The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-03-09

One of the inequalities of the tariff which
needs correction is disclosed BY the following
facts: Foreign mineral waters are admitted
to our markets duty free; the duty on the
bottles which contain them is 30 per cent ad
valorem. AT the present price of bottles in
Europe this makes the duty on gross of
bottles Of foreign mineral water rs cents.
The duty on empty bottles is one cent a
pound, so that a gross of empty quart bottles
which weighs 225 pounds, has to pay 1928.
1t will be seen then that the foreign bother
has an advantage over the domestic bother,
If the latter imports his bottles of 81. 80 per
gross. 1t is alleged that this difference
enures to the benefit of nobody in this
country, inasmuch as bottles suitable for
bottling mineral waters are not made here
The treasury department has refused a
drawback to domestic bottlers on the
mineral water they export and so they
have applied to Congress for relief
They suggest four methods: First duty
on foreign mineral waters second, free
admission of bottles to be filed with domes-
tic mineral water; third, the same duty on
the bottles containing foreign mineral waters
as on empty bottles; fourth, a provision for
drawback ON imported botl-ps exported
filled with domestic mineral walsr.
Chairman Mills and his allies on the ways
and means committee are Determined to push
through their tariff bill at any cost They
have made up their minds that 1t is a good
thing for the country, or for the Democratic
party, and that settles it with them. There
are important interests affected by it which
would like to be heard, but Mr.. Mills says
"No, we cant spend our time listening to
your arguments. You may file them if You
want to, but we won't listen to them" and
If they won't listen to them Of course they
would not read them If they were filed. Yet
Mr.. Mills and his colleagues belong to par
ty which continually pirates about being
the party of the people; which processes to
keep its ears wide open all the time to hear
what the people may want to say, in order
that it may obey their wishes. But Demo-
cratic profession is one thing and Democrat
ic practice very different thing. A revision
Of the tariff is work that affects the people
more than nine-tenths of the legislation
passed by Congress. 1t is an work, therefore,
concerning which the people have peculiar
right to be heard. But the Democratic par
ty through their representatives, CURLY tell
them that they have concluded to revise the
tariff as they think best, without regard to
the interests of anybody except the select few
whom it has pleased them to consult Man
ufacturers who have large interests which
may be affected by their revision may pro-
test that 1t is only fair and just that they be
heard, but they will protest in vain. The
Democracy is in the saddle, and proposes
to ride rough shod over such industries as
do not flourish largely in Democratic States,
and the extinction or c-ippling If which will
not unfavorably affect the electoral vote of
the Democratic candidate for President
The people be hanged, unless they are
Democratic people, is practically the message
which the majority of the committee on ways
and means sends to the country.
III David Hume could return to earth be
might be very much edited by an inquiry
which is going on IN Missouri A dignified
commission, authorized by Pope Leo XIII.
and composed of Vicar General Brady and
four priests, assembled in St. Louis on Tues
day to inquire into the authenticity of a
miracle said TO have happened in ST. Louis
A..o.,t., x,aara o0o Tho raeult NJ thar H.,