Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-08-25
The Motive of the Mills Bill.

Il HG VI NhN
 It is said by many of the supporters of the Mills Bill that the motive LEok of it is not free trade, but tarih reform, under ths principle of protection. But is the claira well fouOdedf Let us see. As the bull is sumEriZed in the Tariff League Bulletin, it Is shown to declare for.
 Free trade ID lumber, which We pro- duee to value of S3C0,OO0 900 annually.
 Free trade in wool. of which we pro duce ever 300 GOO, GO pounds annually.
 Free trade ID flax, hemp, Iute and other flores.
 Free trade in potash, cement, lime and brick. .,
 Free trade in meats. game and pOul- try.
 Free trade in vegetables, peas and beans.
 Free trade in stone.
 Free trade ID at least one hundred other articles produced in this country. most of which would bs produced in sufficient qu6ntitlss for home oonsump- .ion if properly proteo.ed.
 Study this list and observe whether or not that which would be more dis- .irctiye of free trads IS not put forward iu it. It follows closely the Presidents recommend stiOns, ,snd President Oleye- land, as all nos know, Is recognised by Free Trade England as the particular champion of the cause n the United States, Not long ago two English jour nals gave voice to this opinion. The London Spectator has written "GroveT Cleveland has done more to advance the oause of free trade than any Prme Minister of England has done And he London Hines has said: "lt is cer- tam that the arguments with President Cleveland urges are those which Cob den used to employ 45 years sgc, and which any free tracer could employ now"
 But yet other reasons go to show that free trade is the object aimed at by the promoters of the bill. The nill is psrtisisu sud sectional m the extreme. Let it not be supposed that we would perpetuste seciioDgliZm n the Nation. When, however. others aim to do SO We shall expose snd oppose them. Now Free trade in lumter, iD wool. in ssli, 10 flax, ID stone, with tax still kept On rice aud sugar and Iron, means promo liou of the particular ioterests Of the dCm.nent States of the South. If there ever wss 6 piece O, legislation framed 10 the interests of the South it Is the Mills blll. And what is the relation ot the south to the free trede? The Hon. George D. Tillman, M. c. from South Carolina says: "Was it not our intsm perste zeal for free trade that led to DulliticsiIOn, sn was IJ not as much to enjoy free trade as to protect slavery thRt South Carolina seeded m lS6OT' Then let IL not be forgotten that the constitution of the Con ede,sis Sta ee of America read ss follows: "rhe Congress shaI have power to lay and collect tax- es, duties impOz.s hnd eEcises for reve- pue. but DO bouDties shsli be granted from the Treasury; nor shall sry duties or taxes ion importstions from foreign nations be laid to promote or foster any branch of industry"
 But still farther reason for believing that the Mills Bill Is a move toEard Fres Trade IS that some of its most ardent suproTtera are members Of the Cobdeu Club of Eoglsnd whose motto is Free Trade" Finally, to make clear that our denial that Q desire fer real tariff reform lies back of the Bill ze charge tbst Dir Mills, tue author of the proposed Legislation "hss repeated ly placed himself on record ss 8 Free trader" In the house of Represents April lj. 1884 hs delivered an euology npOn tee British system of political economy and urging the adoption of the sys:em by tlIs country. said: linen wealth, pros perity and power will bless the land ths. IS dediosted to free men, free labor. and Free Trsde,
 And but recently MF. Mills said 10 delegation o' Philadelphia wool mer. chants: Il desire Free Trade, and I gill hot help to perfect any law that stands in the way Of Free Trade"
 We think ii clear. therefore, that the declaration Of those supporters of the Mile Bill, which would make 1t bu; reformed protective Legislation, Is not true. Rather do We believe that they recognise it ss feet that the natural po.lcy ot America is for protection tO Its industries Rnd that they mus. no. let the pubic mInd be aroused to tbe sctusl purpose vhich guides their lead CTS. IL is clear to Us st leGst that the Mills B;ll, being framed in the interests of the South, snd not ot the nation re- caiving the praise of the English Cob ieuiies, and having for its author and avowed Free Trader, is au snti-prctec- tive ipstrument,ond thst thr SC who cla,rc for II real reformation of our tariti lis;s are either ignorant of what they age sayiug CT are wilfully fslsitying th at their un-AmerIcan tim may the more easily be reached.