The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-04-03
The Report of the Minority on
Mills Bill.
PURELY APROTECTION PAPER
Structures on the Majority Report
The Quotations OF Wool aud
steel RaiIs-Othsr NOtea.
The Minority Report.

day, is about twice as large as that pre-
pared by the majority. 1t opens with
q severe criticism on the action OF the
majority, in so compiling the bill that
the minority was not given information
of the fact that it was in preparation. 1t
denouuces the refusal of the majority to
hear manufacturers, workingmen and
congressman on proposed reductions,
and charges the majority with section
alism, in that its bill reduces the tariff
on but two articles of southern produc
ton, sugar aud rice, and these very
slightly, while it makes a wholesale
slaughter of everything produced IN
the north and northwest. The bill,
the report says, is radical re-
Versal of the tariff policy OF
the country. which, for the most
part, has prevailed since the foundation
of the government. If enacted into
law, it will disturb every branch OF bust.
ness, retard manufacturing and agri-
cultural prosperity and seriously impair
our industrial independence. 1t is
marked with g sectIonalism which
every patriotic citizen must deplore.
The American farmer will apprecia; g
the vicious charac er of the bill when he
is apprised of the fact that while the
products of land and labor are shut off
from Canada by the protective tariff
imposed by the Canadian government
the Canadian farmer can send
many of his products here
without payment of duty. No
where in the bill is the ultimate purpose
of the authors more manifest than its
treatment of wool. 1t places this pro
duct upon the free list and exposes our
hocks and fleeces tn merCiless competi-
ton from abroad. In this re pect, the
bill is but an echo of the Presidents
message, and gives emphasis to the
settled purpose OF the majority to break
down the most valuaple industries of
the country. Why have the majority
put wool on the free list? The purpose
Is to bring down the price
of wool. Ii this should be the
result, we inquire. at whose
expense and loss2 Unjust be az the ex-
pense OF the American grower, and to
his loss, who, at present prices and
with the present duty, is being forced
out of the business by ruinous
foreign competition. The injury, by
the confession of the majority,
will fall upon the American wool
growers. The bill will greatly increase
the imports of the foreign product and
diminish. if not wholly, destroy cur
own production. It should be borne in
mind that our wool producers cannot
compete with coun rieS where no winter
feeding anC out little summer attention
is required, lad where labor is 50 cheap,
unless their industry has just ana
adequate protection. The ma oritv, in
quire in their report, "If Congress
grants the request of the wool growers
what are the people to do for wooden
clothing2" We beg to sugg st that the
people of this country, who wore WOODEN
clothes during the existence of the tariff
of 1867, and the tariff proposed by thu
wool conference is substantially that
tariff, were never better clothed
and never better able to buy them.
Placing wool upon the free list is a
deadly assault upon the great agri-
cultural interest, and viii fall with ter
rible severity upon million people. 1t
will destroy invested capital, unsettle
established values, wrest from the
dockmasters their lifetime earnings, |
bankrupt thousands of our best and
most industrisus farmers, and drive
them into other branches OF industry
already oVercTowded.
Under the head of steel rails the re-
port says: "If the majority desire to
insure the handling of our steel-rail
market by our English rivals, the pro-
posed duty of Sill will accomplish this
purpose. The supply of steel rails to |
the Pacific Coast is now in the hands of
foreigners, because of the cheap trans
portation by water from foreign ports, |
the existing duty of SIT not being sufh-
cient to enable our manufacturers |
to compete for that trade. It is stated |
that the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe |
Railway Company had lately purchased |
10000 tons of foreign rails, to be de-
ivered at San Diego, California, and it |
is mentioned that anather lot of $500 !
tons of foreign rails had recently been |
sold by foreign makers for Pacific |
Coast railroads. In proposing to Seri- |
ousIy cripple, if not to destroy the |
manufacture of steel rails in this
country, the majority probably DO not
realize the full significance Of the re
suits which they invite
The report states that from 1866 to |
1885, the control of the House has |
been equally divided between the two
political parties, each having eleven |
years. During the eleven years of Re
publican control the revenues were re-
duced (estlmated) 1862 504 $50. During
the years of Democratic control the
revenues were reduced Sc SOS, 1856.
After devoting several pages to the /
subject of the Treasury surplus and the
failure of the President to call in and
cancel the bonds, the report concludes
by saying: 1--WE regard this bill as a
direct attempt to fasten upon this
country a British policy of free foreign
trade. So viewing it, their sense of OBJ
legation to the people, and especially to
working people, employed in manufao-
turing and agriculture, impel tpem to
resist it with all their power. They will
assist the majority in every effort to
reduce the redundant income of the
government in a direct and practicable
way. But every effort Of fiscal legisla
ton which will destroy or enfeeble our
industries will be met with the persis-
tent and determined opposition of the
minority represented in the House"
- The report was prepared by Mckinley
! and is signed by all the Republican
members Of the committee.