Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-09
Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, Has
His Say.
Burrows, of Michigan, Takes
Up the Cudgel.
Millikin, of Tennessee, DisSects the
ilt. Pending Bill.
Bayne, of Pennsylvania, Opposed to a
General Discussion-Other Men,
bers Speak.
Associated Press Dispatches. |

ing of the journal the house went into
committee of the whole on the tariff bill.
Dockery, of Missouri, said in the last
campaign the republican party claimed
that the farmers would be benefited by
protection. Yet after a republican
victory, the depression in agriculture is
greater than ever. This depression fol-
lowed great protective victory. 1t was
not temporary condition the country
had to deal with. Farm prices had not
recovered since the panic of 1878. The
constant tendency in the west had been
downward since that time.
He then proceeded to argue that it
was not the power of any tariff to raise
the price of any agricultural product,
unless it could be seen that it was
brought into competition with foreign
article. Instead of having to meet COM
petition on our own soil, the American
farmers exported their own produce to
supply the agricultural deficiency in
European countries.
Morse inquired whether our farmers
did not have to compete with the farm
ers of Canada.
injustice or the Tar1H.
Dockery replied that the question re-
vealed another injustice of the tariff
system. The western farmer had no
competition, but the effect of the tariff
on agricultural products was detrimental
to the farmers of the east. Eggs, with
duty of 5 cents dozen, were brought
from Canada to New York. Why? Be-
cause it was cheaper to pay the duty on
eggs than to pay the railroad rates from
the west to the 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 argument in
favor of free wool and reduction of the
duty on manufactured products. In his
state there were 100000 more people
than sheep, and between the people and
the sheep, sympathy was with the
people.
Discussing the subject of trusts, as
connected with the tariff, he denounced
the dressed-beef monopoly y of Chicago as
having plundered the farmers of the
west by unscrupulous exactions. If the
farmer was to be relieved, If the mort
gage was to be taken off his farm, the gov
ernment must speedily reverse its policy
in re eard to foreign trade. If the gov
eminent would unshackle our genius,
unhamper our enterprise, unfetter our
resources, we would soon outstrip Eng
land.
Burrows Takes the Floor.
Burrows, of Michigan, said the repub-
licans would reduce the surplus by one
theory, the democrats by another, and
it was this conflict of theories which
;a1 Tn,
the campaign of 1883 the two theories
and after full debate on the platform
and in the press, verdict was rendered
in favor of the republican theory. The
verdict was so pronounced as to wrest
the presidency and the popular branch
of congress from the democratic party
In the measure the committee on ways
and means presented, it sought to exc
cute the popular verdict and crystalline
it into law. The democratic party was
again going before the people with an
appeal that they revise their verdict.
The democratic party favored tariff for
revenue; the republican party favored
tariff for revenue and protection-not
incidental, not accidental, but inten-
tional The tariff for revenue only was
a step toward free trade, and the repub-
lican party was against it. Applause
The bill was intended as a measure of
protection from the enacting clause to
the closing paragraph.
Cheap Things Eschewed.
Burrows defended the tin-plate, sugar
and wool sections. Free trade meant
unrestricted competition; unrestricted
competition meant cheap goods; compe-
tition in cheap goods meant cheap labor;
competition in cleap labor meant cheap
flesh and blood; competition in
cheap flesh and blood was slavery.
Cheap clothing and cheap food
were of no value If human
labor was cheaper still. Applause.
Free trade meant cheapness to the rich
and idle, but longer hours and harder
work to the laborer. 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 home market capa-
cious enough to consume exclusive of
cotton and tobacco) 50 per cent. of the
products of the farms. Whatever might
be the remedy for agricultural depres-
sion, one thing was true, it would not
be found in the markets of the world.
'In this bill," said Burrows, 1--WE
have sought to reduce the revenues to
the basis of governmental need, without
impairing single American industry or
depriving a single laboring man of the
product of his toll"
On the Dissecting Table.
McMillin, of Tennessee, proposed to
stretch this bill, this putrid patient,
upon the dissecting table. In some
respects it was like man, for it was
fearfully and wonderfully made. Again
it was like the earth at the creation
without form and all darkness. There
was general change from ad valorem to
specific duties. Prices of commodities
all over the world were falling, and 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 doc
trine of bounties.
He also denounced the increase of the
duty on tin-plate. The gentleman on
the other side spoke of the victory
achieved by the republicans in 1888.
That was victory when 100000 pop
ular majority was for the democratic can
Ndidate.