Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-05-24


penses Of the Government, and is a tax on for
iGn products, so levied as TO give protection 70
the chosen industries Of the home people.
II is simply notice to foreign producers that
II they would enjoy the privileges OF our mar
kets, they must pay for them-must pay tribute
to our Government Free trade between the
States Of this Union was on basis Of recipro-
cal advantage. Harmony Of laws Of interests
and Of destiny justified and required il. To
this. foreign nations could not. and should not.
be admitted Free trade with foreign nations
was antagonstic TO the fundamental principles
Of the Republic.
The bill under consideration owed its sup
port to the plea that it would reduce the reve-
nue.. This was not true. The reduction Of rev.
enue from the extended free list would be more
than Offset by the increased importations un-
der dutiable provisions. Few men on the DEM
ocratic side OF the House could have thor
ough knowledge of the contents OF
this bill. Few of the speakers
on the Democratic side OF the
chamber could know that this bill Increased by
| fifteen per cent. the duties on steel billets.
That according 10 their theories IL added to the
price of every pound Of wire fencing and TO
| nails, ana 10 other articles-that il increased
| the cost OF raw materials. This was the bill
! upon which the President stood, and which he
was trying TO force through the House by coer-
/ cion and the use Of patronage. His organ said
! threat and intimidation over every Democratic
| member who did not support this bill.
The duty on wool was swept away. Every
! benefit to the farmer OF the protective system
| was cut out. Yet every thing he must buy was
| left subject to duty. The shears must pay
! forty-five per cent, the sheep bell must pay
! forty-five. There was but one item in the en-
! tire bill for the farmer. He could get sheep
| dip free Of charge.
The afternoon would not AFFORD time to call
! attention to the inconsistencies OF the bill.
/ The FIVE minute debate would afford better OPP
! portunity. He would turn TO the internal-rev-
! enue provisions OF the Mills bill The tobacco
provisions were generally accepted The pro
| visions TO Illicit dIstllling removed all the
safeguards Of the present law. If
! this bill had no other defect,
its substitute OF ad valorem for specific duties
was alone sufficient TO warrant the rejection Of
the bill. Under an ad valorem system, honest
administration would be impossible. Every
! European nation had rejected it, The customs
officials OF the United States were unanimous
! in their condemnation of the ad valOrem sys-
TEN. \ comprehensive review Of the history of
! this country would show that the domination
OF protection principles had always caused
prosperity: their overthrow or neglect had al
! ways brought ruin.
Mr. Mckinley cited numerous examples OF
! American and foreign manufacturing estab-
q
! the American wages to be often three times as
! large as those of the European worlmen.
Mr. Leopold Morse, interrupting til some
! questions about wooden clothing, Mr.. McIiin-
| ley turned the laugh on him by producing
suit of all-wool clothing purchased from Morse's
! store in Boston at price which answ cred the
! question. and also. as Mr.. Mckinley said, dis
posed of Mr.. Mills fearful tale of the working
man tOiling for twenty-dolar suit.
Mr. Mckinley continued II length his
parsons tending TO show the increased
wages Of American laborers under a protective
tariff He concluded with the statement that
the verdict of the people had never been given
for such bill as this. and that If the Demo
cratic party would adopt it as their platform,
the result could rot be other than crushing
and overwhelming defeat. He challenged the
Democracy to make this issue. No Republican
had any fear of the result.
Mr.. Mckinley concluded amid a burst of ap-
plause, and cries OF Vote Vote from the
Republican side, and Mr. Breckenridge took the
floor. He said:
We do not pretend that this bill is scien-
tifc measure 1t is a bill framed to meet
the present conditions, not 10 fit any
particular theory. The changes proposed
by this bill are designed to give
the farmer. by whom all provisions
are raised, amarset for his breadstufs and for
raw materials, which are only profitable when
he has a prosperous manufacturer for pur-
chaser; TO the laborcr, the hope of a constant
market, and to the manufacturer. freedom from
unnecessary burdens. We have, therefore, put
upon the free list, as far as we felt il was Just
the materials necessary for the manufacturer.
We have reduced the rates where
ever we have touched them, &c
a point that gives to the home
consumer the hope of fair competition, when
ever demand has been made by an internal
10 pAr tla F,;,-
Grafton for the article to be sold, and yet
we have left the rates so that the protection af.
forded is greater than any necessity, and makes
all competition OF foreign manufacturers upon
terms OF great advantage 10 the American man
ufacturer. II was determined, in response to
what seemed to be the sentiment OF a large
part Of the country. 10 propose the re-
peal OF the taxes on manufactured tobacco.
The committee have thought it wise to repeal
so much OF the internal revenue was not
necessary TO the proper administration OF the
system and the collection ofthe revenue under
II. Our belief was 10 that exempt fruit
brandy and alcohol used in the arts
would efectually. destroy the in
ernal revenue system. and were this to be
done, we preferred to do it or have it done
openly, and thus fix the responsibility for it
upon those who accomplished It. The venera-
bic gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelley
may be assured that no criticism he may per,
NIT himself TO make upon Kentucky will be
held TO be any answer to the bill under consid-
GRAFTON.
Mr.. Breckenridge. having denied the state
ments about Kentucky made by Mr.. Kelley in
his speech, said: when the gentleman's
speech is read by the citizens of those coun.
ties called paupers' by him, who have held in
arectionate remembrance the name of my ven
cradle friend they Will think. if they do not
say. tn, Brute and fear they will not re-
hal a-t 4
of two syllables."
II this bill goes into operation one Of its
beneicent results, and not the least, will be
the emancipation OF American politics from the
domination OF the so-called wool -growers an6
the freedom of the representatives of the PEG
pie from the control Of those who profess &c
speak in the name of the million OF fiocl-mas-
ters l am not one OF those who ascribe TO the
protective tariff all those troublesome problems
which press upon US for solution. But there
are evils which protective tariff either pro-
duces. or, uniting with other causes. aids in
producing. Thirty years ago the American
flag was seen in every port. All this has
been changed; partly il has been caused
by the substitution OF the iron vessel
for the wooden vessel: but largely caused by a il.
system Of taxation which rendered it impossi-
Bile for an American TO carry on trade with
foreign nation. The annual freight paid on
our foreign trade 10 foreigners has been vari-
ously estimated from one hundred and forty &c
two hundred million dollars This enormous
annual tax now paid to foreigners ought TO
have been ours; and the aggregate sum which
We have thrown away in our selfish folly since
1865 is much larger than our public debt. The
advocates of the present system vehemently
deny that this gradual and fatal decay has been
caused by it. They can not deny that as a rem
edy this policy has been wholly inefficaci Gus.
Since 1866 this decay has gone on under the
protective system We can hope for no relief
from il.