Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-07-27
THE MILLS BILL.
Washington Sunday Gazette.

Washington Sunday Gazette.
The Mills bill was put upon its
passage in the House yesterday |
and passed. We had hopes that so
monstrOus an outrage upon the
masses OF the people could not COM
mand, even among the Democrats,
sufficient number of votes to en-
sure its passage, but 1t seems that
we we're mistaken. The history of
this bill affords the most painful
commentary upon the decadence of
the Democratic spirit in our Re
public that we have yet SEEM
Nothing in English or American
politics, past or present, equals the
shameless disregard of the peoples
rights which the trainers OF this
bill have Notwithstanding
equals its mslevolence towards the
welfare of the people, and we are
assured nothing in the history OF
the politics of a free country sur
passes the hypocrisy, the deliberate
MISREPRESENTATION, the avOwed in
tention to beat down the industries
and the prosperity Of one section
which this bill exhibits and which
its trainers and advocates have
manifested. The Philadelphia Press
has prepared a history of the bill
and as the damnlng facts connected
with it should be spread everywhere
broadcast oyer the country, we cpl
tomize from the Press statements.
It will be seen that reckless ruin
IS the point intended by the bill,
and that the utmost indifference
and insolence to the people have
been shown by the men who franz
ed the bill, from its first concep-
ton to the present day.
The Mills bill, then, was drawn
by the Democratic majority Of the
House Committee on Ways and
Means, without consultation with
its Republican minority. The bill
was then laid before the committee
as a completed measure March l,
in the first session at which it was
considered. The Democratic mem
bers voted down motions for It's
consideration In the committee and
for public hearings to the industries
threatened and affected by it. The
only record which has been made
of those with whom the committee
consulted was by "Parsee" Moore,
a we'll known free trader, who said
in a letter published in the New
York Times and dated March 2,
1883, that he had been at work on
the bill three months. Since then
Mr.. Breckenridge has admitted
that the Democratic members OF
the committee gave a secret hearing
to Mr.. Havemeyer, the head of the
Sugar "Trust," and modified the
duty to suit the "Trust" and con-
tinue the heavy tax on a necessary
of life which the Republican min
ority in the House has endeavored
TO reduce One.half. The long Pc
Rod IN which Mr.. Mills and his
Democratic associates we're engag-
ed in secret upon this measure al
fecting the industrial system of a
nation of 10000, 900, whose legisla-
ton has been public for a century,
led to the Mills bill being Justly
termed the "dark lantern" bill.
But this was not all. In spite of
the haste to make report, which
precluded any hearing for tn e
rights of labor and the privileges
of capital, the Mills bill remained
on the files of the House until
April II, when debate began. 1t
was again taken in hand May q,
nearly two months after it appeared
BY a Democratic caucus, sitting with
closed doors, which passed upon 1t
line by line for days together, and
in the consideration of the measure
IN the House of Representatives,
he only public discussion it has
had, the decision OF the secret Dem
ocratic caucus has been uniformly
sustained. Since the doors of Con-
gress were first opened to public
reports 10 tariff measure has been
thus prepared in secret, reported
by a party majority of committee
without consideration by the minor
ity, amended in a secret caucus
and pressed to a passage without
consultation or conference with the
industries it destroys.
We repeat, we did not believe it
could be passed by the House, but
haying been, the people will call
to q strict account every man who
voted for 1t.
1t is always bad policy in a con.
test, to DO what your enemy desires
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