The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-08
THE cABBAbl dEAD BILL.
Congressman Mills Apt Designation
Of the Mckinley Bill, Now
Being Discussed.
The Author Says the Bill In Strictly
an American Meas
UTe.
of the Claim That Farmers
Are Protected.

WAsHNaroN, May I'm the house Nc
Kinley took the floor in support of th
tariff bill. He said as result of the las
political campaign the majority in thi
honse, the presence Of Harrison in tn
presidents chair meant a revision of tn
tariff as demanded by the people. That re
vision should be all along the line and j,
full recognition Of the principle and pur
poses of protection. (Applause.)
The bill presented was in full continue
tioh of the policy of protective tariff. Th,
bill did not abolish internal revenue taxes
The committee had found abolition un
necessary. The bill recommended the aboli
tion of all special taxes and a reduction O.
the tax on tobacco and snuff, and removed
the restrictions upon the growers Of tobacco
With these exceptions the internal revenu,
law stood as at present. This reduced tn,
internal taxation over $1O,0OO,O0O. The bill
also liberallzed the drawbacks on imported
raw materials when exported after manu-
facture. The present law allows per cent
drawback; the new law would allow 80 pei
cent. This disposed of the free raw ma.
ter,als question.
After discussing the bill more in detail
Mckinley said that under the duties fixed
BY the bill the annual imports of $25 OOO, ,OOC
OF agricultural products would be supplied
to the people Of the United States BY the
American farmer rather than by the Cana
dian farmer, and that $25, ,OO0, 900. distribu-
ted among the farmers, would relieve
some of the depression prevailing and give
them confidence and courage and increased
ability to raise the mortgages upon their
FN - A.
with Canada, the United States had bought
more than it had sold. What Canada
wanted, what other countries wanted, was q
free and open market in the United States.
What the United States wanted, if it ever
had reciprocity, was reciprocity with
equality.
Mckinley explained and defended the
metal schedule concerning tin plate and
considered the free list. Was the complaint
against the bill that it would stop exporta-
tlon and interfere with our foreign mar
kets? Was the foreign consumer better
consumer than the American consumer?
Under the system Of revenue tariff we
bought abroad more than we sold and paid
balance in gold. This bill was an Ameri-
can bill, made for American interests. Not
withstandinR all the croakinR We are now
exporting more products than at any time
in our history. Our exports increased 35 per
cent. cent more f9re, than % the esRorts from free
ain had, between 1915 and 1850. sst lost Is 1 per
cent. OF her commerce, the United States
had gained % per cent. and with the same
aid to shipping that Great Britain gave, the
ships of the United States would plow
every sea, under the American flag, in sue
cessful competition with the ships of the
of continuous protection, the longest period
since the foundation of the government,
and found ourselves in greater prosperity
than at any other time. In 1860, after four
teen years of revenue tariff, the country
was In state of depression. We had
neither money nor credit. We have both
now. The accumulations of the working
the savings banks exceeded those of the
working classes of any other country.
These deposits told their own story.
The public debt of the United States per
capita was less than that of any nation of
the world. We lead all nations in apri-
culture and mining. Gould any nation
men were found to talk about the restraints
We put upon trade. "The greatest good to
the greatest number" were maxims upon
which our protective system rested. Jap
plause.
At the conclusion of McKinley's speech
ne was warmly congratulated personally by
almost I1s9, every republican member present,
over the western side Of tie hall. 3 ."
Mills followed. He declared that this
was the first bill that had come before the
American people with its mask torn off,
ike highwaymen, demanding their purses.
10 check importation was to check ex-
portation. When we refused to take the
products Of other nations, that refusal was
IN introduction against our exports, and as
We removed the barriers to free exchange
70 increased our trade. Protection, boiled
1own, meant more work and less result.
md, carried out to its conclusion, it meant
III work and no result.
Mills criticised the provisions of the bill
'elating to hides. tin plate and sugar and
aid that at length these gentlemen were
brought to their knees at the confessional
md were bound to admit that there was
widespread depression throughout the ag-
icultural regions. What did the bill do
Q aid agriculture? It put sugar on the
rec list. Two years ago the democrats
TODD here and declared that the country
1as on the edge Of dark shadow. The re-
ne farm mortgages were only further evi-
ence of prosperity and wealth. Why did |
ot the committee treat sugar as it treated |
'oolen goods and cotton goods |
nd nd iron a. goodss Why did it
o1 suosr pusd pand eomne, it, protective duty
- SusoA oA10 SOAAVol Atb pIOOuCGlOQ In this
ountry and carry out the protective policy?
he committee had found out that the |
heat and corn production was in danger
nd increased tn eduty. The United States
Kported so 0,0O0, 900 bushels of wheat in a
ear and last year imported 1916 bushels;
corn, 5000, GOO were exported and 2,3SS
nported. This immense importation must
e stopped! The committee proposed to
oliver the rye farmer from all peril. How
!uch rye did the United States import?
ixteen bushels last year. The committee
let the portcullis fall'' in order to save the
abbage patch! They had placed duty ON
ibbage and that was the sauce for all ills.
ne farmer could stand in his cabbage
lbbage head bill. The republicans must
der to fool the farmers. This
III would almost stop the expectation
agricultural products and then the re-
ablicans would hear storm worse than
le. Nebraska cyclone. Agriculture was
iained like galley slave. When her
onds were rent and her products Ca
,rted to foreign markets the price of
'oducts would be increased at home and
'road, and the increased price would ex-
1stries OF the country had developed un-
they produced L. per cent more than
ould be consumed in this country. The
lrplus was constantly inereasinR. and the
1estion was, what congress II going to do
'out it. The democratic way was TO let
,wn the barriers and let the surplus 20
IT to the people Who wanted it and take
ON other people what they did not want,
i'd We did. The people want q foreign .
arkst and they are going to have it.
Discussing the sugar bounty clause he