no Iowa Rep
resentative who voted for the measure
could be reelected to Congress
Mr.. Dibble, of South Carolina, spoke in
the President nor the Ways and Means
Committee proposed to strike a blow at
American industries, or TO imperil Ameri-
can manufacturers. He criticised the Re
publicans for their proposition that the
only tariff duties which should be reduced
were those on articles which could be pro-
duced to the South, and for desiring that
every thing should be protected except the
rice OF the Carolinas and the sugar Of
Louisiana. He thought that this was .
strange commentary upon the professed
friendship of the Republican party for the
negro lsborer of the South.
Mr.. Hougan, of Wisconsin, in opposing
the bill criticised the President for having
been in part responsible for the surplus,
which he condemned. by his failure to ep-
prove the River and Harbor bill and ths
Dependent Pension bill, and by neglectins
to purchase United States bonds.
The committee then rose, and at 8 p. m
f0ok a rereSs until N m the evening sea