Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-05-24


fcent to supply the American demand, is tax
ed by the bill. A tax wool would protect
the American, a tax on sugar is tax on the
American Cotton bagging, and the various
manufactured articles most potently affected
by the bill, were treated in detail, and in a
similar manner, Continuing, he said that
tariff for protection is tariff which raises
revenue sufficient to pay the legitimate ex-
penses of the Government, and is a tax on for
eign products, SO levied as to give protection to
the chosen industries of the home people.
1t is simply notice to foreign producers that
II they would enjoy the privileges of our mar
kets, they must pay for them-must pay tribute
to our Government. Free trade between the
States OF this Union was on q basis OF recipro-
cal advantage. Harmony Of laws, of interests
and of destiny justified and required it. To
this foreign nations could not, and should not.
be admitted. Free trade with foreign nations
was antagonistic to the fundamental principles
of the Republic.
The bill under consideration owed its sup
port TO the plea that 1t would reduce the reve-
nue.. This was not true. The reduction of rev.
enue from the extended free list would be more
than Offset by the increased importations UNI
der dutiable provisions. Few men on the Dem
ocratic side OF the House could have thor
this bill. Few OF the speakers
on the Democratic side of the
chamber could know that this bill incre ased by
fifteen per cent, the duties on steel billets.
That according to their theories it added to the
price of every pound of wire fencing and to
nails, and to other articles-that it increased
the cost of raw materials. This was the bill
upon which the President stood, and which he
was trying to force through the House by coer-
cion and the use of patronage. His organ said
there was an Allentown for every Sowden-a
threat and intimidation over every Democratic
membeS who did not support this bill.
The duty on wool was swept away. Every
benefit to the farmer OF the protective system
was cut out. Yet every thing he must buy was
left subject to duty. The shears must pay
fortyfive per cent, the sheep bell must pay
forty-fve There was but one item in the en-
tire bill for the farmer He could get sheep
dip free of charge.
The afternoon would not afford time to call
attention to the inconsistencies of the bill.
The fve-mnute debate would afford better OPP
portunity. He would turn to the internal-rev-
enue provisions of the Mills bill. The tobacco
provisions were generally accepted. The pro-
visions as to Illicit dIstilling removed all the
s safe OF the present law: II
its substitute of ad valorem for specific duties
was alone sufficient to warrant the rejection of
the BILL Under an ad valorem system, honest
administration would be impossible. Every
European nation had rejected it. The customs
officials of the United States were unanimous
in their condemnation of the ad valorem sys-
tenn. comprehensive review of the history of
this country would show that the domination
Of protection principles had always caused
prosperity: their overthrow or neglect had al
ways brought ruin
Mr. Mckinley cited numerous examples of
American and foreign manufacturing estab-
lishments of similar character, which showed
the American wages to be often three times as
large as those of the European workmen.
Mr.. Leopold Morse, interrupting with some
questions about wooden clothing, Mr.. McKin-
ley turned the laugh on him by producing
suit of Atwood clothing purchased from Morse's
store in Boston at a price which answ cred the
question. and also, Mr. Mckinley said, dis
posed of Mr.. Mills fearful tale of the working
man toilng for twenty-dollar suit.
Mr.. Mckinley continued at length his COM
parsons tending to show the increased
wages of American laborers under protective
tariff. He concluded with the statement that
the verdict of the people had never been given
for such a bill as this. and that if the Demo
cratic party would adopt it as their platform,
the result could not be other than crushing
and overwhelming defeat. He challenged the
Democracy to make this issue. No Republican
had any fear of the result.
Mr.. Mckinley concluded amid burst of APP
plause, and cries of s'Vote,' Vote from the
Republican side, and Mr.. Breckenridge took the
floor. He said:
We do not pretend that this bill is scien-
tific measure 1t is q bill framed to meet
the present conditions, not to fit any
particular theory. The changes proposed
the farmer. by whom all provisions
are raised, market for his breadstuffs and for
raw materials, which are only profitable when
he has a prosperous manufacturer for pur-
chaser; to the laborer the hope of constant
market, and to the manufacturer, freedom from
unnecessary burdens. We have. therefore, put
upon the free list, as far as we felt 1t was just
the materials necessary for the manufacturer.
We have reduced the rates, where
ever we have touched them, to
point that gives to the home
consumer the hope of fair competition, when
ever a demand has been made by an internal
trust to advance the price beyond fair consid-
Grafton for the article to be sold, and yet
we have left the rates SO that the protection af
forded is greater than any necessity, and makes
all competition of foreign manufacturers upon
terms of great advantage to the American man.
ufacturer. 1t was determined. in response to
what seemed to be the sentiment of large
part CT the country, to propose the
peal OF the taxes on manufactured tobacco.
The committee have thought it wise to repeal
SO much of the internal revenue as was not
necessary to the proper administration OF the
system and the collection of the revenue under
II. Our belief was to that exempt fruit
brandy and alcohol used in the arts
would effectually. destroy the in
ernal revenue system. and were this to be
done, preferred to do it have 1t done
openly, and thus fix the responsibility for IL
upon those who accomplished it. The venera-
bic gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelley
may be assured that no criticism he may per-
nit himself to make upon Kentucky will be
held to boany answer to the bill under consd-
Grafton.
Mr. Breckenridge, having denied the state
ments about Kentucky made by Mr.. Kelley in
his speech said: when the gentleman's
speech is read by the citizens of those coun.
ties called 'paupers' by him, who have held In
affectionate remembrance the name of my ven-
cradle friend, they will think, if they do not
say, 'Ettu, Brute and fear they will not re-
member that the last word is Latin, and a word
of two syilables. -
II this bill goes into operation, one of its
beneficent results, and not the least, will be
the emancipation of American politics from the
domination of the so-ca]led wool growers, and
the freedom of the representatives of the PEG.
pie from the control of those who profess to
speak in the name of the million of hock-mas-
tiers. l am not one of those who ascribe to the
protective tariff all those troublesome problems
which press upon us for solution. But there
are evils which protective tariff either pro-
duces, or, uniting with other causes aids IL
producing. Thirty years ago the American
flag was seen in every port. All this has
been changed: partly it has been caused
by the substitution of the iron vessel
for the wooden vessel: but largely caused by a
system of taxation which rendered it mpossi-
BILE for an American to carry on trade with q
foreign nation. The annual freight paid OF
our foreign trade to foreigners has been vari.
ously estimated from one hundred and forty to
two hundred million dollars. This enormous
annual tax now paid to foreigners ought to
have been ours; and the aggregate sum which
we have thrown away in our selfish folly since
1865 is much larger than our public debt. The
advocates Of the present system vehemently
deny that this gradual and fatal decay has been
caused by it. They can not deny that as rem
edy this policy has been wholly ineflcaci Gus.
Since 1866 this decay has gone on under the
protective system. We can hope for no relief
from it.