Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-08-09
Saint Hafg's Beacon.
VIEWS OF A LABOR CONGRESSMAN.

bor platform, voted for the Mills bill |
and his action excited much comment !
ami attention all over the country,
especially among workingmeR. In
ye ipnnse to request by the n. j.
Sur, hc haH written the following let
ter explaining his reasons for voting
a he I'D. He cites four specific rea.
sons lor supporting the bill, and closes
b. aging that between taking the
tarlh oil the nacessarIes OF life and
IL. Internal revenue tax off tobacco
and whisky, | shall vote for the for
mrr Every time get /, chance. HE
l-'trr a. follows
HnUsE uF REPRESENTATIVES,,
WASHIN"ToS, July -.
"a 'Ll Eii,f,a q Us sta
SIR In reply to yours oil the both
instant requesting my reasons for vot-
ing ior the Mills Tariff bill, ! answer
a. follows
Firs'-lt Is conceded by the repre-
sentative OF the Democratic and Re.
rlilican parties that the acclmula-
ton OF e. large surplus of money in
the National Treasury Is fraught with
danger 70 the business interests Of the
country by Withdrawing that medium
from the channels OF trade, which, if
not stopped will cause panic and
reanit IA bankruptcy to large ex-
cent. Being largely tinctured with
the CIR. enback idea that money should
rc IN REGULATION among the people
and aor cornered, and that money
holds the same relationship to trade
that 4 mechanics tools do to the me-
chInic that by taking the same from
the me hanc will cripple his useful
ness and ability in performing work
ant as the Mills bill held out induce
rnrnts 70 stop this drain, and my re.
publican colleagues did not propose
Any measure TO remedy the evil, |
gave the bill my support.
Second-The bill proposes to place
'cveral articles Oh the free list that
enter into the necesssries OF life, such
az lumber, salt, tin, wool and several
others, and slight reduction, not ex.
'eedlng on an average ) per cent. on
articles entering largely in home con.
aumftion. Now, so far as free and
cheap lumber is concerned, it ranks
ncXt to bread to the person who seeks
to make home on our great Western
prairies and no doubt It is the same
IN the East. Salt-that bountiful
eft Of nature-why tax that Tin
plate is not made in this country, and
i enters so largely into our domestic
uses and in canning the products
of our country. OF wool we do not
produce half enough for home con.
sumption, even with the so-called tar.
1T stimulation. Why compel our peo-
Ieople to pay for foreign-made wooden
goods, with tariff tax added, when
~ permitting wool to enter our ports
Tree, orr manufacturers would be given
a chance to provide us with home.
made goods, and thereby give twice
'h" amount Of employment to wage
workers. My personal experience |
mas taught me that cheap raw materi. |
al never reduced wages in a manufac.
tory, but on the contrary it had the |
tendency to raise them.
Third 10 not believe that a ma.
ton can I've made prosperous or happy
ry taxation, nor should a republican
."Im Of government like ours exact
nom the people by taxation more than !
:; actually required for an econom-
zeal administration of public affairs.
Again = large accumulation Of money
u the Treasury breeds extravaganza
and becomes factor Of demoraliza.
non IN many ways. 1t is IN its action
AXE maiarIa 1t enters the system sly.
" until the whole body is poisoned
All taxation of whatever kind or ma.
turc rests upon the products Of labor.
30! without labor, wealth cannot lie .
Produced, and, AS the existence Of
HVl!Ized man rests upon the products
Of the soil, It Is OF the highest import. !
..h1r that legislation should be framed /
70 As To place the least possible bur
den apon the tiller Of the SOIL there.
hy placing MIN lii position TO aid his
fellow .a5orers IN the shop and facto-
" 10y becoming larger consumer of
manufactured articles, and vice versa
Again, find that in those States
that are supposed to receive the benefits
OF protective tariff there is more dis.
.'ilsiact!on, strikes and lockouts than
"a States not so protected. There
must II" something wrong in our po-
.'l,ai machinery that has compelled
the waCe-worker and also the farmer
r. Organize III associations for protec.
non against eXtortion, abuse and wage
'3duS!oD. 1t is a sad picture to look
n. after a century OF constitutional
existence.
In conclusion | will say that be.
tween taking the tariff off the uecss.
aries O; life and the internal revenue
tax oil tobacco aud whisky. | shall /
vote toI the former every time GET
= chance. Cheap tobacco and whisky
means more decentralization and drunk.
"uncSs, amt cannot give consent 70
fuch a measure. Nsry truly yours Il