Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-05
THE SENATE BILL

The Mills bill makes reductions upon
dutiable articles $29,712,64l, upon remis-
sions by free list of $19,773, 500, total of
S49,5S6,240. The Senate bill, Just made
public, makes reduction upon dutiable
articles of about $50, 100000 and free lists
about $6,5OO,0OO, or total of S42, 10000.
The bill Of the Democratic party claims
internal revenue and other reductions of
about $28, 100000, or a total of all reduc-
ton of about S7S,OO0,O00. The Senate
or Republican bill reduces upon alcohol
used in the arts $7,000000, which is
untouched in the Mills bill. The Repub-
hcan bill makes a reduction also in in
ternal revenue of S25000,O00 upon tobacco.
Its total reduction is therefore, about
S75,000,000. A notable item of Republi-
can reduction is that of nearly S28,000,000
on sugar. Between the claims of the
supporters of the respective bills there is
not, by this showing, any wide difference
IN the aggregate amount of reduction. In
the cursory examination necessarily given
tothe teiegraphed report of the Senate bill,
1t is not possible to arrive at accurate to-
tails; it will require full reading of the
measure and some very careful compare
sons to determine Just how far apart the
two bills lie as TO total reductions of rev.
enue attained. But this matter of reduc-
tion, for which both parties are pledged, is
not the point of real interest in comparison
to the method employed. We are told
that Senator Sherman, whose financial and
statistical knowledge and craftsmanship
command respect for his opinion, deems
the Senate bill the best revenue tariff
scheme ever offered to the country. When
it comes to the free lists of the two
bills, the real issue develops, and
the question of the protective pol
icy becomes the one prominent one
The Republican claim is-and there is
every reason to believe from a first ex-
animation of the telegraphed report of the
bill that It is sound-that the bill con-
DslllN
and the utterance of the platform; that is
to say, the prime object has been attained
of reducing the income with view to con-
tracing the surplus without assailing the
material industries of the country. So far
as California is affected by it, the measure
plays large part. Thus, it does not re-
move protection from the wool industry, il
provides protection to grape-growing
and it does not assail lumber by free
listing it. Figs, beans, dates, salt and
numerous other articles free-listed in the
Democratic measure, are given specific pro.
lection in the new bill, while upon raisins
the Republican measure puts higher
dutiable rate than fixed by the Mills bill
that is, the Democratic measure reduces
the old rate from 2 cents to II cents, and
the Republican measure adheres to the old
rate. The bill will be studied and com.
pared with the existing law and the Mills
bill with intense interest, and while it is
under this examination we may accept the
statement of Senator Sherman, who, proba
bly, better than any other, knows the
measure in detail and It's probable effects il
law, that 1T is now plain, fair, square
issue between tariff for revenue only and
tariff for revenue and protection. A
question whether articles necessary fol
human life should be made by American
labor or by foreign labor, and whether the
wages of American labor should depend on
the American policy of protecting all forms
of labor and production"