South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1888-04-27
CHAIRMAN MILLS
On the Tariff Bill-The Great
Debate Begun.

Below we give a condensed re.
port OF tho speech Of Chairman
Mile, of the ways and means com.
m'ttee, in support OF his tariff bill,
delivered in the House of Represen-
tatives on Tuesday OF last week.
Mr.. Mills began bis speech by
saying that the great increase of du.
ties made during the war had been,
at the time they were made, stated
t. tie only temporary. Ye. a quar-
ter OF century later tLese duties
were higher than they were during
the war. and thy now averaged
47.lO per cent. on imports. Tue
income tax had been i'm posed to
meet war expenses. 1t was gomez
1t was tax on wealth, and the S72-
100000 annually realiz al from that
source hat been swept away. but the
war tax on clothing. food, on nipple.
uents Of labor retained, and the war
was still being prosecuted against
the pecplc-a fiscal war exhsnstinp
In i's demanls-ani every effort to
remove or lower that taxation had
be,n resisted and defeated.
The democrats Lad been tainted
With the charge that they had failed
TO reduce taxation. This charge
had been made by the minority.
which had been guilty OF preventing
action on the many bills brought ia.
TO the House by the committee on
ways and means. Mr. Nil II turned
his attention 10 wooden manufactures
aud argued tina, The pubuc at large
was injured bY the present excessive
tax and nobody hen. fted.
High duties prohibited and limit
ed importations and expectations.
we were feeding the people of Eu.
rope. and when We put high duties
on the good, they sent US in ex.
change for foe d. il amounted 10 tax
ing our own agricultural exports.
A reduction of dutios would not.
as asserted. check manufactures and
cfamp labor. We always imported
more goods when prices we're high.
Under lower duties we could export
more goods, our manufactures
woald run steadily aud labor would
be constantly employed. Not moro
Than Ten per cent. of the goods con
sumei in the United States vonli me
imported il all the custom houses
were torn down and the government
supported by direct taxes. Pro,ec.
,ion's's argued that manufactured
articles were cheaper here than in a
ny other country as result of pro.
lection. 1t was not so but, suppo,
sing that it was, why. then, should
they resist 50 streuuously any effort
to lower duties If they we're able TO
undersell European manufacturers
1t was said that il the value Of the
domestic product was increased, the
manufacturer was enabled To pay
higher waeo'. Unquosliona1ly.
But did he Go IT? No. jay Gould
was able TO pay his bootblack S5OO.
but did he do IL? No; he paid his
nlc%el like little man. High taIiff
did not regulate wages. Wages were
regulated Dy demIni and supply and
;bC capacity Of the laborer 10 do his
work. What made the high rate of
wages IL this countryP II vas coal
and steam and machinery. II wss
these great agents that made labor
valuable. and the high rate Of wages
meant the low cost Of production.
~ vas not the rate of wages that
came into che market to lest the sn.
premacy. IL was the article that the
lahor produced, and u il could be
produced at lower cos. than a RI
vel article. It would drive the rival
out OF the market. Increased pro
ductive power, high rate Of wsees.
TO" cost OF production followed each
other ~ the night followed the dav.
he fact that the rate Of wages was
higher IN this country than in Eng.
land meant that England was dis.
tahceh In the great indus, rial contest
IN which the United Sta es had en-
tered. lie cited from table com
piled 6v an English gentleman sent
over to- investigate the cotton indus
10y Ct the United Sta'es 10 show that