Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-02-07
FREE TRADE ABANDONED.
The Mills Bill Repudiated by Democrat
Senators and Representatives.

FREE TRADE ABANDONED.
The Mills Bill Repudiated by Democratic
Senators and Representatives
Two significant incidents occurring
in Congress during the past two weeks
show not only the complete demorali-
zation of the Democratic party and
organization. but also the weakness of
the issue that, as embodied in the
Presidents free-trade message and the
Mills bill. constituted the principal
part of the Democratic platform in the
late campaign Since election day the
free-trade Democrats have been in
sisting that tariff reform" meaning
a tariff for revenue only, or free trade,
would ne the issue in 1890 and 1892
that they would keep up the fight I'M
til they won on that line. That this is
not true-that the party as a whole
will abandon the free-trade heresy, if
it has not already done so, for a time,
at least. is shown by the incidents re-
ferred to.
In the Senate the other day there
was an animated debate on the motion
of Senator Vest to put bituminous
coal, ROW dutiable at seventy-five
cents ton, on the free list This was
strictly in line with the principles OF
the Mills bill, and was earnestly advO-
Gated by the free-trade element
in the Senate. To vote for re-
tanning the present duty was
to vote In favor of protection
as against free trade. Senator Cor
man, a member of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee. made a strong
speech against Mr.. Vests motion, and
it was defeated by large majority.
Ten Democratic Senators. Bate. Brown,
Daniel, Faulkner. Gorman, Payne,
Pugh, Turpie, Voorhees, and Wilson,
of Maryland, voted against putting
bituminOus coal on the free list and in
favor of protection. t is true that on
other propositions offered they voted
the other way, but the fact remains
that they considered themselves abb
solved from obligation to vote the free
trade policy when the interests of their
own States were attacked.
The other, and more important, in
cident occurred in the House. when
Mr.. Cowles, of North Carolina, intro
duced bill to repeal the internal rev.
enue tax on tobacco, and moved its
reference to the Committee on Appro-
priations. This bill, if adopted, will
wipe out over $50, 600, 900 of the sur
plus revenues. This is just what the
Senate Tariff bill proposes, and SUBJ
stantially what was thrown out as a
bride by the Mills bill to secure votes
for that measure from the tobacco
States. But as an independent meas
ure the whole free-trade element in
the House was opposed to it. The
customary reference for such bill is
to the Committee on Ways and Means
that framed the Mills bin and OF
which Mr.. Mills is chairman. But
Mr.. Cowles wanted his bill to
be passed and not pigeon-holed,
so he moved to have it referred to
the Committee on Appropriations, of
which Mr.. Randall is chairman, who
can report it at any time, and who
will report it, as a majority of his
committee are prOtectiOnists, includ-
ing himself On the question of refer
ence TO this committee twenty-one
Democrats voted in the affirmative and
it was adopted, 129 to 81. This was a
vote of want of confidence in the COM
mittee that defined the Democratic Ma
tional policy in the late campaign, and
as significant of popular reputation
of the Government policy as would be
a direct vote of want of confidence in
the ministry in the British Parliament
1t is reputation of the Mills bill and
the policy of the President by the pop
ular branch of Cong ess, and its i'm
portance can not well be overesti-
mated.
The reverse encountered by the Dem
ocratic party on November has
broken and shattered the Democratic
organization and destroyed its dis
cipline. 1t can not for years be raj
lied again as a unit under the free
trade banner. The wedge of protec-
ton has entered the solid South and
will divide it. The Industrial inter-
ests of that section demand the adop-
ton of the Republican policy of pro-
lection. They will now be heard. and
two and four years hence their enor-
mously increased influence will voice
an effective remonstrance against the
misrepresentation they have had in
Congress. Under what new, or old,
issue the Democratic party will rally
its forces in 1892 does not now appear.
but it will not be free trade.-Cleve-
land Leader.