New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-16
MILLS TO THE FORE AGAIN.
HIS COMMITTEE REPORTS ADVERSELY THE
SENATE BILL
PERIL TO THE CON sTITUTIoN IN THE CONDUCT
OF THE UPPER HoUsE-HIsToRY REPEAT
ING IrsELF-M'MI1LIN's REVENUE BILL.
Tvtrca1pu tn THE TRIBUNE.


washington. Feb l5.-Afer devoting more thsh
three weeks to what might be styled reaecuon' ana
Also the careful nursing Of their wrath TO Keep warm
the eight eminent Constitution defenders who com
pose the majority of the Ways and Means COMMITTEES
to-day felt that they could no longer contain 'uenr
selves; that they must literally burst Win indignation
u they did not Immediately and powerfully resent the
Infamous assault upon the Constitution maze Dy 'he
Senate on January %, when it actually passed.
substitute for the Dark Lantern bill Let II not be
supposed that Premier NILS and his coniedera'es
have been idle or unmindful of the fearful responsibility
which rested upon them IN this dire emergency TOT
weeIs IN the seclusion Of locked they have sat
With cold applications to their heads and hot bottles at
their feet bathing their minds in statistics and trying 10
rontrive some plan to overthrow the Constitution
smashers Of the They have had the active help
and active sympathy Of Secretary Faichd and his eA
merits and advice and suggestions have been poured into
them unstintedly by Parsee" Moore and other I'M
selfish and dsinterested Free Traders
The resolution and manifesto submitted 70 the
House to-day by the Sage Of Corscana ae the fruits
Of that long and anxious vigil Mills and his con-
fcdcraes do feel that way, but hey nevertheless
resolved respectfully 70 remind the Senate OF ts
fragrant violation Of the Constitution. Against the
resolution Mr. Reed raised question Of order which
must be decided before the House can consider and
act upon f. and the Premier" gave notice that he
would ask the House dispose OF It next Tuesday.
The report or statement which accompanied the
resolution is truly remarkable document. OF
twenty four printed pages, two only in any re-
spect pertinent the resolution which reads fol-
lows:
That substitution by the Senate under the form ..
an amendment the bill OF the House No. 9,051 Che
Mills bind. and different bin containing
oral revision OF the laws imposing import duties and in
tcrna j. in conflict with the true intent and purpose
Of Section = Article Constitution, ana that said
bill De returned the Senate with the respectful sug-
ecston that sad section in the House Of Repre-
sentatves the sole power to originate such measure
Major Mckinley remarked that the constitutional
objections OF the majority had been made known to the
minority only this morning and Ire therefore reserved
the right OF the minority 10 file its views hereafter
twenty-five pages Of the statement are devoted
10 argument against the senate substitute, which Mills
and bis cOnederates do like in any respect
good deaf of the argument indeed most Of II. is as
stale last years birds and about as empty
Numbered and dinned into tLcars OF the people
all last summer and autumn BY Carlisle, NILS the
Breckinrdges. McMiilin Hurd and hundreds of other
Free Traders and he people answered it on November
g. the ballot box. Thirteen pages Of the state
nent1 are devoted 10 an attempt rcfute the teach
ngs of century's experience tho; al vaorem rates Of
duty invite unGeivaua au othe frauds and there
fore that specific should be imposed whore prac-
tcable The remainder OF the statement IS mainly
rehash and application Of The ilusory and untrus'-
worthy estimate furnished 10 the committee by Sec
retarv Fairchfd. and which he was constrained 10
OidfcCitllLt ds CNIycrlufaI dlt HuIT VI c9S u'AC-
liable and misleading and respecting which Senator
Aldrch observed:
" These figures are OF about as much value es-
say the samoan question would be in discussion Of
the tariff. They based on the assumption that we
have. al some future time imports precisely the
same those CT 1857 As we never can have series
of imports and condition similar that Of 1857 and
as the impossible the erected II IS
of necessity valueless.7
But the authors Of the statement accept these es-
with much apparent confidence as they would
the paincst and easiest Of mathematical demonstra
tions-that is when IL suits their purpose TO do So
When 1t does not suit, they make estimates to suit
themselves For example the Secretary Of tie Treas
ury estimates that the annual bounty TO domestic pro
ducers of sugar Will amount 81 100000. and his es-
mate IS based on figures showing the domestic prcduc-
ton for of years; but NILS and his conIedeI-
ates cooy ignore this Official estimate and declare that
the annual bounty viii amount 10 100000, thus add
,ng 20 per cent in order 10 make the- statement
more impressive and Enthusiastically. The statement
,s urcandd-not 70 say decep,ive-in other respects
Here Is example
Tin plates are increased from o.15 cents per
mound There were imported % these plates during the
fiscal year ending 30, 1sss $50 224 29G pounds
valued at SO o3i 3o1. They paid duties at cent per
pound, sc 300 242. equivalent % 1921 per cent ad
valorem Under change proposed by the Senate bill
the duties would be increased 70 tl3 o92e2 or an ILL.,
crease on tin plate alone Of S7,27O5'9.
Now PrenierS NILS must know-at least he
should know-that the reduction Of the duty On tin
plates six years ago caused sudden increase Of i'm
por1aons and OF revenue, and THAI both importaons
and revenue have annually increased since that time.
But il IS hardly worth while here 10 point out all
the absurdities and measurements in this remarkable
document.
OF the sugar bounty provision the report, after
agreeing that there Is good reason why. il should
be adopted assistance should not be extended
to the producers OF corn, wheat and other farm
products, says
With excessive revenues something had to be reduced and
sugar being least productive OF private revenue the
reduction was decreased that article and te bounty
was arranged reimburse the sugar manufacturer for
his fall OF the price Of his COMMODITY IN order
to keep him loyal TO the combination
In conclusion the report says:
The Treasury experts that the reduction in the
revenue from customs by the Senate bill viii be about
GA 600 COO including the reduction in the free list OF
s5sos O74 65. When take into account the value
0. boxes crates and coverings mat arc also
made dutsbe the articles bearing ad 'aorem duty
there will be reduction in customs revenue
The tax on alcohol 10 be used in the industrial arts IS
repealed by the BILL and estimated that that re-
duction will 100000. As IL has been iuI!y
demonstrated that methyiated spirits can be easily uehe
ylaed spirits used a. Deveraeeit caA fea1y
be seen that wide opened 70 fraud and IL VIII
be very difficult to detect and prevent
The minority Of the Ways and Means Committee
In the statement Of its views which VIII De SuDAi''eu
~ the uou,. tomorrow IN opposition TO the stale
ments OF the majority of the committee viii include
. Tst of revenue acts which aher passing the Aouse
have been amended by the senate DeioIe o,,o' NM
laws In several cases the amendments OF me SRI
are have taken the form OF subs flutes Tor The pOQO
s,uons before the gina. bills OF tn House, ms
Isl win completely overthrow the POSITION taken by
the majority Of the Ways and Means In icsed 10 ne
cCnsfirifionaly OF the Scnatcs action ID pass is is
e,,Is ,ffufe for the Dark Laueu' bill Tie list Is
long one and includes tho Tariff Acts OF 1e43 Lao
I657 i56l. 1854. 1867 ami 1888 In short the sen
atc from tie founhst1. o. ihe Government has freely
eyerciSsd IFS Constitutional hight 10 amend revenue
law bills
RANDALL AGAINST THE TOBACCO TAXES
THE Pennsylvania REPRESENTATIVES, TIRED
OF WAITING ON "PREMIER" MILLS.
Washington Feb. - (sDec!aD.-Chairman Randall
,s in dead earnest and ful Of hSht. He considers
a.. enc Uavs. and Means COMMITTEES has sinned away