The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-05-25
FREDERICK w. BAKER, Editor.
B f l. A r, Md.
A Truce in the Tariff Debate.

A truce in the tariff debate was agreed
upon, last Saturday, for ten days, and In the
meantime the appropriation bills will be con-
sidered. The most notable speeches were
those of Mr.. VIM. L. Scott, of Pennsylvania,
an iron manufacturer, who showed the fala-
cy of the charge that high tariff meant high
wages Mr.. Randall on Friday last, made
his long-expected speech in favor of the tar
if bill introduced by him. He proposes to
reduce the revenues of the government by re-
pealing the internal revenue taxes on tobac-
CO and fruit brandies and on alcohol used in
the arts and manufactures, and to reduce the
tax on whisky to so cents per gallon. 1t
will be remembered that President Cleve-
land, in his message on the tariff, regarded
whisky and tobacco as luxuries upon which
tax may with more propriety be levied
than upon the necessaries of life, but Mr..
Randall and the Republicans want free whis-
Ky and tobacco Mr.. Randall did not speak
with his usual force, because he knew he was
in opposition TO the prevailing sentiment of
his party.
On Saturday The debate was closed on
both sides, Mr. Reed speaking for the Repub.
licans against the bill and Speaker Carlisle
for it. Mr.. Reed advocated protection and
opposed the Mills bill, but had nothing to
offer in its place. His speech was probably
the best one made on the Republican side
since the great debate begun but it ignored
the declaration in the Republican platform
of 1884 of the necessity for revision of the
tariff laws.
Mr.. Carlsle's speech, on the other hand,
was forcible argument in favor of the Mills
bill. 1t proposes, he said, reduction of in
ternal revenue taxes to the extent of $24 900,
600 and of tariff taxes to the extent of
$54,0OO,0O0. He favored reform of such
internal revenue laws and taxes as the people
have found oppressive and the removal of
such custom duties as weighed most heavily
on the raw materials of manufacturers, or in
creased unduly the cost to the poor Of the
necessaries of life. Referring to the opposi-
tion of some of the New England members
TO the measure he said:
Gentlemen from New England predicted
in 1916 that the duties fixed by the law of
that date would ruin their textile industries.
In 1857 all OF the New England members vo-
ted for still further reduction of so per
cent from what they had called the ruinous-
ly low tariff OF 1916. In the free trade period,
as the republicans called the decade from
1850 TO 1869, the wool manufactured product
increased AZ per cent. and wages 81 per cent
The increased product in New England was
w per cent. In hosiery the product increased
al per cent In cotton the product in New
England Increased II per cent. In boots and
shoes, upon which the duty had been reduced
III per cent. the increase in New England
was ~ per cent; the product in 1860, in
New England was more than the entire pro-
duct of the Union in 1850. This is what the
Republicans from New England saw under
a low tariff. Within eleven years after the
passage of this bill the members from New
England will vote for still further reduc-
ton, or, If they did not, the people would
send somebody here who would"
The Democrats have evidently had the
best of the debate, Their opponents were on
the defensive all the time, striving to apollo
gize and explain a tax system which robs
people of this country of hundred millions
OF dollars every year, upon the pretence of
benefitting American labor. The advocates
ofthe Mills bill were on firm ground They
had no excuses to make, but boldly demand
ed that the tariff taxes should be lessened, in
the interest of the millions of farmers.and
Others, whose products are not protected
but who have to pay an increased price upon
the necessaries of life and things indspensa-
BILE in their business in order that certain
favored classes may be enriched
The bill, when it is called up again, will
be considered by sections.