River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-08-16
UNDER GROWERS LASH.
How the Mills Bn Got Its Slim MsJorI
in the House.

How the Mills bill Got Its Slim Majority
in the House.
1t is of little consequence that the
Mills bill passed by the small majority
Of thirteen votes, which is deemed by
many bad omen. But it is of the
greatest importance that this majority
was secured by a degree of Presiden-
tial influence and intimidation that
was scandalOus and in violation of the
spirit of our institutions. Here is a
strOng-willed, ambitious, pachyderma-
tOus President who has openly sought
to win reelection on the free-trade
issue. and who has openly used the
whole power and influence of his inn
mense patronage to force Democratic
members 70 support the Mills bill. A
few Democratic members had the
courage to stand b. their protection
list convictions and 20 represent the in
terest of their constituents. But such
courage and fidelity to duty are as ex-
ceptional as they are admirable.
There is abundant evidence that
enough Democratic members voted
for the Mills bill against their cOnvic-
tions to have defeated it, had they
acted more bravely. One of these co
creed Democratic Congressman, Mr..
James f. Campbell. of Ohio, has come
to see the folly and the wrong he
committed in yielding to Presidential
pressure. have, said he last
week, "a premOnition that we have
made bad job of it. You see, | sit
on the floor Of the House right in the
center of the Democratic members of
the Committee of WAYS and Means.
have been telling them for months
that il was a fatal error to put wool
on the free list and to make such a
small reduction of the duty on sugar
| can 90 to the map and put my thumb
on all the territory in the United States
that produces sugar, while there is
not a county in the country that does
not grow wool. IdOn't understand how
otherwise lOng-headed men on our
side of the House have been demand
ing free wool as the great panacea of
tariff reform. do not expect to see
more than four or five Democratic
members returned to the next House
from my State"
Democratic Congressman Campbell
has heard from his constituents and
frankly admits that am not a can
didate tor reelection. and do not be-
lieve that / could be reelected, and
sees and confesses that "if this bill
means any thing it means a long step
toward free trade, because it has put
many of our leading productions di-
rectly on the free list.
There are, undoubtedly, a score of
Democratic Congressman who feel ex-
actly in the same way and who regret
the imperiOus party necessities grow
ing out of the Cleveland campaign for
reelection that crowded them into a
reluctant support OF the Mills bill. Mr..
Campbell has simply found out that
his prospects of collection have been
destroyed by the vote that he was
weak and foolish enough to cast,
against his convictions. Many other
Democratic Congressman have the
same opinion of the Mills bill that he
now acknowledges, but can control
denomination and reelection through
Federal patronage, having large Dem
ocratic majOrities to work on. But
Mr. Campbell has told the truth, and
his utterances are important on that
account-N l. Mail aud Express