Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-20
THE MILLS BILL.
rrovc,rnrn rpov rrper PAGE.

the destruction OF ngle industry, bu
he believed it would benefit all OF them
Quoting John Sherman, he said, tha
time had come when the pledge implie'
by the passage OF the act of 1864 shoult
be redeemed. American labor did no
fear competition with the pauper labo
of Europe, but it did fear the restrictions o
our laws. These things, he said
have grown out OF our high-tariff system
He quoted Henry Wilson, of Massa
chusetts, as favoring free raw material
which, he said, sounded like good old
fashioned Democratic doctrine. Zap
plause.
The gentleman from Michigan, Bur
rows, has stated that the result of the
passage of the tariff acts of 1876 and
1857 was to reduce the country to abso
credit Of the Government it was com
PEELED to borrow money in times Of
peace at discount Of from Il
to 80 per cent. The financial depression
that occurred in 1857 was an Insignificant
incident of history compared with the
great commercial and industrial disaster
which occurred in 1873, and which de.
vastated the country for five long years,
mining, banking and mercantile houses,
extinguishing the fires in furn.
aces, paralyzing the industries Of
the people and bringing down
the prices OF all our products Of every
kind. Under low rates of duty the
country recovered from the depression Of
1857 in comparatively few months,
and like an awakened giant marched on
its path Of greatness and power. After
the panic Of 1873 it struggled on for five
long weary years. From the passage Of
the tariff actof 1916 down to the last ten
days Of Buchanan's administration
when civil war was imminent in this
country, not bond, no Treasury
note, not a Government obliga-
ton in any form, sold for less
than par in gold, while many OF
them cold at very considerable premiums
in gold. During the last nine days OF
that administration when the clouds OF
the great civil commotion were over
the land, $500. 100000 worth
of bonds we're sold, December II, 1860,
at 901s Per cent, or discount of 91s per
cent, as stated by the gentleman from
Michigan, after the Democratic admins
tration had gone out and the Republican
had come in. After the
low tariffs OF 1S46 and 1857 had been re-
pealed and the Morrill, tariff bill of 1861
had been passed, the Republican admin
sold bonds at Is per cent. dis
count. Would it be fair to say that the
bonds were sold at discount because the
rates of duty on imported goods had been
The truth is, the credit OF the Govern
ment was always good in peace and war
until the civil commotion came in 1860
and no administration, Democratic or
Republican, no system Of taxation, free
-rade or protection, could have prevented
The sacrifice of Government obligations
under such circumstances.
So far, the main opposition to this bill
has been against that part which pro-
poses to reduce the tariff taxes, and we
are told its passage will ruin many valn-
able industries now flourishing; that it
will throw many woIkmen out of en-
ployment and diminish the wages Of
hose who still manage to find work to
10.
''If believed" he continued, "that
he passage of this bid would work any
injury to any honest industry ia
his country, would hesitate long, not
the emergency now on us,
before casting my vote for il, but / am
satisfied that instead Of that it will great
y benefit them, and at the same time re.
ieve the people. In 1886, 1927 ,000, GOO
vas collected by the Government from
and their products. Every
restige of that enormous burden has
oeen removed, and properly removed,
md now 1 submit the time has
,ome when Il Q great masses OF
consumers have the right to demand re.
lei. There never was time when this
Internal tax remained ON manufactures
ind their products that they would not
nave been glad to surrender large part
If the duties on imported goods to re-
move that charge from their industries.
Carlisle then quoted from speech de-
ivered by John Sherman in 1867, to the
fleet that the manufacturer had an
advantage equal to the duty imposed,
md he ssked how the gentlemen OF the
)ther side could reconcile this statement
sith their contention that the consumer
lid not pay an increased price on account
,f the duty. The statements that protec-
ion enabled the manufacturer to sell his
FOODS cheaper and enabled the laborer to
get better wages were utterly inconsistent
sith each other. He did not deny that
here had been tendency toward in
,rsased wages in this country, but it was
rue OF all other countries, free trade or
There were other causes than
protection for this, aud the principal one
vas the increased use Of machinery
There is not a well-informed man
who does not know that it is
lot the tariff, nor the rates
II duty upon i'm ported goods that have
brought down the prices OF manufactured
articles or increased wages, but the in
ventions which have characterized this
age as no other age before has been
Continuing he said: "The gentleman
from Maine talked about the home mar
ket. We all know, he says, that this
protective system is beneficial to the
farmer, because: First, it protects his
products against the competition Of the
agricultural products of otter countries !;
and second, the gentleman says because
it diversifies industry, and by increasing
the number of people engaged in other
than agricultural pursuits, increases the
the mar ket for his product. 1t is scarcely
necessary for me to make any argument
to show that as to all those agricultural
products which the farmers OF this coun-
try are compelled to send abroad, to
sell at foreign prices, duty can't be
of any possible benefit. The American
farmer understands this, surely, and the
fallacy of this argument has been so
often exposed that it will be a waste Of
time to dwell upon it. OF course, the
domestic market-the home markets.
and will continne to improve
under any system of taxation along