Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-15
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST Is, 1883.
FREQ Trade-Again.

FREQ Trade-Again.
To oppose the reelection OF Mr..
CLEVELAND on the ground that the MILLS
bill is free-trade measure is AS illogical
rs TO oppose his reelection on the ground
Shat he is himself free trader. Let Us
examine both propositions:
Mr.. CABLisLE has, we believe, said that
The Minis bill is protection bill. What
could be more preposterous than
20 dononnce such a bill as a free
trade measure Let us suppose,
for instance. that HESsY GEoRdE.
en avowed free trader. we're to claim tho
Minis bill as free-trade measure who
would not laugh the claim 10 scorn? Or
purpose the St. Louis Convention had
endorsed the MELLs blll as a free-trade
measure what Democratic speaker could
have stO0d.up before an audience of In
tolligeut voters aud maintained that pro-
position by any argument worthy OF
consideration?
We said yesterday that the reduction
made 10y the Minis bill averaged about .
Der cent. We had not the exact figures at
hand when We wrote the article contain
Ing that statement but We have them
now. gHe Nation states in 80 many
words that in order TO compare the
average rate Of duty under the proposed
bill with the present rate, Mr.. Mills
took the actual imports for the year end
ing June 30. 1887, of articles on the
dutable list Of his bill found the az
fregate amount OF duty which these
articles would have had to pay under the
provisions OF the bill, and found what
percentage Of the total importation this
duty would have been Taking the bill
a. amended and sent to the Senate the
average duty Is AZ per cent, as against
Il per cent in the present tariff.
What sort OF free trade is that? The
.dltion adds:
at would be n mistake. however, to
suppose that any great reduction would
have been shown i we had made the
v hole importation, instead Of dutlable
articles only, the basis Of our calcula-
lions. The total importatIons Of the
Sclr amounted to Sf'3, 5000 the re-
mission Of duty which the Mills bill
free list and all-hGs made on these Is
so, 0,OO0, which is Il per cent. of that
total; in other words, ii we considered
fue aggregate imports instead OF the
cutiable list alone, the average rate OF
duty on the imports actually made IN
the wear 1861 would have been = per
cent. lower by the Mills biz than by the
existing tariff. instead Of y per cent, as
found above
What would you have? Is q tax OF
81 per cent. or 40 per cent no tax? Is
g tax Of forty dollars on hundred no
TAX at all? Surely, we need only give
fhe figures to enable every reader to see
for himself that tho MINIS bill is no
3reetrade measure.
But it is charged that the President is
3 free trader. lie shall speak for him
telf In his last annual message TO Con /
CToss he said;
"Our progress toward wise conclu-
zion will not be improved by dwelling /
ulon the theories of protection and free |
trade. This ssvors TOO much OF handy |
Jug epithets 10 is a condition which |
Confronts us-nOt a theory. Relief from !
tins condition may involve 4 slight re-
auction Of the advantages which We |
award our home productions but the !
entire withdrawal Of such advantages /
should not DO contemplated. The ques /
fion of free trade is absolutely irrele /
want.
1t is remarkable that the Mills bill is |
thus so accurately foreshsdowed by the
] President "a slight reduction of the
advantages, says the President Cor, in
ether words, a Siight reduction Of the
protective dnties), "which tce aCard
on. name productions may be made,
"but the entire withdrawal Of such du-
ties should not be contemplated" Free
trade is entire withdrawal of protective
duties. This, says the President. should
not even be contemplated. 1.-The ques-
fion of free trade is absolutely irrele-
want, says he emphatically.
Mr.. BLAINE thus not only misrepre-
sents the Democratic party when he tries
f. make his hearers believe that it is q
free trade party but he falsi6es known
facts. be charges the President with
designs upon the tariff
which the President himself declares
should not even be SO much as thought
Of. Mr.. BLAINE thus discreditS all his
other ayerments False in one, he is to
be accounted false in all.