, 1890-05-09

WASHINGTON, May s-After reading
the journal the house went into commit
tee OF the whole on the tariff bill.
Dockery Of Missouri said that IN the last
campaign the Republican party claimel
the farmers would be benefited BY pre-
lection. yet after a Republican victory the
depression in agriculture was greater than
ever. This depression folio we'd a great
protective victory. 1t was not a tenn
porary condition the country had to deal
with. Farm prices had not recovered
since the panic of 1873. The constant
tendency in the West had been down
ward since that time. He then proceeded
TO argue that it was not in the power of
any tariff to raise the price OF any agri-
cultural product unless 1t could be seen
that it was brought into competition with
a foreign article. Instead of having to
meet composition oil our own soil, the
American farmers exported their own
produce to supply the agricultural defi-
cheney in European countries.
Morse inquired whether the farmers
of the United States did not have to
compete with the farmers of Ca iada.
Dockery replied that the question re
veaie1 another injustice of the tariff sys-
tenn. The western farmers had no com.
petition, but the effect of the tariff on
agricultural products was detrimental to
the farmers of the East. EGGS, with a
duty of five cents n dozen, were brought
from Ca,aia to New York because il was
cheaper to pay the duty on eggs than to
pay railroad rates from West to East.
Therefore the tariff gave no benefit to the
farmer OF the West and taxed the Eastern
farmer to the extent of the duty. Dockery
then submitted an argument in favor of
Tree wool and n reduction OF the duty on
manufactured products. In his state
there were 900, 900 more people than
sheep, and between people and sheep his
sympathy was with the people. Discuss
ilgthe subj ,et of trusts as connected with
the tariff. he denounced the dressed beef
monopoly of Chicago as having plundered
the farmers Of the West by INSCRIPTIONS
exactions. II the farmer was to be re-
lieved, if the mortgage was to be taken
off his farm, the government must speedily
reverse its policy in regard to foreign
trade. 1.-THE government would unshackle
our genius, unhamper our enterprise,
u~nfetter our resources. we would soon out
strip England.
Burrows of Michigan said the Rcpubli
cans would reduce the surplus by one
theory, the Democrats by another, and it
was the conflict Of theories which pre-
vented the remedy nom being applied.
In the campaign of 1888 the two theories
were presented to the American people
and after debate on the platform and in
the press a verdict was rendered in favor
4ftkA -.Il,. $780,. II. -
pronounced as to wrest the presid, ncy
and the popular branch of congress from
the Democratic party. Ia the measure
the committee on ways and means had
presented it sought to execute the popu
lar verdict and crystallze it into u law.
The Democratic party was a gain going be-
fore the people with the appeal that they
reverse their verdict. The Democratic
party favored a tariff for revenue; the Re-
publican party favored a t,riff for revenue
and protection-nUt incidental, not acct
dental, but int %ntional A tariff for
revenue only was a step towards free
trade, and the Republican party was
against it. Applause. The bill was
intended as a measure OF protection from
the enacting clause to the closing para
graph. Burrows defended the tin plate,
sugar and wool sections. Free trade
meant unrestricted competition, and unre-
stricted competition meant cheap goods.
Competition in che goods meant cheap
labor. Competition in cheap labor meant
cheap flesh and blood. Competition in
cheap flesh and blood was slavery. Cheap
clothing aud cheap food were OF no value
if human labor was cheaper still. Zap
plause. Free trade meant cheapness to
the rich and idle, but longer hours and
harder work to labor. In this race for
~cheapness the Republican party did not
propose to enter. Whatever might be
the cause of the present agricultural de-
preston no one would be bold enough to
assert that it was due to the policy which
had created a home market capacious
enough to consume, exclusive of cotton
and tobacco, 95 per cent of the products
of the farm. Whatever might be the
remedy for the agricultural depression
one thing was true, it would not be found
in the markets of the world. In this bill,
said Burrows, we have sought to reduce
the revenues to a basis of governmental
need without impairing a single Ameri-
can industry or depriving a single labor.
ing man of the products OF his toll.
Mcmillan of Tennessee proposed %
stretch this bill-thIs putrid patient
upon a dlssectlng table. In some re-
spects 1t was like a man. for it was fear
fully and wonderfully made. Again, it
was earth at creation-without form and
all darkness. There was a general change
from ad valorem to specific duties. The
pri,es of commodities we're falling all
over the world aud this change prevented
the consumer from getting the benefit Of
the reduction. The Democratic party
would take issue with the Republican
party on the new doctrine Of bouuties.
He also denounced the increase of the
duty on tin plate. The gentlemen on the
other side spoke OF the victory achieved
by the Republicans in 1888 Was that
a victory when 100, 900 popular msjorit!
was for the Democratic candidate?
This provoked a political tilt between
Milliken and McMillen which lasted
some time.
McMillen then proceeded TO an analyst,
of the bill, asserting hat aside from tb
sugar schedule there was not a scbedul
in which the duties had not been in
creased. McMillin predicted that whel