Richland beacon., 1888-08-11
THE TARIFF ISSUE.
The Line Clearly Drawn by Con-
gresham Mills.
A Lucid Statement of the Princi-
Piles at Stake in the Pend.
ing Campaign.

Congressman Mills's speech at the
Tammany celebration, in New York,
was IS follows
FELLOW CITIZENS: On this day, me-
morable in the history of our country
and of your society, it will not be
deemed inappropriate briefly to recur to
some of the fundamental principles upon
which our Republican form of govern
mcnt was established, to preserve the
purity Of which your society was organ
lied. The declaration which you have
heard read in your presence to-day pro-
claimed the great fundamental truth
that all men are created equal, and that
governments derive their inst bowers
from the consent of the governed. [Ap.
plausc. 1t would have been easy to
say that the separate States were to be
governed by all the others if that was
meant. But it was meant that each
State should have SELF government and
what they aptly call II Ireland home
rule. What i. liberty! 1t is the right
to do a. VIC please SO long as we do not
injurc another. That includes the right
TO personal, political, civil and religious
liberty; that includes the right to 90
when we please, to come back when We
p'ease. and to eat when we please. There
were those who wanted tc make a govern
ment here that was not a free govern.
ment, but they were defeated, and the
government that was established was
bound by a constitution that expressed
all the power of the government and left
to the people the exercise of all the pow
ers that were not surrendered hy that
constitution. II won the iealous love of
liberty in the tcscI1i of Thomas Jeffer-
son, THAI put the bill of rights in the
Constitution and secured to the people
the rights that were theirs and not sur.
rendered. The men who wanted to es.
ta5lish a powerful concentrated govern
ment were defeated, and the appearance
OF the alien and sedlticn laws, within
ten years, showed how necessary was
the precaution of Jefferson. Applause.
From that day 10 this the Democratic
party has been the guardian of personal,
civil and religious liberty, and has
iealously guarded the liberties of the
people.
Who was it that braved the onslaughts
ofthe Know-Nothing party and never left
the field until the dead body of the foe
was stretched upon the fieid9 The
Democratic PARTY depends upon the peo
pie. Wheh member of the Tammany v
society, William l.. Marcy, was Secretary
of State, he boldly defended the right OF
every man who has declared his inten.
tions to become citizen, to be protected
By the flag of our country. 1t was he who
sustained Commodore Ingraham in his
demand for the freedom Of Martin KostA,
and to give him the projection of the
American flag and secured his release
from the very centre of the Austrian fleet.
When has the Republican party dane an
act like thatl View. get no navy.
We've got NO shirs, and the Republican
party is responsible for the legislation
that Prevents us from building the ships
The Republicans persist in reiterating the
falsehood that We propose to inaugurate
free trade. The fact is, that the Republi-
can party got upa tariff commission to
eettle the tariff question. They said that
the politicians could not settle it, al
though they had been doing it for hun
dred years. So the Republicans got up
atariff commission, and they were all
Protectionists. They went over the
whole country and took testimony, and
they finally proposed reduction on the
average of 20 or % per cent. They said
that would not hurt anybody, but that
such reduction would be beneficial to
manufacturer, laborer and everybody
else. Applause. And how they say we
are free trade party, when we promise
even less reduction of the tariff than
they DID laughter, and they say we
must 20 on and add 10 this surplus, for
which We have no need. 1t is surplus
which is perpetual menace and temp
tation to extravaganza, and the result of
it is already seen by the propositions that
Republicans are making in Congress for
various jobs, and to augment the taxes,
90 that they may get more of what they
call fat" Laughter.
Under the circumstances President
Cleveland wrote message. His progress
to a second triumphant march to Wash
ington was assured without it, but he
belle scd it was his duty to write it, and
he did write it in the performance Of
his duty. (Applause.) He called upon
Congress to prepare bill. He told US
to consult every interest; the interest of
the farmers, the laborers, the producers,
the manufacturers interests of all.
Under these directions q bill has been
prepared that proposes to reduce the
surplus sos, 900, ,OOJ year. OF this
there will be $22, 600 taken of OF
internal revenue taxes. Nobody will
object to this on the Republican side.
Now, to accomplish this reduction. we
have put some things on the free list.
What are they! Let US zee whether this
part of the bill will hurt anybody. We
began with lumber. We propose to lei
the people have lumber so much cheaper
to build their houses and their barns
with and to use in their manufactures.
We believe that this will not only moi
hurt anybody, but that it will benefit
the people. 1t may keep some "boodle'
out of the pockets of men who are in.
terested in taxing all the people in order
that they may be made rich; but il
will keep down the surplus. which is
now inviting corrupt legislation. It
will give the poor man cheaper lumbe'
for his house. (Applause.) This is the
way that the Democratic party takes the
side of the people. We propose to helF
the people at the expense of the lumbei
trust. Then there is another thing We
have put on the free list, and that j,
salt. tGod makes it for US in the
sea and in the earth. Then the
Republican syndicate wants to pu,
4 "a tk>k L.. ...I