Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-07-31
HOW HE WAS CONVERTED.

The Chicago H1ter-Ocean charges that
Hon. R. @. Mills, author of the tariff bill,
has used language that justifes the indict-
ment of it in the Republican platform
that is, Mr.. Mills has said that 'the pur-
pose Of the bill is to prepare the way for
free trade" Assuming this to be true,
and we have found the Inter Ocean to be
reliable, the defense proposed to be made,
that the bill is not free trade measure,
falls to the ground along with the
declaration that its purpose is simply re-
duction of revenue. The Inter Ocean adds
that one purpose of the bill is "to make
Che South more solid by 4 free trade
which would ruin most Northern manu-
factTes, and to carry a doubtful Northern
State by Democratic assurance of pro-
lection to one article which Republicans
have always included in their system OF
general protection" Connecticut is the
State referred to, and the evidence of the
truth of the charge is found in the change
made concerning tobacco. This article is
largely imported. The bill reduced the
duty one half, originally. Tobacco-grow-
ers in the United States protested. Mr..
Mills replied
On the subject of tobacco we can not accept
your request-S4 cents per pound is high enough
duty on tobacco; rs cents is prohibition and no
revenue, and we can not afford to destroy our
foreign trade in tobacco or any other article
The EnIQatra tobacco Is SmuQplnd in at RI
cents
He thereby confessed that reduction of
revenue was not the sole object of the bill,
nor yet to discourage the consumption of
q questionable luxury" Later, Mr.. Mills
shifted his position and abandoned his
declaration quoted above, for he consented
TO place the IS cents he had declared
would be prohibition. Sumatra wrappers
come into ruinous competition with to-
6acco grown in Connecticut. Congress
man Vance of that State, from his place
in the House, told Mr. Mills that without
ample protection to that industry Con-
necticut could not be saved to the De-
mocracy. Thereupon Mr.. Mills, who had
Insisted upon free-listing Sumatra wrap
pers, restored them to the duty side. Ee
was not, therefore, converted from error
by conviction, but Was changed in the
twinkling of an eye by partisan concern.
IT has often been said that one can sc.
gete himself more safely and securely
from discovery in the heart of great city
chan by fleeing to the wilderness or
the Businesses of the mountains. The
truth of the saying has ust been verified
in Chicago. For several weeks two BOYS
carried on in the very heart Of that city
the boldest thieving of fine horses and We
hicles with apparent perfect indifference
To the police authorities. They rented 8
stable, to which they took their plumber
and from which they openly offered it for
sale. Though complaints came to the
police daily of fine roadsters and hand
some buggies having been stolen in the
city, the officers appear to have been un-
able to trace the thieves or discover the
property, until bit of boldness on the
part Of the lads IN fobbing blacksmith
of his watch while repairing buggy they
had stolen few moments before, brought
the young rascals to grief and exposed
their methods. Had these robberies been
perpetrated in rural parts, and the thieves
have gone into the Wilds TO establish their
headquarters, the probabilities are that
the hiding-place would have been early To-
Gated and at least the route taken by the
plunderers have been discovered. But in
great city like Chicago the difficulty OF
tracing the thief is vastly increased by the
obstacles that in densely-settled section
naturally arise, for the facility with
which a rascal may secrete himself is aug
mented by the very fact that he is in the
midst of multitudes. Nor is it possible to
devise any police system, short of espion-
age of the houses of every block IA city
involving unthinkable outlay aud an intol
cradle number of officers, by which the
thief may be as readily pursued in city
as in thinly-settled parts. The undisoov.
cred criminals of the great cities six to one
outnumber those the authorities are able
to unearth, fully four-tenths of all escap
ing the nets of justice and never appear
ing at the bar of any Court