, 1890-10-16
MR.. WILSON INTERVIEW ED.


He Briefly Reviews the Work of the
Late Congress.
Mr.. Wilson was seen by u repre-
sentative of the REVIEW that night.
"Was the session of congress just
ended productive Of much legisla-
tion?n
"This has probably been the best
working session of congress in
iwenty years, and an enormous
amount of local and general legisa-
ton has been passed, in spite of the
fllibustering tactics of the minority"
What, in your opinion, will be
the effect of the passage of the
Mckinley tariff bill?"
Excellent. 1t is Western
measure, designed by a Western
man, supported by Western votes,
and was constructed upon the
principle that the agrlculturalist is
as worthy ofprotection rs the manu-
tacturer, the West as much entitled
to protection as the East. AS ad-
mirably stated by Mr.. Mckinley in
closing the debate, it is not a
measure of retaliation or
of diplomacy, but bill for
the people of the United States.
1t protects our timber, our coal
our iron, our lead, our hops, our
flax and encourages the growth of
barley by increasing the protection,
Last year we imported over IL, 900,
900 bushels of barley, paying duty
of only 10 cents per bushel. The
Mckinley bill increases this to 80
cents. This may not please the
large brewers, but it Will suit the
farmers. The Mckinley bill is q
new departure. 1t includes a new
schedule, known as agricultural
Products and Provisions" covering
ten pages of the printed bill, and
embracing eighty sections, all in the
| imported nearly Sl,OO0,O00 wort h
of peas and beans, over 5000, 1000
pounds of cheese, and 10000, ,0OO
bushels of eggs, at u profit to the
foreign producer OF nearly -, 800,
000. And still we are told that the
farmer can not be benefited by pro.
| lection.
.'rhe bill seeks only to adjust the
| difference between prices paid labor
in Europe and labor in the United
| States.n
1T has been reported in num-
ber of democratic papers that you
voted against the silver bill"
"Such IL not fact. | voted, in
common with every republican in
the house, for that excellent bill,
which Is now law. Every demo-
crat voted against 1t, and yet demo
cratic organs have the unfairness
and the audacity to blame me falsely
for the very thing that their own
party is responsible for. The bill,
In my judgment, meets the demands
of the country, of the sill
yer mines, the agrlculturalists,
the laborers and business men
of the country, and saves
to the people $4,000, 900 annually
| In seignorage. The law, In brief,
provides that the secretary of the
treasury shall purchase 4,5O0, 900
ounces of silver per month, mt the
market price, and issue In payment
legal tender notes redeemable in
coin. This will consume every
ounce OF the silver product of the
United States, and even more utilize
it for money and turn 1t into the
channels of trade and business.
This not only gives the country an
increased circulating medium OF
S60, ,O00. .OO0, but the republican party
has made this money absolutely
safe.n
"How about lead?"
"The protection Of IL cents PEI
pound given to this industry will
prove of incalculable benefit To this
section of country. Under the old
law large importations of lead were
made from Mexico. This lead was
mined by the cheap labor of poems
Consequently under Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration lead fell &c
S8.lO. To-day it stands a. $500. The
difference in these quotations Ia the
difference between idleness and for
tune to the miners Of this section
"Has labor been recognized by
this session of congress-"
"Several days were set aside fo
the consideration Of labor bills, and
in one week of this session the re