Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-04-04
1aslg 'eErsss and 9akotaiaa
PROPOSING TARIFF LAWS.
MAJORITY AND MINORITY REPORTS
ON TARIFF LEGISLATION.

Mills Bill E%rnbodying tho Basis sug-
gested in the Presidents Message, and
NIckiniey's Report, EeHecsing the Views
of tho Republicans.
WASHINGTON, April 3 = Chairman
Mills, Of the ways and means committee,
reported the Mills tariff bill to the house,
and Ii was referred to the committee of
the whole, Mr.. Mckinley, of Ohio, sub
mitted the minority report, which was
ordered printed. Mr.. Mcmillan, of Ten
nessee, on behalf of the ways and means
committee, announced that the commit
tee would seek to have the house CON
slider the tariff bill on Tuesday, April H..
The minority report, after criticising
the Mills bill as avowedly O political
measure, believed to represent, SO far MS
it goes, the views of the president and
his party associates, and which is to CON
stitate the issue and be the platform of
the party, goes o to assail the bill as o.
radical reversal of the tariff policy of the
government, which for the most part
GilSS 100 iphllutlOh Itb lIhNS IutluSUIlHl
progress in the United States without a
parallel In the worlds history. If en-
acted into law the Mills bill will disturb
every branch of business, retard manu-
~factnring and agricultural prosperity, and
seriously impair our Industrial independ-
ence.a The whole bill, they say, seems
framed to benefit other countries, rather
than u own. Free wool proposed by
the Mills bill, they say, means loss and
ruin to the American wool grower. Plac-
ing fax and hemp on the free list will in-
jlfe the grower and manufacturer. Plac-
ing tin plates on the free list, in the Mills
bill, is making q public proclamation that
this country does not want II tin-plate in
dustry. OF the maiority's proposed re-
dnction of duty on steel rails, the minor
ity say:
If the majority desire to insure the
handing over of our steel rail market to
GU English rivals, the proposed duty of
lsll.00 will accomplish this purpose, I'M
less the Workingmen who are employed
In producing the raw materials and iin-
ished products of orr steel rail works
are willing to accept still lower wages
Tran they are now receiving, and the
railroad companies, which transport the
raw materials, are willing to greatly re-
t'S nv 9SlSlL 1ithtSS. l1dft HbIlt ma
jority any assurance that the workmen
and railroad companies are willing TO ac-
cept these conditioner The supply OF
steel rails to the Pacific coast is now in
the hands of foreigners, because of the
cheap transportation by water from for
eign ports, the existing duty of SIT not
being sufficient to enable our manu-
~factnrers to compete for that trade.
Sealing down duties, they say, as pro-
posed in the Mills bill, will not reduce
the income aud surplus of the govern
ment. Experience shows that u mere
elimination of duties tends to stimulate
foreign importations, and thus increase
the revenue. The tariff reductions of
1883 on window glass, braids, laces, trim
mings, tin plates, aud wool, resulted in
larger importations, and increased rev.
enues--the increased importations and
revenue growing out of the wool reduc
ton being the most striking of any in the
schedule, having increased from 63, 000,-
900 pounds, with about 81, 600, 900 reve-
nue. in 1882, to Ia, 000, 600 pounds, with
about 5000, 600 revenue in 1887. The
absolute s'periln to the business of the
country, described by the president il his
message last December, as resulting
from an existing and increasing
HHfP AtI7, do iaittlllVlp Aio WILL CuUQSu,
How easily he could have ayerted it by
the purchase of outstanding bonds with
the surplus money in the treasury, a
power which he possessed, clear and un2
doubted, under the act of Marchs8, 1881.
that arthorizessthe secretary OF the treas
ury at any time to apply the surplus
money IN the treasury, not otherwise APP
p~ropriated, and so much of it as may be
considered proper, to the purchase or re-
demptiom of United States bonds. To
Tins have used the surplus, they say,
have been direct and business
like-ilst what ~ prudent BUSH
ness man would have done with
his idle money-called in his creditors
and applied it to his debts. The presi-
dent failed to do this. and when congress
assembled s'the condition. confronted it.
IL the house had even then appreciated
the situation how promptly and easily it
could, IN part Mt least, have relieved ii
by abolishing the entire tobacco tax,
amounting to $50, 900, COO annually. and
by releasing also from taxation alcohol
used In the arts and manufacturers, which
It IS estimated would amount to SO, 000,-
000 more.
The minority close their report with
the following criticism of the president,
ioha phS lShiOCitN uldJuE1lyaEin H,tJG
house, for non action in the matter OF
utilizing the surplus and effecting rev
senue reduction.
III disaster results from the failure Of
the president to lse the surplus now in
the treasury as the law authorizes him to
use it, In payment of our existing debts,
and II the majority in the house, which
alone csn originate a bill to reduce the
revenue, fails to send to the senate a bill
OF that character, the responsibility viii
rest with them. The minority are pow
erless; they are neither in control in the
house nor in the committees; they
are in 40 parliamentary position
to report q bill, or give direction to legis.
lation which shall surely ACCOMPLISH re-
suits SO much desired. They sought by
amendments in the committee on ways
u mean to make this bill reasonable.
inst, and practical; failing there, they
viii seek to amendsand modify it in the
committee of the whole house, and lie
their efforts there are ~unavailing, they
will seek a last result in opportunity to
offer . substitute which will assurediy
diminish the revenues without
any impairment of the Ameri-
can system of protection. 1t
is, therefore, manifest that the
ASspoAsipS~>uy luf bne present monetary
condition which so alarms the country,
does not rest with the minority party In
the house, but with the president and the
majority in congress. They cannot es-
cape ~ The president has for three
years failed, while having the power TO
avoid the financial condition he now COM
plains OF. The majority IN the house for
SIX Years has signally failed to provide
for q reduction of the reyanua Tbav
cannot avoid Responsibilities for the