Evening journal., 1890-05-08
TARIFF BILL ELO0UENCE
Messrs. Mckinley and I-ills
Cross Party Swords.
THE TWO GIANTS OPEN DEBATE.

importation - TO theck ENpnrtnttOn."
WASHINGTON, May s-Debate on the
tariff bin was opened by Mai. Mckinley
Wednesday. Mr. Mckinley said that in the
last political campaign the tariff had been
the absorbing question before the people
and IL seemed to him that no extended dis
cussion Of this principle was expected OF
required, under existing conditions, for II
any one thing was settled BY the political
contest Of 1883, it was that the protection
policy as promulgated by the Republican
party IN It's platform, as maintained by the
Republican party through long series Of
years, should be secured in any legislation
which was to be had by congress chosen
in this great contest and on this mastering
issue.
The bill reported to the house was q
thorough answer TO the demand Of the
people The bin has not abolished the IN.
ternal revenue tax, because that abolition
was not necessary 70 preserve the protection
system. If the committee recommenda-
tions as 70 the internal revenue law should
be agreed to internal taxation would be
reduced a little more than si0,0000O0 The
recommendations of the committee that
imported articles bear a mark indicating
the country in which they were manufact-
ured was based ON the practice of many
countries which copied our best known
brands and sold them in competition with
the home made product.
The earthen ware schedule, he said. had
not been changed because the present du.
ties were, If anything, too small The in.
crease of duty on glassware was necessary
because of the sharp competition from for.
eign countries. The proposed increase in
the duty on agricultural products would in
sure the American farmer all OF the Ameri.
can market. We could not compete with
the low priced labor of other countries in
the markets of the world, but the exclusion
Of foreign products would insure the distri-
button at home of the S25, 100000 which was
paid for foreign products now During the
twelve years Of Canadian reciprocity the
United States had bought much more than
1t had sold. The United States wanted re-
ciprocity with equality, reciprocity that
would give her her share ia the bargain she
made with the other countries Of the world.
But he said, he would not discuss recipro-
city This was a domestic, not a foreign
bill
The Duty on Wool.
Speaking Of the duty on wool-2% cents
pound on all wool costing under II cents
and cents on that costing over - cents "a
pound-he said the committee would offer
an amendment changing the classification
from - to l3 cents and would recommend
duty of ~ per cent. ad yRlorem Oh the
lower grade and 50 per cent. on the higher.
Having increased the duty on wool. the
committee had increased the duty on manu-
factures of wool as a compensation The
important feature of the metal schedule
was the proposed increase in the duty on
tin plate. For twenty four years the price
Of tin plate had been fixed for American
consumers by the foreign producer. and
every dollar OF the duty was paid by the
consumer The committee proposed to
give Americans an opportunity TO make
enough tin plate for home consumption.
Already the announcements of the intention
TO do so had crushed out the great foreign
combine on tin plate, and it would stay
crushed until the political complexion Of
the house should change and the duty be
reduced
The Free List Discussed.
Discussing the free list, Mr.. Mckinley
said that the forty-eight articles made free
by this bill paid into the treasury last year
S6l 100000. The eighteen articles taken
from the free list would increase the reve-
nue. 100000. Speaking Of the duty on
carpet woods Mr.. Mckinley referred TO the
growth Of the carpet industry in the United
States He said that the price of carpets
had gone down while the ad valorem equiva-
lent had gone up. But the Democrats saw
only the high ad valorem and shut their
eyes to the diminished price. The Demo
cracts pursued the shadow; the Republi-
cans enjoyed the substance.
Foreign Versus Home Markets.
Mr.. Mckinley said that under this bill
the foreign markets were as accessible as
they would be under free trade. But he
wanted TO know If the foreign consumer
was any better consumer than the Ameri-
can consumer. The bill had been abused
because it was an American bill made for
American interests. Why should we pass
over the best market of the world, our own
markets Yet with all this croaking our ex-
ports had increased 35 per cent. more than
the exports from free trade Great Britain.
In 1850, after fourteen years Of revenue
tariff, the country was in state Of depres-
sion. Today, after twenty-nine years OF
continuous protection, we found ourselves
In greater prosperity than at any other
time. Could any nation furnish such evi.
dences of prosperity Yet men were found
TO talk about the restraints we put upon
trade. The greatest good to the greatest
number; the largest opportunity for human
endeavor were the maxims upon which our
protective system rested.
nIr. Mills In Reply.
Mr.. Mckinley was warmly congratulated
by all the Republicans present, while cries
Of vote were heard all over the western
side Of the hall Mr.. Mills Tex followed,
He declared that this was the first bill that
had come before the American people with
its mask torn off, like a highwayman, de.
manding their purses. To check importa-
| sion was to check expectation
Pig iron was the base OF all our iron and
steel manufactures In 1871 prices were
rising after a period Of depression and the
imports of pig iron were increasing. From
2,50O,OO0 tons in 1870 the imports of pig
iron rose TO 1000, 900 tons. In 1873, If the
Republican doctrine was true, then every
ton imported displaced a ton of American
iron. But the figures showed that our do
nestle product rose from 52000,0O0 in 1870
/ to 1l9,0O000O tons in 1872. That showed
| conclusively that the Democratic position
was right-that increased imports increased
the demand for American labor Then
there was another article-hides.
The Bobbing Of Hides.
Had gentlemen on the other side ever
heard of hides beforeg I4aughter.) Hides
had bobbed up and then serenely bobbed
down again. Sometimes you saw them
! sometimes you did not. Why did not the
4 committee put duty on hides as high a
the duty on tin plates Why did not ths
/ committee treat sugar as it had treated