Bent County register., 1888-09-22
Aims and Plans of Revo.
nue. R0f5r11aors.


Mills bill. and allay the Indignation
of patriotic voters at Its concession
to foreign demands for the repeal of
our tariff laws, free trade organs and
orators are persIstently asserting that
the said bill proposes 4 reduction of
per cent. of the protection afforded
by the existing tariff. This claim,
like most free trade proportions, loses
all its force when the reader turns
from the contemp'atin of assertions
to the facts of history.
When commencing his bill to the
support of "revenue reformers," Mr..
Mills announced that 1t provided for
r reduction in the revenue, amount
ing to $5o,9l ,63G. In a statement of
the revenues received during the
year 1887. used in the same speech,
he credited the customers-omitting
liquors, tabaccos and silks, which
are not touched by the bill-with
sl7o,74l,33o. Page 734S Cong.
Record. The author Of the bill
thus admits contemplated reduction
equivalent to % per cent. of the ex-
isting protection to the industries at
fectcd. In other words, he acknowl-
edges the proposed bill will obliter-
ale more than one-fourtl, of the dis
unction between our present policy
Of protection and absolute free trade.
But the injurious effect OF the pro-
posed scheme is not to be measured
by such generalization. The con-
templated reductions are laid with n
partial hand, and tall all too uneven
ly npon the industries affected. The
tariff on wool, enacted and maintain
ed for the defence of nearly a million
farmers owning sheep, is TO be oblit-
Grated. SO with the tariff on metals,
hemp, flax. vegetables and long list
of fruits exposed to foreign competi-
tion. None of the industries produc
ing these are to be let off with so lit
tie as % per cent. reduction in their
protection. They are relegated To
the free-tr,de list, and turned over
to the destiny of such competition as
may come from countries where men
are compelled to work for one half
the wages paid to iaborers in the
United States.
In view Of the progress made in
the direction of free.trade under the
auspices of the present national ad-
ministration, the London Times has
good reason for the exulting cxclam-
alton:
"Tbis operation may not establish
free-trade in the strict seuse of the
term, but it will to great extent
make trade free. The tariff cannot
be reduced to the strict proportions
of revenue corresponding to the
limited and diminishing necessities
of the federal government without
admitting a great food of foreign
competition"
1t will also be far from safe for
voters to lose sight OF the fact that
the contention that the Mills bill
provides for but per cent. reduction
IN protective duties is for future as
we'll as for presen: uss. The free
trade attorneys fully realize that if
it should become n law their case is
but half won. In that event pcsent
acceptance of their plea will become
their strongest argument tor further
reduction and have ontlived the pres.
ept attack upon their existence. If
any voter doubts that such is the ul-
innate object of the present move
ment let him read and consider the
utterances of the two most promi.
nent characteristic President and
the Chairman of the Ways and Means
COMMITTEES:
II believe in free. trade as I believe
in the Protestant religion. ."-Grover
Cleveland.
81 desire free trade, and 1 will not
help to perfect any law that stands
in the way of frectrade. Roger Q.
Mills.
Job A. Cooper will carry Colorado
by not less than 10000 majority. He