Rock Island daily Argus., 1888-04-18
INDICATIONS IN CONGRESS
FROM THIS TIME LOOK OUT FOR A
STEADY BLOW.


the United States don't know about this in
tricate subject by the end of the contest
| though it may be sufficient to fill ponderous
volume, will not be that which their repre-
| sentatives ard senator's can tell them. The
day was the one set apart for the opening
| on the Mills bill, and it was evident long be
fore the hour of assembling that something OF
interest was looked for, The galleries were
well filled, and the members arrived early,
and when the speakers gavel called the house
| to order it has been seldom that there has
been fuller house present. Some routine
| business had to be transacted before the
event OF the day was inaugurated and
when all was done the eyes of these present
were turned to Mills, chairman of the ways
and means committee, who was to open the
| great debate of this congress. Nor were those
who waited to listen any more eager for the
| work to begin than the man who was to give
| the signal for the letting loose of the bottled
| oratory that will rend the air Of the chamber
| for the next six weeks or two months, per-
| haps As soon as the momeut had arrived
| Mills took the fioor-the house having gone
into committee of the whole, with Springer
in the chair-and proceeded to tell why he
| presented the measure which he advocated,
| his time being unlimited according to a pro-
posal made by Kelley Of Pennsylvania, and
| unanimously uuopIeu Dy Ins uOuSe Win up
| plause.
Mills opened by saying that the war tariff
| taxes after lapse of quarter of century
were higher than during the war. The in
come tax imposed to meet the war expenses
was swept away. 1t was tax on wealth,
| but it was gone; but the war tax on clothing,
| on food on implements of labor remained,
and the war was still being prosecuted against
| the people-a fiscal war--exhaustmg in its de-
| mands and every effort 30 remove or lower
that taxation had been resisted and defeated
More than twenty years had elapsed since
the war ended, A generation had passed
and new generation had appeared upon
the stage since peace had returned to bless
our common country; but these war taxes
still remained, and they were heavier to-day
than they were on the average during the
years of the existence of hostilites. The av-
erage rate of duty during the five years of
the war amounted to Al. 81 per cent. and
during the last year the average was A. 10.
After this large increase had been made
by congress it had imposed a slight direct
or internal revenue tax upon domestic
manufactures and that tax had brought into
the treasury in 1866 $l27000,0G 900. That was
but tithe of the heavy burdens that we laid
upon imports. 1t amounted to about 3 per
cent OH the whole manufactured products of
Une country In 1000. III was lnOuphU 10 Dc u
reasonable tax to impose on manufacturer
who were receiving large bounties from the
government in the enhancement of the prices
of their products to pay per cent. when they
had increased their bounsies upto 20 per cent.
But that tax was gone. 1t could not live. 1t
was tax ON wealth.
Congress had imposed a tax on incomes to
help carry on the war, and there were 400, 40
people in the United States in 1866 that had
$707, 900, 900 Of net income upon which they
were assessed duty which brought into the
treasury in 1866 So, 600, 900 But that tax had
gone 1t was tax on wealth.
There had been tax on insurance COM
panies. 1t was gone. There had been n tax
on express companies 1t was gone. There
had been a tax on bank deposits and bank
capital 1t was gone Three hundred mill
ions that had been paid by the wealth of the
country had been swept away, and the bur-
den of taxation had been made heavier, as it
had been loaded upon the shoulders of those
who had to support themselves and the gov
ernment Was tax of per cent to be paid
out of the pockets Of the manufacturers of
blankets a weight more enormous than the
tax of 10 per cent, paid by the consumer on
imported and domestic productst Was the
tax of per cent on incomes
more oppressive than the tax of 100
per cent. on women's and children's dress
goodsf Yet all these taxes on wealth had gone,
and the gentlemen Of the minority boasted
that they had reduced taxes to the amount
of $3.50, 0,00O, while the Democratic party
had reduced it only bagatelle. That was
the splendid column those gentlemen had
erected. All the tax on wealth had passed
away, and all the burdens been cast upon the
shoulders of the laboring man. In 1883 taxa
ton had still further been reduced, and this
magnificent shaft which the party then in
power had erected to commemorate its lesis-
lative wisdom and the beneficence of its laws
was crowned with a capstone-taking off the
internal revenue tax Oh pIaying-cards and
putting tax of 20 per cent. on Bibles
[Laughterl.
A reduction of duties would not, he assert
ed, check manufacturers and cramp labor.
We always imported more goods when prices |
were high. Under lower duties we could ex-
port more goods, our manufactures would |
run steadily, and labor would be constantly |
employed. Not more than 10 per cent of the |
goods consumed in the United States would |
be imported il all the custom houses were |
torn down and the government supported by |
direct taxes.
Protectionists argued that manufactured |
articles were cheaper here than in any other |
country a result of protection. 1t was not |
SO; but suppOsing it was, why, then, should
they resist 50 strenuously any effort to lower
duties, if they were able to undersell Euro
pean manufacturers Did the manufacturers
pay higher wages because protection enabled
them to do itl No. Jay Gould was able to
pay his bootblack $500, hut he did not do it.
He paid the market prices. "He paid his
nickel like a little man." Higher wages were
made by coal, steam and machinery and
higher wages meant lower cost of production
This accounted for the fact that free trade
England paid higher wages than protection
France and Germany, and yet controlled the
worlds markets.
He had requested the present chief of the
labor bureau to ascertain if there was any
exception to the rule shat wages depended on
the efficiency of labor, and that the result of
highly paid efficient labor was low cost of
product In answer he read a tabulated
prepared by Mr.. Wright giving
the result of his inquiry, which appeared to
fully bear out the rule. In concluding Mills
said he hoped the BILL which had favor
throughout the country, would receive a ma
iorty of the votes of the house, though it
was not all that the committee could ask. 1t
was a very moderate bill, yet it would send :
comfort and happiness into all the homes and !
oosoms of the poor laboring people of this i
country; and he asked the house in behalf of {
.hese people to consider their claims and help
o reduce the burdens that had been loaded [
lpon them S
When he sat down, applause and cries of /
Vote, vote, came from the Democratic side {
u the hall. He was at once surrounded by a |
rowd OF Democratic members. who pressed {
Onward to shake Lis hand and tender their {
congratulations. 7
Kelly of Pennsylvania at once took the