The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-27
MILLS FOR SPEAKER.

Our dispatches yesterday announced
that Senator Carlisle, of Kentucky, favors
the election of Congressman Mills to the
speakership of the Fifty-second congress,
and agrees with Mills that the silver
question must 60 to the rear for the pres
ent and tariff reform forced to the front.
Let US see what kind of tariff reformer is
Mills and consider what his election to
speakership would mean. A tariff re-
former. of course, is not necessarily free
trader. There are Democrats of the Tilden
and Randall school who believe in reform
ing the tariff and preserving the principle
of protection to American industries In
this school of Democrats certainly might
be classed ex-Congressman Hewitt, ex-
United States Senator Payne, Charles 8.
Dana, of the New York Sun; and probably
Governor Hill, of New. York, and Senator
German, of Maryland.
There are tariff reformers for a revenue
with Incidental" projections; there are
tariff reformers who advocate a revenue
tariff without the slightest regard to the
consequences to American producers, and
there are tariff reformers who are out and
out free traders. To this last class belong
the Cleveland Mugwumps of New Eng
land, New York, Henry George, the inca
psble enthusiasts who believe in an income
tax, and Roger Q. Mills, of Texas. The
Cleveland free traders" who include
United States Senators Vest and Carlisle,
of Kentucky, desire the election of Mills,
of Texas, to the speakership, because he is
an out and out free trader, who has de-
clared himself for absolute free trade and
an income tax. In speech delivered at
Minneapolis in October, 1890, Mr.. Mills
stated his platform as follows:
Free trade will Kill trusts as dead as a door
nail. And yet the American people insist on
sending men to congress that vote for pro-
lection.
The Almighty made us dependent upon each
other We must exchange the things we do not
want for those things we must have. And to do
this ice must haze absolute free trade.
Levy tax on income and the wealthy men of
the country and you'll see prosperity
belteve in free trade, free labor, free speech,
and free press.
We would be exporting our articles Of pro-
duction TO all parts OF the world IL Grover
Cleveland was president OF the United States
If Mills is elected speaker of the Fifty
second congress il means that the Demo-
cratic party is ready to go before the
country with the policy of free trade. The
election of Mr.. Mills on this platform of
out and out free trade means the sure de-
feat of the Democratic party in every
Northern state, with the possible excep-
ton of New Jersey. There are thousands
OF Northern Democrats, who while not
satisfied with details of the Mckinley
tariff and therefore willing 10 revise il.
nevertheless believe in the principle of
protection to American industries. These
moderate protection Democrats will never
vote for ont and out free trade, and there
are thousands of such Democrats in the
doubtful states of New York, Connecticut,
Indiana and New Jersey, and there are
enough of them in West Virginia and Vir-
GINA 10 make Democratic success doubt
ful. even in the border states.
II the Democratic party is not entirely
bereft of political sanity 1t will not at
tempt to elect q president upon the plat
form of Mills, of Texas. viz: absolute free
trade and an income tax. In its disgust
for the free trade philosophy OF Mills, the
New York Sun poet says:
Brsndishing his Texan blade.
IL Projections gore he'll wade;
BY Free Trade, his fadJaa mater,
To Re Speaker now or later,
swesrs a large oath. pipirShot
Q, you Mills, Mills, Mills,
save your dose OF Free Trade squilis
For the Mugwump troop;
Please draw out; exu3e. erump,
Or your party you viii dump
In the bosom OF the pa.pitaiing SOUP