, 1888-07-22
PASSED.
The Tariff Bill Placed on It's
Final Passage
And Passed by the House, 1862
to 149.
Mills Closing Address on the
Bill.
PASSED..
The Tariff Bill.

crowded with spectators early this morn
ing attracted by the announcement that
to-day wonld witness the close of the great
tariff debate and the vote on the final pas
sage of the Mills bill, Only the execu-
tive and Diplomatic galleries were vacant.
The large attendance
GREETED CHAIRMAN MILLS
when he roseI in his place to close the de-
bate, Promptly at the appointed time
the bill had been called up and thereupon
Mr.. Mills, after offering two amendments;
intended to correct typographical errors in
the bill, moved the previous question on
them and they were adopted.
He then proceeded to- address the
house, beginning by stating the condition
of the finances of the government, placing
the surplus at 1929, 000, 900. This, he
said, should arrest the attention of the
country. 1t represented unnecessary tax
alton drawn from the people and piled up
in the treasury. 1t was taxation LEVIED
upon the product of labor. 1t was an
%iniquitY. This enormous amount of money
was constantly lowering prices and piling
an OF load on labor and increasing
the
PRoFITs OF PRIVILEGED CLASSES.
How long would it be before ~stagnation
would occur and bankruptcy and ruin
flock together in'the land. The majority
had attempted to bring before the house a
bill to reduce this taxation and lessen the
inflow Of money into the treasury. By
amendments made in committee of the
whole the relative rate of duty had been
placed at $40. SO on 800. This moderate
bill had been met by a storm of denuncia-
ton and characterized as a free trade
measure. Was $42.9 SO on 800 free
trade? What state had a 5 per cent rate
of taxation? In the majority of states it
did not exceed 81 on 800. The tariff of
1916 had been spoken of as a free trade
tariff. Mr.. Mills then took up
THE BILL IN DETAIL.
He began with the chemical schedule,
where the rate of duty had been reduced
and crockeryware the reduction had been
81 on 800. They called that free trade.
If $50 on 800 was free trade, in Gods
name, what was protection2 Sugar
showed next to the largest reduction in the
bill, larger than in hemp, iute, iron, and
in everything except wool. But the bill
had been called a sectional measure. To
get six millions of protection on sugar the
government had to collect ifty-eight mil
lions of tariff duties. In its provisions
the reduction was 81 on 800. More
free trade. 1t was less than 81 in cotton
goods. Was not that moderated the duty
still remaining at $39.07. In woods and
woolens the reduction was 500 on 800 and
most of that had been caused By placing
wool on the free list. The manufacturer
would get free wool and 40 per cent pro-
lection, or 5 per cent
MORE THAN HE NOW GOT.
measure. Articles amounting to 800
600, 900 had been placed on the free list,
and Sc, 800, 900 of that was wool. Cotton
try, yet the Republican party had put it
on the free list, and they were right, but
when it was proposed to touch wool the
combination that made the protective
tariff was struck, and they said: You
| shall not touch it." The next article on
the free list was tin plate, 81, 700, 900.
Not a pound of it was produced in this
country. The commi ttee proposed to
| give this money to the consumer, yet
their action was called free trade. If that
was free trade make the most of it. Salt
was the next. Because a few people
were interested in its manufacture the
committee was stigmatized as free traders
for putting it on the free list. Burlap
was not made in this country. 1t had
been placed on the free list. With all
the milk that could be given this baby in
dustry
TT HAD FAILED TO GROW.
1t was dying and must soon disappear.
The Republicans had used the same argu-
ment in favor of striking down the sugar
industry. Opium paid $463, 900. 1t had
been placed on the free list. Cotton ties
and bristles (the latter produced in Rus
sia) had also been placed on the free list.
A good product, %currants, that concerned
no laborer in this country, had been placed
on the free list. Yet the committee had
been tainted with being free traders.
Their opponents said: IF you wan any
| thing free take a free drink Of whisky"
Applause. Taxes on express compa-
MES, on telephone companies, on all the
wealth of the country had been removed,
but none of the
TAXES ON LABOR
had been removed. Wool grew on the
sheep. There had been much sympathy
expressed for sheep. The Democratic
party sympathized with men. 1t wanted
cheap clothing 1Or Ine poor. Inc nepuD-
licans wanted the duties kept so high that
neither wool or woolens could be brought
up. With a product of 200. 600, 600
pounds of wool and need for 600. 900, 600
pounds, what were we going to do2 The
Democrats proposed to let in wool free
and let our workmen make it up into
clothes. The bill was intended to benefit
the condition and increase the
WAGES OF LABoRING PEOPLE.
Applause. The government should not
NEEDLE with the people. They could take
care of themselves. They were the most
intelligent and best people in the world
and could give employment to all of the
laborers if congress would but let them
alone. Why should we not have free
raw material and have the opportunity to
contest on equal terms with foreign man,
ufacturers2 We would have a fair field
and an open fight. Applause. The
Democratic party intend to appeal to the
virtue and intelligence of the country.
Money was being poured into his district