Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-10

tariff discussion Of the Fifty-secOnd
Congress opened in the House Of Repre-
Sentatives to-day, with Representative
McMillin, of Tennessee, as the leader
of the tariff reform forces, and Repre-
sentative Dingley, OF Maine, as the de-
fender of the Mckinley law.
Despite the we'll known fact that a
discussion of the tariff Is mainly mat
ter Of comparison OF statistics and ng-
ures, and is In its essential features but
a presentation OF apparently irrefuts-
BILE, vet Totally irreconcilable views,
the galleries were we'll crowded long
before the hour Of the opening, and the
public interest manifested Ia the de-
bate was greater than on any previous
day OF the session.
Representative Blount OF Georgia,
presided over the deliberations or the
Committee OF the Whole, and when be
wearied now and then Of his arduouS
labors, Representative kigore, the
giant statesman of Texas, was called on
10 assume the gavel. Mr.. McMillin, as
might have been expected, devoted his
attention 10 a review OF the Mckinley
law and its effects upon commerce, the
industries and wage workers OF the
country, and Mr.. Dingiey naturally
sought 70 defend and justify the law,
and insisted that the highest CONNER
cial wisdom justified its perpetuity. Mr..
McMilin spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman, the last Congress i'm
posed the highest tariff taxes ever levied IN
This country. 10 also made the most eX-
travagant appropriations ever made here
in time of peace. This Congress was sent
here TO correct both evils. The eXpendl-
lures in the two years for which the last
Congress appropriated, besides the uet-
ciencies aggregated OOy,VUV UVy-ttJ s-- e per PCT
family annually or more than SOO,OOOWO
each year. About One-thlrd Of all the
money in existence in the United States.
When we take from our currency the one
hundred millions of gold held for redenp-
tion purposes in the treasury, the reserves
REQUIRED in the National Banks, and
the different reserves held from cir
ulatiOn in other ways, we nnd
that these expenditure reached
annually nearly One-halt OF al the money
in actnal circulation. Can there De per
roanert uroeDeritv while One-half, or even
oue-third of all the money has 20 20
through the hands of a federal TAX gath
erer every year. besides the taxes for
State. county and municipal purposes.
There is q remedy Impose less tax and
spend less money. That IS what this Con
gress means 70 do. Mr.. Chairman, the
tarir Law has now been in operation Tor one
year and i've months. Where are the
beneficial effects that were 10 follow from
its Where IS the magnificent price the
farmer and wool grower We're 70 realize
from IT, Where are the increased wages
the labOring man as 20 get.
detv contradiction when 4 say the far
rner has realized from TWO % three cents
less on The pound from his WOOL tnan ne
did before. Ana ] challenge any Repre-
sentative here 20 point 70 a single line OF
manufactures iu which tue laoorers' wages
have been Increased by that law.
The laoOrer has been forced to pay more
for the roof that shelters him, for the hat
that covers his head and the wOolenS that
cover his back.
I ask any of the Republicans on the Com
mittee OF WAYS and Means 20 point 70 q
single labOrer whose wages have been in-
creased bv that law. III IL dimlnlsheS the
revenue received by the Government, II -
does not increase the value OF the raw ma
terial 20 the farmer, If II does not increase
the wages of labor, II u fosters trusts, II ~
makes pooling profitable, in heavens name
let US not further legaule the roooery, out
Try some better methods.
DUTY on wool was ia 1861 placed at ii
cents a pound on unwasned wool IhS
was bv an agreement entered into between
the National Association OF WOolen Manu-
farfurers and the National Association OF
Wool Growers, and they dictated terms 70
Congress. 10 was claimed tnat TINS would
foster the sheep industry and increase the
value of wool 70 the farmer What were
the resultst In 1865, the wear after the en-
actmeut of the law raising the duty on
wool. there were 81. .GS5, 900 sheep in the
States east of the Missouri and Mississippi
rivers In 1891, there were only Is, t4O,UOO
sheep In the same territory, a reduction or
more than one half in the twenty-fOur years
when high tariff on wool had been in force
this In the face Of the fact that the popu-
iation in these States has vastly Increased.
If the increase of sheep had kept pace with
the increase Of population there would have
been probably 55,OOOOOO.
a thorough investigation Of the question
shows that the increase in the sheep hUs-
bandry has been in the West, where the
grazing was imitleSs and cheap. The
urice OF wool at this time is about One-half
what 10 was at the time Of the passage Of
the act Of March ., 1S6s The whole mat
ter nav be summed in the TACT that after
twenty .five years Of experiment with a
high rate Of duty on wool, the result has
been a reduction Of One-half in the number
and Missouri rivers, ana a reduction o.
about one-half in the price OF wool.
Nor have the results been encouraging 70
wool manufacturers. They have been re-
stricted as to the quality Of wool they could
eFfor1 10 buv: bv reason OF the tariff they
have been restricted in markets substan-
tiallv 70 their own country. They have
been forced 70 use shOddy as a substitute
for woOlen goods.
Nl-har, tho Mossrsffn fnrsfEF
was imposed % cary on our great civil
was. il was said by the author Of the bill
and those who favored 10 that the high
rates were only temporary, and would be
reduced with the return OF peace. Sir,
about one third Of q century has now
elaosed. more than TWO thirds OF the eN-
nsnses incurred have been paid. every leg
inmate excuse for the increase OF rates has
disappeared and, vet not only has there
been no reduction IN tarin rates, Out they
have been vastly increased
ON many Of the articles upon which the
duty was almost prohibitory before IL was
made still higher, seemingly for no other
DurnOse than 70 enable those now engaged
I'm operations here. 10 form pools and organ
i1e t.com bines.n / remember we'll when
the bill was under discussion in the House,
a Republican member from Illinois, Mr..
HOPKINS, rose, and pointing 70 the gallery,
said: Il see a man in the gallery who Will
90 from there worth millions more than he
is now if nv amendment Is not adopted.
He is in a trust which will make millions
h this bin is passed. His amendment
was not adopted. the bill did pass. This IS
onlv an illustration Of the hundreds Of
Sobs and schemes which that bill in one
vvav or another fostered ana carried.
The consumer was never considered, or