St. Paul daily globe., 1888-07-16
Henry Regards the Mills Bill
as a First Stepping
Stone.
1t Is a Measure That Preeipi-
tates Now a Necessary
Contest. II
A Remarkable Admission by
the Philadelphia Times as
to Protection.
The Cause of Tariff Reform,
Though Reviled, Sure to
Triumph.

With all it's shortcomings, incongrui-
ties, determinations and timidities, the
Mills bill does propose some reduction
in protective duties; it does-and this
is its most notable feature-put some
important articles on the free list. 1t
would, if passed, break the protection
ist line and weaken the combination
that supports the present monstrous
tariff by taking out of it such powerful
elements as the wool and lumber inter-
eStS. Even moderate as it is as a
measure of tariff reform, and drawn, as
it is, with the view of minimizing re-
sistance, it cannot more than pass the
house of Representatives and will be re-
| jected in the senate, where the plunder-
ing interests are most strongly in
trenched. But it has done, and is doing,
| what is far more important than the
passage of any bill. 1t has brought ON
and stimulated the discussion of the
principle Of protection among the peo-
pie. 1t has done this as effectively as a
better bill could dO-in fact, more eff
fectively, IN SO far as by reason OF its
faults, it has secured greater strength
in the house. For to fully arouse dis
cussion there must be an impending
practical measure. And it is the dis
cussion among the people themselves
| that is of all things most important.
The representatives owe their places to
| their constituents, represent them and
are anxious to please them. And it is
| the people who must discuss this SUBJ
| ject and express their will upon it be-
| fore we can hope for any real tariff re-
form from congress. To me the whole
| protective system is so bad that l care
little for degrees of badness; and any
bill would be good enough if it brought
| ON the discussion.
| ~
Mr Mills may be "more of politician
| than an economist" If that were not
SO he would hardly be in congress. But
his bill worries and arouses the protec-
| tiOnistS more than would bill drawn
| by an economist. This bill brings on
| the fight. A true free trade bill they
| could just now treat with contempt.
In his Tammany speech Mr.. Mills did
not, as reported by some of the New
| York papers, denOunce free trade or
say that no Democrat could be a free
trader. What he did say was in sub
stance this:
I'VE have reduced the duty on an aver
age from AZ TO 40 per cent. Yet the Re-
publicans howl free trade. Free trade
is perfect nightmare to them. The
way from it. 1t is a very moderate re-
ductiOn. The only thing that is free
about it is the raw materials: lumber,
tin plate, wool. chemicals used in man
ufacturing, and few other articles,
like salt. The Democratic party de-
mandS taxation to raise revenue enough
| to support an honest. economical, and
! efficient administration of government.
| 1t does not eSpouSe free trade, but de-
clares now, as it always has done, for
| taxation Oh imports, and that taxation
to be for public purposes alone, and to
! bear as lightly as possible on the tax
payer"
The Philadelphia Times (protection-
| iS0 printed some months ago a remark
able article which shows how the
strength of protection is derived from
combinations, and how even the reforms
proposed in the Mills bill will divide
and weaken it. 1t said, in burst of
| frankneSS:
''If Judge Kelley will take. the Repub-
can Philadelphia into his confidence,
every one of them will admit that free
wool is necessity to meet the changed
condition of that great industry, and all
would say so publicly but for the fear
that the wool growers would retaliate
upon woolens. If Judge Kelley will
take the Republican Philadelphia iron
men into his confidence, every one of
them will tell him that free ores would
greatly benefit the iron trade; that the
ores imported are necessity to produce
iron for the present markets; that free
ores would cheaper their product and
enlarge both production and consump-
ton, and all would say so publicly but
| for fear of retaliation upon iron. If
| Judge Kelley will take the Re-
publican tin men of Philadel-
| pha into his confidence, he will
be told that tin should be absolutely
free; that it cannot be manufactured
here even at an increase of ITO per cent
duty; that it is an oppressive tax npon
the small growers and homes of the
land, and all would say so but for the
fear that they may be classed as apos-
tates to protection. If Judge Kelley
will take the Republican coal men of
| Philadelphia into his confidence, they
will tell him that free coal with Canada
would enlarge our coal markets 5000, 900
tons year and admit probably SOC, 900
from Nova Scotia into New England to
aid the languishing manufacturers of
that section, and all would say so openly
but for the fear of retaliation upon
| their consumers in iron or steel. If
Judge Kelley will take into his conf
dence the Republican builders of Phila-
delphla, they would tell him that free
lumber would relieve the whole people
| from a most oppressive tax, and they
would say so in public but for the
fear of assailing the protective policy to
which they are devoted. If Judge
Kelley will take Mayor Filter into his
confidence, he will learn that the Fitler
| cordage mill can manufacture the entire
hemp production of the United States in
half the year; he will be told that hemp
should be free, and he would be told so
publicly but for the fear of retaliation
upon the manufactured product
x*
The bill is not free trade bill. Thirty
years ago it would have been considered
the highest kind of a protectioniSt meas
ure; but it raises the free trade dis
cussion all the same. And Mr.. Mills.
himself, though he is probably what has
been called free trader, that is a
tariff for revenue only' man. is not
| free trader in the real sense of the firm.
Free trade is really free trade, and the
true free trader is the man who wants not
merely absolute free trade, but also
wants to free that of which trade is only
a part-production. Of free traders we
can as yet expect none among the Demo-
cratic politicians, and we must expect to
find even few sO-called free traders
that is, revenue tariff men-willing to
avow themselves. Free trade has been
as much bugaboo in this country as
abolition" was before the war. and we
must eXpectthe very men who are really