The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-08-03
A Labor Congressman's Views.
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES,.
WASHINGTON, July 2S.

WASHINGTON, July 2s.
To the Editor Of The Star
SIR-In reply to yours of the Goth in
slant, requesting my reasons for voting
for the Mills Tariff bill. L answer as
follows
First-It is conceded by the repre-
sentatives of the Democratic and Re-
publican parties that the accumulation
of a large surplus OF money in the Ma
/ tional Treasury is fraught with danger
to the business interests of the country
/ by Withdrawing that medium from the
/ channels of trade, which, If not stopped.
| will cause a panic and Tesul. in bank
| ruptcy TO large extent. Being largely
tinCtured with the Greenback idea that
/ money should be in circulation among
/ the people and not cornered, and that
money holds the same relationship to
! trade that mechanics tools do 20 the
mechanic; that by taking the same from
| the mechanic will cripple his usefulness
and ability in performing work and as
| the Mills bill held cut inducements to
/ stop this drain, and my Republican
colleagues did not propose any measure
| TO remedy the evil, l gave the bill my
support
SecOnd-The bill proposes to place
| several articles on the free list that en-
| ter into the necessaries of life, such as
/ lumber, sals, tin, wool and several
/ others, and slight reduction, not eX-
/ ceediDg on an average . per cent. on
/ articles entering largely in home con-
/ sumption. Now, so far as free and cheap
| lumber is concerned, it ranks next to
/ bread TO the person who seeks to make
a home on our great Western prairIes,
/ and no doubt it IS the same in the East.
/ Salt that-bountiful gift of nature
/ Why tax that TinpIate is not made
| III this country, aud it enters so largely
| into our domestic uses and in canning
/ the products of our country. or wool
| We do not produce half enough for home
/ consumption, even with all the So
/ called tariff stimulation. Why compel
/ our people TO pay for foreign made woo.-
/ en- goods. with a tariff tax added, when
/ by permitting wool To enter our ports
/ free, our manufacturers would be given
/ a chance 70 provide us with homemade
| goods, and thereby give twice the
/ amount of employment To wage
/ workers Nv personal experience
/ has taught me that cheap raw material
/ never reduced wages in a msnufactOry,
/ but. on the contrary, il had the tenden-
/ cy to raise them.
TnITd-I do not believe that a na-
/ tioE can be made prosperous or happy
| by taxation, nor should a Republican
I form of government like ours exact from
the people oy taxation more than is ac-
tually required for an economical ad-
! min!stration of public affairs. Again.
large accumulation of money in the
| Treasury breeds extravaganza and be-
comes factor OF decentralization in
/ many ways. II is in its action like
~ afnf ha c1t-
! the whole body is poisoned. All taxa
tion, Of whatever kind or nature. rests
| upon the products OF labor. for without
labor wealth cannot be produced and. AS
the existence OF civilized man rests ubon
I the products OF the soil, il is of the high
7 est Importance that legislation should
be framed SO as TO place the least possi-
| bic burden upon the tiller of the soil
there by placing him in position to aid
his fellow latorer in the shop and factory
by becoming larger consumer of man.
ufactured aaticles, and vice versa.
Again, / find that in those States thai
are supposed to receive the benfits of z
protective tariff there is more dissatis
faction, strikes and lockouts than II
States not SO protected. There must b,
something wrong in our political ma.
chiuery that has compelled the wage.
worker and also the farmer to organize il
associations for protection against ex.
toTtiOn, abuse and wage reduction.
IS sad picture 70 look at, after a cen
tury OF constitutional existence.
In conclusion I will say that bet weel
taking the tariff off the neeessaries o
life and the internal revenue tax off "a
baccO aud whisky, l shall vote for h
former every time get a chance. Ches
tobacco and whisky means more demon
aliZatiou and drunkenness, and I can
not give consent 10 such measure
Very truly yours.
HENRY SMITH, NJ. G.