The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-08-16
FREE POTATOES.
Col. Haskins Makes Few Observations on
tho Mills Bill.

|
tho Mills Bill.
The following paragraph said to have
been cut from the Montpelier Argus and
Patriot was handed me today:
Col. KIttredge Haskins Of Brattleboro,
who was reformed out of office by Pres
ident Cleveland, in speech made by
him in DummeTston, made one of his
points upon the statement that taking
the tariff off from potatoes would ruin
Vermont farmers. lnasmuch as nobody
has proposed to take the duty off pota-
toes, and the Mills bill leaves the tariff
just where the Republicans put it when
they had control of every branch Of the
Government, we submit that it was very
disingenuous or a display of wOful ig-
norance for Col. Hasklns to thus attempt
to deceive or misinfOrm his hearers.
Kit" should not make such public
exhibition of his sore head or his dense
ignorance.
Now let us see whether it is Brother
Atkins or myself that has displayed such
''woful ignorance in regard to what the
Mills bill has to do with potatoes. BY
reference to sub division "Schedule G.
Provisions" Of the existing tariff law it
articles are the following:
Potatoes, fifteen cents per bushel OF
60 pounds,
vegetables, in their natural state or
in salt or brine, not especially enume-
rated or provided for in this act, ten per
centum al valorem."
| have before me what purpOrts to be
copy of the Ozark Lantern Tariff Bill"
as reported to the House of Representa-
tives by MIR, Mills, and issued from the
Government printing office. Among
the articles placed on the free list find
the following:
Vegetables in their natural state or in
brine"
The clause, mot especially enumerat-
ed or provided for IN this act" as it ex.
lists in the present tariff, which is wholly
omitted.
What else are potatoes but vegetables
in their natural state" The exception
or qualifying clause aforesaid being
omitted, potatoes. like all other vegeta-
bles, therefore, are by the Mills bill made
non-dutiable, am unable to find that
the Mills bill makes special mention of
potatoes as being dutiable. But conced
ing for the sake of the argument that 1t
it does, can there be any question, in
view of the free list clause of "vegeta-
bles in their natural state, and the rul-
ings of the treasury department during
the past three years in cases quite simi
lar to this, but that foreign grown pota-
toes would find their way into our mar
kets without the payment OF duties
Our Representative in Congress Gen.
Grout), in showing the hostility of the
free trade Democracy to the farmer, in
his speech delivered in the House OF Re
presentatives May 10, upon the subject
of the tariff, publicly charged that the
Mills bill put potatoes upon the free list.
And what is true of Gen .Grout is equally
true of several other of our Republican
representatives who spoke upon the
measure, aud no Democratic Iepresen
tative questioned or denied its truth. l
submit that il is very disingenuous or
display of woful Ignorance for Brother
Atkins to thus attempt TO deceive or mis-
inform his readers.'
1t is a mistake to say that in my Dunn
merston speech | stated THAT taking the
tariff Off from potatoes would ruin the
| Vermont farmers" did state that such
an act would be seriously felt by the
Vermont farmers, and | have reiterated
the statement for it will compel them to
compete with foreign grown patatoes,
which can be set down in our markets
at the price of Is cents less per bushel.
This is no scientific problem, but PLAIN
practical one, and our farmers will find
no difficulty in solving it.
Neither IS Kit" "sCre head
from it. l fully expected my removal
from office long before it was accom-
plished. Not knowing any reason why
| should resign,it would have been COW
ardly in me 10 have done that. Thefore
going item contains the first information
to me that was reformed out of office
by President Cleveland" | had been led
TO believe that he wanted my place to
bestow upon another as a reward for ben
efits received and fostered by the hope
of favors yet to come, and for that cause
| was removed" His appointee, Clar
ence I'll. Pitkin, Esq,-is my professional
brother, and we are friends. He has en-
deavored, honestly and faithfully,to dc
his duty. AS to whether any reforms
have been effected in the public service
by reason of the change. it is not my
province here either to admit or deny.
KITTREDGE HASKINS