Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-25
TIE FINAL VOTE.

The time for taking the final vote on
the Mills bill has not yet been agreed
upon, but the Republicans are consider
ing a proposition made by Mir. Mills in
response to the hope expressed by them
that the bill would be brought to an
early vote. This proposition will, it is
thought, result in an agreement by which
a test vote of the house can be taken be-
fore the meeting of the st. Louis con-
vention.
Meantime, it is generally admitted that
the Mills bill, upon which Mr.. Cleveland
has set his heart, stands very slim
show of passing the house. Comment
ing upon the action of the New York
Democratic convention with reference to
the Mills bill, the World has the follow
ing:
For Twelve years tie Democrats have
been adopting resolutions upon the tariff
quite as admirable as taat quoted above.
At last they have embodied their princi
pies and declared their policy in bill be-
fore congress. 1t is Cleveland measure
The President is 10 be renominated as the
embodiment OF this policy. He is the
champion of its underlying idea. Amend
ments to this measure were held III abey
ance awaiting the opinion of New York
upon it. New York is silent on the Mills
bill TO make the silence more significant
the committee on resolutions voted down
an endorsement of this bill.
What was the occasion and what will be
the effect of this action? VIII not the
result be to lessen still more the already
dubious chances of the Mills bill in the
house? And is it the opinion on the Dem
Ocratic managers in New York that the
party would be stronger in the election if
this bill shall fail in the house.
These are interesting questions They
open wide field of political speculation.
Surely there is no inconsistency in electing
and instructing delegates to support the
denomination of President Cleveland and
then lodging the issue forced by himself
upon which his election will turn. Such
eXpediency is in strong contrast with the
presidents courage.
If by ignoring the real issue the plat
form-makers could have removed it there
might be some excuse for their action.
But the issue remains. The Republicans
have accepted it. The denunciation of the
Mills bill by the Republican conventions
shows the utter futility of the policy OF
avoidance BY many the OmlnOUS Omls-
sion of the convention will be construed as
the silence of dissent to others 1t will
seem only a blunder of timidity. From
either point of view it seems unwlse.
Courage is inspiring. Timidity is de-
By the Republicans generally, the
action of the New York Democrats will
be construed to mean both the causes
by the World silence of
dissent" and 1.-The blunder Of timidity."
There can be no doubt that large num-
Der of New York Democrats dissent from
the main features and purposes of the
Mills bill, and that knowledge of this
fact produced the ''timidity" to which
the World calls attention. Timidity in
the FACE of the enemy is always
and nothing Is so sure to pro-
duce timidity as the consciousness of
weakness. Of course such conspicuous
silence where emphatic pronunciation
was expected by all could not pass unob-
served and unnoticed. Among the COM
ments of the various papers this from
the Duluth Tribune is well worth quot
ing:
No wonder the New York Democrats
have shown the white feather on the
Mills bill. The debate on the bill has re-
vealed in all their hideousness, the Sec
tional and unjust provisions of that So
called tariff reform measure. As re-
suit of this debate the Democrats appear
to have been surprised and have become
at their own weakness. There
has been a wavering all along the Demo-
cratic lines, and unless some tactics of
are adopted by Mr Mills, it
is evident that what the World terms
1.-The already dubious chances of the
Mills bill will 90 from bad to worse. In
the debate. it is evident that the Repub-
licans have put forward unanswerable
logic based upon undoubted statistics,
and thus they have come out with flying
colors.
This was particularly noticeable toward
the close of the discussion. Among the
best speeches made on the Republican |
side none made a deeper impression |
than that of Mr.. Mason. of |
As attacked the proposition |
made by the Mills bill that the people |
ought to have the right to buy where |
they could buy the cheapest, and gave |
OF the working classes, call !
ing on Mr. Mills to ask him why he /
wished to buy the products of labor in |
England, where he could buy it so much !
cheaper. He made Mr.. Mills say: Il |
want to buy my shoes in England. where
can buy them cheaper, to help the poor
Of America aud that ne
wanted to buy his cloth of other coun-
ries to help the splnners and weavers Of
America, and that he wanted to buy his
machinery and iron tools in England,
where the wages were Just half what
hey were in this country, to help the
Door iron workers of this country. He
aid: II have never been in favor of
ending a man to the penitentiary for
preaching free trade, but when he asks
o buy the product Of labor in other
and announces as the reason
hat it Is to help the laboring men Of this
| think he ought to be sent
lowr for six months twice year for
fifty years for hypocrisy
He declared that the Mills bill was in
he interests of trusts and syndicates,
nd cited the sugar trust, which ne said,
vas one of the largest, If not the largest
rust in the world. that affected the price
# any Of the necessities OF life He said
hat he had been informed and believed.
md the charge had been made and not
lenied, that the ways and means COM
nittee had consulted with the agents of
English manufacturers, and that these
english agents had been Influential in
king some parts Of the Mills bill. At
aying this much he added:
II it is true that any representative OF
he English manufacturers has secured
he adoption By the committee OF one item
+ this bill, then the man who consented
0 il upon that committee Is as much a
raitor 10 the industries 81 his country as
is ancestors were twenty-five years ago,