Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-05-26

MIR. Herman, OF Oregon, spoke IN opposition
TO the Bill.
The committee then rose and the house
took a recess till 5 o'clock this evening, the
session to be for general tariff debate.
At the evening session, Messrs. Felten, OF
California Marsh of Pennsylvania Spooner,
OF Rhode Island; Romeis, OF Ohio; Sawyer,
Of New York, Nichols, Of North Carolina,
and Lane, Of Illinois, addressed the house on
the Mills bill.
Adjourned.
W~AsHISGToN, May 1S.-The last speech In
the house today on the tariff was by Brecken-
ridge, Of Kentucky.
Mr.. Breckenridge began with a review OF the
situation so far a. the surplus in the treasury
was concerned and the danger attendant on
further accumulation. He then sketched the
work Of the ways and means mn IN
framing the Mills bill. The committee, he
said, had rejected a proposition to increase
duties for the purpose OF reducing the rev
enuc Of the government and increasing the
revenue Of the manufacturers, ana q PROPOSE
ton to repeal the internal revenue system,
~Ll Ldi attempted - a. ''' ''''
reduce the revenues by a safe amount and
would relieve, a. far az a moderate bill could
10, the evils Of the present unequal system
reform the inequalities Of the present tariif
and promote American industry by giving
to American labor the hope OF a per
manent, stable, and profitable mar
ket. It recognized that a system that
lnl l... IA, nUiat.Tna FOR over a
quarter Of a century could not be hastily nor
recklessly overturned. 1t desired to harm
no industry. 1t constantly leaned in fayorof
established rates Of duty and in ease Of doubt
proposed a rate which it believed TO be en-
tirely safe. He contended that the bill was a
protective tariff bill. 1t left the average
rates OF duty higher rather than under the
Morrill, tariff. The present law was so highly
protective as in many cases TO be prohibltory,
The changes. proposed by the bill are designed
to give the farmer, by whom all provisions
are raised, a market for brcadstufls and law
materials which is only profitable when he
has "A prosperous manufactured FOR a pur-
chaser; to the laborer hope Of a constant
market and TO the manufactures freedom
from unnecessary burdens. We have, there
fore, put upon the free list, as far as We felt
it was just, the materials necessary for the man
ufacturer. We have reduced the rates,
wherever we have touched them, TO "A point
that gives TO the home consumer the hope OF
fair competition whenever a demand be made
by an internal trust to advance prices beyond
n fair consideration for The article 20 be sold,
and yet We have left the rates so that the pro
lection afforded is greater than any necessity
and makes all competition by foreign manu-
facturcrs upon terms OF great advantage to
the American manufacturer. We do not be-
lioye there Is "a single instance In the bill
where the duty left upon an article is not
more than the difference between the cost OF
production abroad, plus the freight. The evil
effects Of the surplus have already been ey-
hibited in schemes 70 squandcr public money.
II was no answer TO talk about rebel briga-
dicrs or the provisions of the confederate
constitution. The protective tariff does
not, he argued, fix the wages OF labor.
II the demand FOR labor Is equal or great
or than the supply, then labor Is proiitably
paid, and if 4 combination of capital 10 force
labor to sell itself at prices fixed 10y the com
b~ination cannot be successfully formed, then
labor will be free TO make its Own bargains.
Bat II the market be SO restricted that the
supply Of labor exceeds the demand, or if
capital Is enabled to combine to prevent com
petition, then labor must be sold at the price
Fixed by the employer. Now, our present sys-
tem does both-it restricts the market to be
supplied by Our labor and enables manufact-
urcrs to fix the price they will pay to the la
borcr. He said timed plate was put on the
free list AMI this will not iniure Il single hui
man being il affects no interest, no industry.
Passing to the consideration Of the wool
schedule. he declares the schedule agreed up
on at a meeting Of the growers and manu-
fac.urcrs' association iniquitious. Discussing
the protective system, he said:
Colossal fortunes made as If in a day bear
testimony to the yiciCusness OF the system
which enables a few men to absorb the sur
plus accumulatious of a nation, and that, too,
without adding anything to the growth OF the
country and its happiness. If we will persist
in class legislation we must submit to accept
its necessary observation-disclosures first by
murmuring, then in resistance 10y orgoniza-
ton. and then by whatever force circUm-
stances produce. We have as our hope Of
safety the ballot box, by which peaceful reyo-
luton NAV prevent forcefui revolt. But if
enormous capital, through organized effort,
can control the ballot box and return its ser
wants 10 congress, discomfort, founded on
iustirg will find a remedy. Protective tariffs