The Portland daily press., 1888-04-18
MILLS FIRES THE OPENING GUN.
The Discussion OF the Dark Lantern
Bill Begun In the House.
Its Author Indicates Its Character
by Advocating Free Trade.
Mr.. Kelly, OF Pennsylvania, Makes
Vigorous Reply.

Vigorous Reply.
WASHINGTON, April 17.-In the House to-
day, after the call of committees, Mr.. Mills
moved that the House go into committee Of
the whole for the consideration Of the tariff
bill. There was no opposition, and the mo-
ton was carried without division. At the
suggestion of Mr.. Kelley, the limitation Of
one hour was removed as far as Mr.. Mills's
speech was concerned. Mr.. Mills took the
floor and opened the debate. He said that
three kinds Of taxes were levied during the
war TO meet the enormous expense entailed:
the customs tax, internal revenue tax, and
the direct taxes. From 1862 to 1866, the du-
ties on imports Increased from 1884 per cent
to 1929 percent. The gentleman who intro
duced the measure said that IL was TO be
temporary war measure. Twenty years and
more had elapsed, and generation passed.
but this tax still remained, heavier than ever.
The average rate last year was 4l1O per
cent OF the direct taxes, Congress Imposed
a slight tax on domestic manufactures. This,
In 1866, brought twenty-seven millions into
treasury, and amounted to about per cent
of the manufactured product Of the country.
Offsetting this, the tariff had increased the
manufacturers bounty % per cent. ThiS dl-
rect tax was a tax on wealth, ana u was
gone. In 1866, there were 46o, lIO people IN
the United States who had an Income aggre-
eating S707, 100000. Congress imposed an
Income tax on this, which. In 1866, yielded
So, 100000 This was also tax on wealth,
and il was gone. 1t was thought Just by
those in charge Of the government 70 take
off the taxes from the rich and place them on
the poor. The war tax on clothing, food and
the employment Of labor still remains, ana
every effort 10 bring this war tax down 70
peace footing has been resisted and defeated.
There was tax on railroads. This was also
a tax ON wealth, and 1t was gone. There
were also taxes on express companies, tnsur-
ance companies, bank capital and bank de-
pOsits, all taxes on wealth. and all gone. Inc
entire burden was loaded upon those VINO
had TO support both themselyess, yes, ana the g9y-
the wealth Of the country have been swept
away. This was the splendid column the
minority had erected TO commemorate us
legislative wisdom, and had capped In 1852
by abolishing the tax on playing cards ana
putting tax of 80 per cent on Bibles.
The Democrats had been trying TO reduce
taxes on the necessaries Of life The Re
publicans, in every case, prevented IL, and
then charged the Democrats with failure.
Twice they mustered their whole strengtn 10
strike out the enacting clauses OF tarih re-
duction bills, and twice refused TO consider
such bills at all.
APLEA FOR FREE TRADE.
Mr.. Mills then attempted to show by Illus
tration how tariff taxes increased the price
of the goods taxed, and reduced the pur-
chasing power Of the laborer's earnings,
thereby transferring portion OF his earn
ings to the pockets Of the manufacturers,
and also how the tariff destroyed the value
of exports, causing the surplus production to
be thrown on the home market, producing
Over-production, fall In prices, stagnation
and distress. Continuing, he said that the
charge that tariff reduction would cause q
reduction in wages was false. we would
import things which we could not produce
and that could be produced cheaper In otner
countries than at home. Manufacturers
would 20 In with increased rapidity and peO-
ple would receive higher wages. We could
now produce 80 per cent OF all the manu-
factures consumed in the country cheaper
at home than they could be produced else
where and transported here. IL all the Gus
tom houses were tore down and the govern
ment supported by direct taxes, there would
not be exceeding 70 per cent. imported OF the
manufactured products consumed Dy the
people Of the country. The American man
ufaeturer found home market for % per
cent. Of his goods. IL he would consent to
let agricultural products find foreign mar
ket, he would discover thai the 95 per cent.
Of his own goods which he had marketed az
home, would find a prosperous market.
TALKING ABOUT WAGES.
1t was said that II the value Of the domes-
tic product was increased, the manufacturer
would be able to pay higher wages. I'M
questionably. But did he do IL? No. Jay
Gould was able to pay his boot-blaek $500
but did he do itP No. He paid his nickel
like a little man. Vanderbilt, from the in
come arising from the large amount OF y.
S. bonds he owned, could afford TO pay MS
hostler $4,000 year. Did he do IL? Oh,
no he went into the market and employed
labor at its market value. High tariff did
not regulate wages. Wages were regulated
by the demand, the supply and me capacity
wages, how was It that wages In different
parts Of the country were different? Wages
In the cotton industry were lower In Rhode
Island than in Pennsylvania. In the iron
industry they were higher In Rhode Island
than In Pennsylvania. Wages In this count
ry were higher than in France or Germany,
yet Germany and France had protective
tariffs 10 guard against the free labor OF
England. The high rate OF wages In this
country was made by coal, steam and ma
persons to make eight yards Of closh In one
day and they got twenty cents day. Ihe
labor cost of cloth was 121 cents yard.
When steam and machinery were harnessed
wards day and the labor cost cf cloth was
los cents per yard. The wages OF labor
were raised from $50 year to S2oI. Inc
old wages had to depart before the conquer,
ing march Of high wages. steam increased
productive power, high rate Of wages and
low cost Of production followed each other
as night followed day.
ENGLAND AS A COMPARISON.
Mr.. Mills cited from a table compiled by
an Englishman sent to investigate the cot
ton industry in the United States to show
that the labor cost of cotton goods was lower
here than in England. Though the labor
cost was lower, the rate Of wages was higher
here than in England. Yet England pea.
cost lower than ours. she saved on the cost
Mr.. Mills showed how free trade England,
with higher wages through free raw ma
terlals, exported to Germany ana l0lceu 1ne Il
latter to build a wall around herself. lie
claimed that the tariff, by increasing the cost
of production, prevented us from becoming
the greatest manufacturing country IN tue
world. He presented arguments ana sta
tistics TO show that the high tariff helped the
eapitalists. not 1.-THE laborer, and asserted,
with frequent citation from economic au-
thOrs and from tabulated statements, 70 elu-
cidate his argument that the high rate Of
wages was not the result OF the pf0tective5
SySLtuls nc GOulu nVts Ao saws NeHNaNN~
the result of his investigations Tor want Oh
time He spoke an hour and three-quarters,
and closed amid great applause.
Mr.. Kelley Replies.
Mr.. Kelly Of Pennsylvania, took the floor
in opposition. He said the enactment OF the
bill would instantly paralyze the enterprise
and energy Of the people. Under the bane-
full influences of such a law, our manufactur-
ing supremacy would be oyerthrown and our
commanding commercial position reduced to
that Of colonial dependence. The Dill was
studiOusly designed to produce these dire re-
suits and wisely adaptedto its purposes. ~
was cOnfessedly a partisan measure, FRAMED
in the interest Of party whose leaders ap,
peared ObliyiOus TO the overwhelming social
and economic changes wrought by the aOOl-
tion OF slavery The gentlemen VINO framed
the bill were, with two exceptions, repre-
sentatives of the former slave territory: Inc
hill was an anachrOnism and had no relation
10 this era. IL belonged TO the saddest
epoch of our national history, the period oe.
tween 1924 and 1861. IL was In the interest
of free trade that war was threatened IN sup
mort of publication and it was in the inter
est of free trade that the country was IN
yolyed for more than four years IN Iratia-
cidal war.
DANGERS THREATENED BY THE BILL.
Mr.. Kelley predicted that the enactment OF
the Mills bill would ruin the sheep Industry