Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-05-22
UNANswERABLE.
CONGRESSMAN MILLS DENoUN-
CEs McKINLEY's Bib.
Facts that Should Convert Farmers
TO Tariff Reform.


celebrated Mills bill, in answer to
McKinley's speech In defense of the
pending tariff bill, spoke the other day
as follows:
This was the first bill that had come
before the American people with its
mask torn 0ff-like highwayman de-
manding their purse. [Applause.] To
check importation was to check expor-
tation. Split hairs as you may, no
man can show that we might sell with
out buying. When we refused to take
the products Of other nations, that re-
fusal was an interdiction against our ex-
ports, and as we removed the barriers
to free exchange, we increased our
trade. Protection, boiled down, meant
more work and less result, and carried
out to its conclusion it meant all work
and no result. Pig iron was the base
of all our iron and steel manufacturers.
In 1871 prices were rising, after o period
of depression, and the imports Of pig
iron were increasing. From 2,500, 900
tons In 1870 the imports of pig iron rose
to 7,000, 600 tons in 1873. II the Repub-
lican doctrine was true, then every ton
imported displaced O ton of American
iron. But the figures showed that our
democratic product rose from 50, ,000, 900
tons in 1870 to 119, ,000, 900 tons in 1872.
That showed conclusively that the
democratic position was right-that in
creased imports increased the demand
for American labor. Following out
the figures, it was seen that from 1880
to 1885, when the imports of pig iron
dropped of, the domestic production
fell off more rapidly. These figures pre-
sented an argument absolutely over
Neutrality-suspicious., foot and dragoon-
against all this talk Of importations in
terfering with domestic employment.
Mr.. Mills criticised the provisions of
the bill relating to hides, tin plate and
sugar, and then said:'
At length these gentlemen were
brought to their knees at the confess
sional and were bound to admit that
there was widespread depression
throughout the agricultural regions.
What did the bill do to aid agriculture?
1t put sugar on the free list, though all
the republicansdid not come up like
little gentlemen and take sugar in
theirs. ats.f.e.-
Gentlemen on the other side express
ed sympathy for the farmer and their
zeal to relieve the distress which they
at length acknowledged surrounded the
agriculturist. Two years ago the DEM
ocrats stood here and declared that the
country was on the edge of dark shad-
ow. The republicans had ridiculed
this, and had said that the farm mort
cages weresonlya further evidence of
prosperity and wealth. Laughter.1
| Why did not the committee treat
sugar as it treated woolen goods and
cotton and iron goods? Why did 1t
NOT put q protective duty on sugar and
compel its production in this country,
and carrysout the protective policy?
| The committee had found out that
the wheat production was in danger
and had increased the duty so per cent.
The United States exported $4,000, 600
bushels of wheat year, and imported
the startling amount of 1,946 bushels.
Laughter.
The increased duty was to protect
the American farmer against the pau
perof India. Corn was to be protected.
The United States last year exported
69, 600, 900 bushels of corn. and import
ed 1888 bushels. This immense inn
portation must be stopped. The COM
mittee proposed to deliver the rye
farmer from all peril. 1t was going to
speak words of comfort to him, and tell
him he would not have to compete
with foreign labor! How much rye
did the United States import? Sixteen
bushels, Laughter Some adventurous
farmer had bought this rye to improve
his crop; and he was to be rebuked for
this at the capitol of his nation. He at
tributed to the majority of the commit
tee one bold and audacious move,
which meant the deliverance of the
farmers. They cried out "Let the port
cullis fallv' in order to save the cab
bage patch. They had placed a duty
on cabbage, and that was to be the
panacea for al! ills. The farmer could
stand in his cabbage patch and defy
the world. [Laughter.l This was a
cabbage head bill. Applause.] The
republicans must do something more
than this in order to fool the farmers.
The farmers understood that they need
markets for their products. This bill
would almost stop the expectation of
agricultural products and then the re-
publicans would hear a storm worse
than a Nebraska cyclone.