Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-05-26
WASHINGTON.
Closing of General Debate on the
Mills Bill, and the Measure Laid
- Aside for Ten Days.


WASHINGTON, May q, lSSS-On
Saturday Speaker Carlisle closed the
general debate on the Mills tariff bill
with a ringing speech for revenue re-
form. Referring to the opposition of
some of the New England members
to the measure he said: "Gentlemen
from New England predicted in 1916
that the duties fixed by the law of
that date would ruin their textile in
dustries. In 1857 all of the New
England members voted for a still
further reduction of 20 per cent from
what they had called the ruinously
low tariff of 1916. In the free trade
period, as the republicans called the
decade from 1850 to 1860, the wool
manufactured product increased 46
per cent and wages 81 per cent. The
increased product in New England
was 81 per cent. In hosiery the pro-
duct increased 42l per cent. In cot
ton the product in New England in
creased II per cent. In boots and
shoes, upon which the duty had been
reduced 81 per cent, the increase in
New England was SO per cent the
product in 1860, in New England was
more than the entire product of the
Union in 1850. This is what the re-
publicans from New England saw
under low tariff. Within eleven
years after the passage Of this bill the
members from New England will
vote for a still further reduction, or,
if they did not, the people would
send somebody here who would.o
And now that the general debate
on the tariff bill is over, few people
are under the necessity of asking
which party has the best of the con-
test thus far. The democrats have
won an intellectual and political bat
tie, and the republicans know it.
They hesitate to accept a challenge
to direct vote on the Mills bill
without amendment, and they have
taken Mr. Randall's bill as an express
sion of republican opinion, only be-
cause they are utterly unable to
formulate bill of their own upon
which to place their faith in the
coming campaign before the plain
people of the country.
The Mills bill may not pass,
although the outlook is very
favorable for it just now. But the
democrats who favor that measure
have the satisfaction of knowing that
they have furnished the issue upon
which the Presidential election will
be contested. Mr.. Mills is very con-
fident that his bill will pass the
House, so confident that he proposed
to the republican leaders of the
House that they should introduce the
substitute which they propose offering
for the bill and take vote on it, and
Immediately thereafter on his bill,
shutting off all amendments as we'll
as the debate by sections.
For the past four days the re-
publicans of the House have been
caucusing and comforting, but up to
this writing they have agreed to
nothing except to oppose the Mills
, bill. The measure will now be laid
aside for ten days, truce of that
length having been agreed upon by
: the leaders of both sides, and in the
) meantime the House will proceed
| with other business. AT the end OF
, that time it is probable that the con.
; sideration of the bill by sections will
: begin. M
Indian Commissioner Atkins, who
is going TO resign for the purpose OF
; entering the canvass for the Senate
from Tennessee, has been requested
: by Secretary Villas to defer his
t resignation until after the letting OF
: the Indian contracts. 1t is expected
+ that the contracts will all be awarded