Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-19
THE NATIONS CAPITOL
No Buldozine for Randall
he Boldly Opposes the Mills
Mills Tries to Shut Him Oh, but Fails
DiSaStfOuSly.
The Glarins Faults and Inconsistencies
Of the Democratic Tariff
Document.
Mckinley Keeps the Protection Ball
Rolling to the Great Discom-
future OF Scott
WAsHINGroS, May l6.
House.

The floor was then accorded to MIR. Ran
dali of Pennsy lvania He opened his speech
by referring to the Presidents recent mes
sage in which the Executive advised Con-
gress that the surplus in the Treasury by
June 80. at the end of the current fiscal year
would be expected to reach the sum of Sl40
100000, including prior accumulations or,
more closely stated, the sum of 81 Is, ,000, 900
apart from prior accumulations over and
above all authorized expenditures including
the sinking fund for the current year. He
then quoted from the Presidents mesa &c,
defining his position on the tariff and inter
nal revenue questions and said from the ut
terances of the President he understood the
Executive to be adverse to any reduction of
internal taxes, as that mode of taxation af-
forded, in the opinion of the President no
just complaint, and that nothing is SO well
able to bear the burden without hardship to
the people.
In the presence of such language, emant-
ing from the Executive, authorized by direc-
tion of the Constitution to communicate and
from time to time to give to Congress infor-
nation on the state of the Union and recon-
mend such measures as he should judge
necessary, it was imperatively required of
the representatives of the people to give
clear, intelligent and prompt attention to the
suggestions made.
The remedy he, Randall, proposed was
through the repeal of internal revenue taxes
as by full revision of the tariff as promised
to the people of the democratic convention
of 1884.
Mr.. Randall said if the proposition were
true that the customs tax on articles pro-
duced in this country was a bounty paid by
the consumer to the producer, there would
be no more justification for the Mills bill
than for the present law, but the proposition
was erroneous. Adam Smith had proved
that larger profits couldn't long prevail in
one industry more than another in the same
country. The United States formed a world
by itself. 1t was impossible for one class of
consumers TO pay perpetual tax to another
The farmer and the manufacturer in this
country must depend almost exclusively on
the home market. Any other policy
would mean ruin and bankruptcy. The
greater the producing power of the people
the more independent and wealthy they would
be. In his bill the rates of duties had been
fixed as nearly as possible to cover the differ
ence in the cost of production, here and
abroad The bill lowered the duties where
ever it was possible. There was line be-
tween a free trade and prohibitiye tariff,
Wnere the ulUerenCe DetWetu tue Sost VI
production here and abroad could be bal
anced, and enough revenue raised to meet
the needs of the government. When goods
came in sufficient to suppress the home man
ufactures, the duty should be raised, and
when the duties were so high that
they permitted trusts at home they
should be lowered. If his bill
furnished more protection in any
Gaze than was necessary to balance the diff
ference in the cost of production, he was
willing to lower it. Monopolies existed with
!. out tariff The Standard Oil trust, Cotton
Seed Oil trust and whiskey tax were not pro-
tected by the tariff. He was for the protec-
tion of labor in every state.
Randall devoted some time to answering
the attacks on his bill, and quoted figures at
length to Justify the rates of duties estab-
Iished bv it, He then criticised the Mills
bill at length showing that it left many law
materials off the free list, while putting
many manufactured products, in which he
said raw materials are used, on the free list,
thus placing an insurmountable barrier in
the way of making such articles here and
| actually protecting the foreign laborer against
our own. Again the bill places lower rates
, on the same manufactured articles than on
the materials used in making them. He in
stanced many of these, and showed the dlf-
terence was such as would destroy the man
nf nfacture of these articles here, except on
the condition of levelling wages to the Euro
mean standard. The reduction of duties was
so large in many cases as to restrict the home
manufacturer ard enormously increase I'M
portatio1 thus increasing the revenue IN
stead of decreasing it. The supporters OF
the bill claim to be friends of the farmer
while taking from him the protection on
wool. hemp. flax, meats, vegetables, etc.
They profess to give the manufacturer bet
TOR rates. If so. where does the farmer get
rompensation for the loss of his protection
! Much is said about r, moving the taxes on
accessories and imposing them upon luxur-
/ los but the bill Civ free olive oil to the
.picure, taxes cast 1 oil 81 per cent. it gives
= free Tin plates to i:.s Standard Oil Company
And Great West ming monopolies and I'M
,>,ses duty of ] a per cent. on rice; IT gives
n. .ugar trust I ee bone black and proposes
probibitory du on the grocery grades OF
supar: it impo es duty of 40 per cent. or
! the ..poor m; as blanket and only 80 pei
! cent. en- the - minister carpet of the rich. II
admits FIRE :; imals imported by gentlemen
! of the turt PAINTINGS and statuary
/ OF the st,iiiionaire and coal baron, Ran
dali said 90 cannot be coerced into any par
ticular q, on upon economic questions oy
the dir r,ion of party caucus. The perioc
of mol Il eaucuses has departed, never tT
retur. Yet we should confer, and hav,
unity = possible. speak only for myself
Nv E sictions on the tariff are strong ant
well lnded, think upon principle, lntor
matt s.. and intelligent comprehension. Wher
am a. ,e here enters upon the task OF lnvok
il caucus power or the other modes OF CO
/, ..on, can only say that it will prove |
fr,.itless undertaking. If done with an IL
lotive then assign to him all the natura
outempt, that such self constituted super
ciliousness deserves
In conclusion Mr.. Randall quoted from
the earlier statesmen in the support OF al
views. He warned the party that it was no
safe to abandon the principles so fundamen
tai 10 our institutions, SO necessary to TN
u,aintainance of our industrial systems, tn
nrincipies of which attest the wisdom of thos
who established them. By their fruits the
have borne full fruition, which, however,ca
only be realized in extension of the dlversi
6ed industries to ali parts of the country. .
new era of industrial enterprise has airead
idawued upon the South. Nosecuon POI
sesses greater national advantage
What NAV not a century bring forth iron
! her under system calculated to favor he
highest industrial development? When
read the history of my country and considt
the past, and present and reflect on the II
ure. cannot believe the idea that wei
down in commissions in 1861, will ever agal
dominate the doctrines of the public
Before Randall completed his speech, Il
hour expired. request was made tnas