Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-09-26
Blaine and Others Answered f.

THE NEW YORK HERALD DIssEoTs THE
MILLS BILL AND KNOCKS THE~FREE-
TRADE Cry INTO Cooked HAT.
The New York Herald ofSeptember 21st
says
'Lie and stick to it, seems to be the G.
o. 2. motto adapted to the tariff discus
sion.
Free WOOL has been twisted into 'free
trade" and on the strength of this distor-
ton, apparent to every intelligent mind, re-
publican organs are playing funeral dirges,
and selected orators, like Mckinley and
Blaine, are rushing up and down the coun-
try crying "Woe, woe; the Mills bill means
free trade, and free trade means DEATH"
Yet, the one undeniable, unconcealed and
most palpable fact is, the Mills bill is
strongly protective measure. 1t will protect
honest manufacturers, whereas the present
law hands all such over to the tender
mercies of foreign cliques, trusts and mono
polies-Mr. Blalne's special friends. 1t
will protect the werkingman, while the
present law robs him hourly, daily, of the
fruits of his toll, like highwayman lying
in wait to gather in the proceeds of honest
work honestly performed.
English 'srings" are alarmed
because the mass, the voting mass, of Amer
lean wage earuers are studying the mys-
teries of tariff reform. And as soon as this
voting mass thoroughly understands it,
trusts and monopolies will be doomed.
Hence the ssrings" have communicated
their alarm to the G.. o. P, and tho G. o.
P, in it's frenzy to keep the workingman
come and have free drink of whiskey and
free 'chaw.' You don,t wsnt to read that
Mills bill, because it's all free trade and
nothing else.'
But "lie and stick to it" is the order of
the day. 1t is easy, however, to destroy the
basis of this G. o. P. programme. In the
interest of truth and fair play, and in the
interest also of the workingman, into whose
eyes the Quay Blaine combination is trying
to throw dust, the Herald has made an
analytical examination of this terrible Mills
bill.
INDUSTRIES NOT AFFECTED.
IN the first place, there is a long list Of
articles which the Mills bill leaves uutouch-
ed. Consequently all the people engaged
in their manufacture would not be interfer-
ed with in the least were the bill to become
law. If this is ssfree trade" then the
damned free trade republicans" who
made up the present tariff law in 1888, and
whom Judge Kelley so soundly berated,
must be held responsible fol- it,
Then follows the very long list of arti-
cles the tariff on which is not changed at all
by the Mills Bill in which are included food
products of all kinds. Then it gives the
list of articles on which the tariff is not re
moved, but reduced, giving the rates of
i kha rfi int 70 riff n
also the reduced rates on the same in the
Mills Bill, and concludes its article as fol-
lows
Snow, let any unbiased reader of the
Herald go through these lists and point out,
If he or she can, where is the Stree trade"
about which the Blaine Quay G. o. P. COM
bine have made such howl. 1t is pre-
eminently measure in behalf of the great
working majority of the American people,
and for this reason the protected lords
aud barons, and their republican allies, op
pose it. Free wool and free lumber, cheap
material for the poor mans house, and
cheap clothing for himself and family, are
intended by the bill, but the monopolies
are averse to his securing these benefits. I"
If bill, like Mils's Bill, which makes
al d'tIdBo Iouuction vi Poi oOhl 10 q Aioo-
trade bill, what would be bill that would
make the average reduction from 20 to %
per cent as recommended by the tariff COM
mission of Republicans under Arthur's ad.
ministration? Were the Republicans at
that time free. traders2
Yet they denounce the Democrats al
free-tradors when they approve bill reduc
ing the tariff only per cent.
As Job said, Outright men shall b.
astonied at this, and the innocent shall sti
up himself against the hypocrite."