The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1888-07-28
THE MILLS BILL.
How Il Passed.
N. 0. States speeial.l

they were adopted.
lie then proceeded TO address the
House, beginning by stating the con-
dition of the finances of the govern
ment, placing the surplus at Sl29,OOO,-
000 fhis he said should arrest the
attention ofthe country. 1t represent
ed unnecessary taxation drawn from
the people and piled up in the tresury.
II was taxation levied upon the pro-
ducts of labor; it was iniquity. This
enormous amount of money was con-
stantly lowering prices and piling an
enormous load on labor and increasing
the benefit Of privileges. How long
would it be before stagnation would
occur and bankrupt every city, burg
and village over the land. The major
ity had attempted to bring before the
House a bill to reduce this taxation
and lessen the inflow into the treasury.
BY amendments made in the commit
tee of the whole the rate of duty had
been placed at $42.99 ON the hundred.
Why should this moderate bill be met
with denunciation and characterized
as free trade measure. Was $6499
on the hundred free tradeg What
State had per cent. rate Of taxation9
In the majority of States ii did not ex-
ceed 81 on the hundred. The tariff of
1916 had been spoken of as free trade
tariff.
Mr. Mills then took up the bill in
detail beginning with the chemical
schedule where the rate of duty had
been reduced from $32.s7 to S2S17.
On earthen and crockery ware the re-
duction had been 81 on the hundred.
They called that free trade. If $50 on
the hundred was free traIe, in Gods
name what is protection Sugar
showed next to the largest reduction
in the bill-larger than in hemp, jutc,
iron and in everything except wool.
Yet the bill had been called u sectional
measure. 70 get the S6,000,000 of
protection on sugar, the government
had to collect S5s,000,000 of tariff
duties. In provisions the reduction
was 81 on the hundred. More free
trade. II was less than 81 IN cotton
goods. Was not that moderator The
duty still remains at $39.07 in woods
and the wooden reduction was $20 on
the hundred and most of that has been
caused by placing wool OF the free
list. The manufacturer would get
free wool and 40 per cent. protection.
8 per cent. more than he now got. and
still they said the bill was a free trade
measure. Articles amounting to $780,
100000 have been placed on the free
list and $l9.390000 of that was wool.
Cotton had been the chief product of
this country, yet the Republicans put
it on the free list and they were right.
But when il was proposed TO touch the
wool combination, that made pro-
tective tariff they said "You shall
not touch it," The next article on the
free list was tin plate-S5, 100000
Not a pound of II was produced in
this country. The committee proposed
to give this money to the consumer.
Yet their action was called free trade.
If that was free trade, make the most
of it. Salt was next, because few peo-
pie were interested in its manufacture.
The committee was stigmatized as free
traders for putting It on the free list.
Burlaps was not made in this country
it had been placed on the free list,
Hemp and jute made up S1,700,000 on
the free list. With all the milk that
could be given this baby industry, ii
failed to grow. II was dying and must
soon disappear. The Republicans had
used the same argument in favor of
striking down the sugar industry.
Opium had $46s,00O; It had been
placed on the free list. Cotton ties
and bristles, the latter produced in
Russia. had also been placed on the
free list Food products that concerned
the labor in this country had been
placed on the free list. The committee
had been taunted with being free
traders. Their opponents said: "If
you want anything free take free
drink of whisky. [Applause.l The
taxes on express companies, on tele-
phone companies on all the wealth of
the country had been removed. Wool
grew on sheep. There had been much
sympathy expressed for sheep. The
Republicans wanted the duties kept so
high that neither wool nor woolens
could be brought in. With a produc-
ton of 30,000.000 pounds and need for
600,000,000 pounds, what were we go
ing to dog The Democrats proposed
TO let in wool free and let our workmen
make it up into clothing. The bill
was intended TO beniit the condition
and increase wages of the laboring
people. [Applausel. The government
should not meddlc with the people.
they could take care of themselves.
They were the most intelligent and
best people in the world and could
give employment to all of the laborers
if Congress would but let them alone.
Why should we not bave free raw ma
terial and have an opportunity TO con-
test on equal terms with foreign manu.
facturerss
We would have fair field and an
open fight [Applausel. The Demo-
cratic party intended to appeal to the
virtue and intelligence Of the country.
Money was being poured into his dis
trict in Texas TO beat him for re-elec-
ton to the fifty-first Congress, but he
wanted the country to know that the
people of his district were not for sale.
The committee had reduced the duty
on steel rails from $l7 to s1l per ton
and it was charged that that was an
effort to destroy the the industry.
At the conclusion, Mr. Mills referred
to a suit of clothes produced by Mr..