Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-08-02
THE MILLS BILL PASSED.

Amid Great Enthusiasm and Applause
the Democratic TariR-Reform Measure
Leaves the House-The Author of the
Bin Makes q Long and Earnest Speech
Before the Ballot Is Taken.
WASHINGTON, July 33.-The Mills Tariff
bill passed the House Saturday by -
majority. Mrs. Cleveland, who sat with
Mrs. Folsom in the Executive gallery,
joined in the Democratic applause and
smiled her approval of the result
Mr. MILLS CLOSING SPEECH.
Chairman Mills arose in his place to
close the long debate on the Tariff bill
Promptly at IL 80 the bill was called up.
MIR. Mills, after offering two amendments
intended to correct typographical errors
in the bill, moved the previous question on
them, and they were adopted.
He then proceeded to address the House,
beginning by stating the condition of the
finances of the Government, placing the
surplus at 1929 600, 900. This, he said, should
arrest the attention of the country 1t rep
resented unnecessary taxation drawn from
the people and piled up in the Treasury.
1t was taxation levied upon the product
of labor. 1t was iniquity. This
enormous amount of money was constantly
lowering prices and piling an enormous
load on labor and increasing the benefits
of privileged classes How long would IL
be before stagnation would occur and
bankruptcy and ruin flock over the landl
The majority had attempted to bring be-
fore the House bill to reduce this taxa
ton and lessen the inflow OF money into
the Treasury. By the amendments which
had been made in committee of the whole
the total reduction of duties had fallen
from S53 600 900 to $4,000, 900, the free list
from SD OOO, 900 to $50, OO0, O00 The relative
rate of duty had fallen from $47. 10 not to
80, but to $40 49, and yet this measure, so
moderate, was characterized as free-trade
measure.
Was S42 40 on every 500 free tradel It
was an enormous amount of taxation. 1t
was tax which the wealth of this country
would not permit to stand for a moment.
State taxation was levied on lands, houses,
stocks, bonds, horses and cattle, and the
property owners would not permit any
party of Administration to remain in power
an hour which would levy tax Of IS on
the hundred. Yet this bill, carrying a
taxation of S42. 70, was characterized as a
free-trade measure. The term free trade
seemed to have a double meaning. Some
gentlemen seemed to understand that free
trade meant the absolute interfering of
our foreign commerce from all taxa
ton The Democratic party had used
the term free trade as a term ex-
pressing the freedom of our commerce
from all obstruction save that of just
and necessary taxation to support the eco
nOmical administration of the Government.
Applause The tariff of 1916 had been
called free trade tariff, and he had him
self spoken of the decade from 1850 to 1860
as the free-trade period, because i'll that
time commerce was not restricted by OBJ
structions thrown IN It's way by capitalists
and monopohsts.
He then proceeded to take up and discuss
in detail the various schedules OF the bill,
beginning with those dealing with chemic-
ais. The present duty chemicals, he said,
he T.ln
it at 25.17-a reduction of little over "a in
hundred. Gentlemen called that free
trade. The next was the earthenware and
glass schedule. The duty under existing
law was 55 in every 500. The bill fixed
it at s52.17. That was free trade, too, he
supposed. If $50 taxation on every 800 was
free trade, in Gods name would some one
tell him what was meant by the term pro-
tectlonl [Applause.l
Sugar was found at duty Of SIS. 10, and
the committee reduced it to $623l. There
was nobody making much fuss about the
enormity of that reduction. The bill cut
down the revenue from sugar 81, 759, 900.
This was next to the largest reduction
made in any schedule in the bill. 1t had
been constantly charged that the bill was
sectional, that it barely touched sugar,
and that the committee threw its arms
around the sugar industry to shield it, yet
the reduction in sugar was only second to
that in the wooden schedule. There ought
to be high duty on sugar because Demo-
Gratis believed that taxation was tribute
requested from citizens for the support of
the Government, and because they believed
that in laying taxation it ought to be 50
laid as to be as little burdensome as
possible. By the tariff on sugar
the Government got $5S, 900, coo, with
s6, 900 600 protection. In order to get S5S.-
00O,0 into the public Golfers it cost S6, Co.,
mo- Or0factiOn tn the Snpar nlantarS Rut
in order to get S5S 900, 900 into the Treasury
from iron and steel and wooden goods it
cost the people over 800, 100000. Why, |
then, should the duty on sugar be repealed
in order that more burdensome tax at a
higher rate on wooden and cotton goods and
iron and steel might be retainedl The duty |
on provisions under existing law was |
SA.33. The committee left 1T at $23.39. Yet |
it was charged that this was a free-trade |
measure. The existing duty on cotton was |
S39. 80. The bill fixed it at <3907. Where |
S12, 600, 600 revenue from cotton had been |
reduced only $277, 600 The duty on hemp, |
jute, and flax was at present $2S.l 10. 1t |
Uniy a was Brought ghS aSout to
great extent by the putting of a |
large amount of jute and hemp and |
manila on the tree list. The pres
1881. The committee bill left it |
at $3S. 60, a reduction of over $50 on every |
800 OF taxation. This reduction seemed /
raw wool on the free list The reduction !
on dutiable wooden goods amounted to |
S12 600. 900, but the wooden manufacturer |
was not injured. He was benefited. This |
bill gave the manufacturer free wool and |
40 per cent taxation. and still it was said |
to be free-trade measure. The duty on |
books, papers, ETC., was now S22. IL. The |
bill left it at $22O6, less than 10 cents re-
ducton. The bill reduced the duty on |
steel rails from Sl7 per ton to 81 per ton,
and although the duty was left at 81 per |
w nhnrQah nAmnRFafa
were trying to ruin this infant industry. |
Fifty-four per cent. was larger duty than
had been placed on steel rails from 1865 to
1870.
Mr.. Mills then addressed himself to the
of the free list. On that list,
he said, had been placed articles amounting
NfsSsO py5I.-