, 1889-03-07
MIR. MILLS IN HIS LAST DODGE.

ers, he has stood for six years be-
tween the house and the reduction of
federal revenue. He has refused to
remove a solitary burden from in
dustry, unless the load was lifted in
his own way by a free-trade revision
of the tariff. This obstruction has
lasted six years. In that time, this
refusal to repeal unnecessary taxes
no one supports has taken ont of the
people at least S3OO,OOO,OOO. This is
the price the land pays for the deter
mination OF Speaker Carlisle, Col
Morrison, Mr.. Mills and the rest to
have tax reduction their way or not
at all.
But the race is run. Mr.. Mills
finds his majority crumbling beneath
him. Other democrats see. if he
does not, that the democratic major-
itY can not go back to the people af-
ter six years of power without tax
reduced or ax-payer relieved. Un-
able to postpone and unwilling to
face the main issue, Mr.. Mills has
raised the ridiculous point that the
senate bill is unconstitutional be-
cause it replaces house bill chang
ing part of the tariff, by compre-
hensiye measure revising the entire
tariff. Mr.. Mills does not believe
this himself. No one else does. 1t
is opposed to the practice and policy
of congress for century. The pres
ent tariff came from the senate, not
as an amendment to tariff bill even,
but to an internal revenue bill. Clay's
compromise tariff came down in much
the same way. In case after case has
like action been had. Nothing is
more clear than the full discretion of
the senate to amend at will the reve-
nue measures it can not originate.
Mr.. Mills starts this dodge, not
because it deceives anyone, but be-
cause debates on constitutional ques
tions are long winded. He wants to
use up time. He hopes to prevent
the Cowles bill, which Mr.. Randall
reports from the Appropriations
Committee, from coming before the
House. Mr.. Randall, who finds his
support swelling just as Mr. Mills
backing sinks. sees the need of get
ting some reduction of taxation done
by Democrats. The bill he reports
sweeps away all the taxes on tobac-
CO. Two-thirds of this tax everyone
wants to have repealed. MIR. Ran
dali wants to sweep it all away and
have his party credited for some re-
duction of taxation.
The Republicans of the House
have no call to help keep the Demo-
cratic record straight. With a Re.
publican House near at hand they
can afford to wait until the entire
question of tax reduction and tariff
revision is dealt with in a compre.
hensive bill. But if the issue comes
up in the House between removing
an unnecessary tax or continuing it
their duty is plain. 4 Republican
representative can ask but two ques-
tions when he comes to deal with the
removal of taxation-Is the tax need
ed to protect an industry and does
the Government need its proceeds?
1t it does neither, the tax must go.
The Victoria people have lively
way of stirring up an audience. The
Standard says that on Thursday
evening some would-be funny chap
put cayenne pepper on stove in the
Salvation army barracks, and when
the heat warmed up the pepper and
its aroma was diffused throughout
the room, the audience rose and re-
tired in body to the outside of the
building, where they united in one
solemn sneezing match. Officer Abel
undertook to ascertain the cause of
the hurried exodus. but he succumbed
to the ferver or the spicy oder and
was glad to seek fresh air.
1t was the fashion here in former
days, when itinerate vendors of soap
and tooth powder attracted crowds
by their tiorid eloqueRce, for lewd
fellows OF the bsser sort to scatter
the audience by exploding a Chinese
bomb under the speakers stand.
The pepper business is more effect
i've and not so dangerous, but this
breaking up of the Salvation army
by red pepper is to be- discounte-
nanced by all good citizens. and we
are glad that Victoria is the only
place where such nefarious scenes
are enacted.
We trust that there will be no un~
seemly scramble for the Federal Of
fees located here. Let there be no
acrimonious fight for any of the po-
sitions, for it will only initiate
against those seeking the places from
here. We do not want strangers ap~
pointed here, but such will be the
cass if there is no harmony of action.
The ARGUS has no pets in this matter,
but oplv dasiras tn saa tho most coDo