Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-10-20
PACE,
Senator Villas on Manufacturers.

In some Of the countries Of the Fan
East-notably in Egypt, there is class
Of semi-religious mendicants known as
misunderstanding dervishes, whose
business it is to howl, groan, yell, wall
and lament not over their own sins and
misfortunes, but over the sins and mis-
fortunes of others. It's a trade with
them and, as times 60, fairly prosper
Gus one.
Senator Villas, in his journeyings up
and down the state, reminds us Of one
Of these howlers. In his speech at
Waukesha, last week, the burden of his
lament was over the wrongs and mis-
fortunes the people suffered at the
hands of the wicked manufacturers.
"Shall the government" said he, "pass
laws to take money from the people
who earn it in order to hand it over to
people who do nothing to earn it? A
report of his speech-iti is to be hoped
an exaggerated report, is given as
follows:
No anarchist could have used more
eloquent language and more persuasive
logic to array labor against capital. The
Republican party had combined with the
capitalist to rob the producing classes
of at least $500, 100000 year by taxa
ton. Those who had contributed
money to defeat Grover Cleveland, the
Godsent, had been paid by the passage
Of the Mckinley law. 1t sounded very
pathetic when Senator Villas spoke of
his hatred of aristocracy and called up
on every Democrat to get as many
ballots into the ballot box on election
day as possible. 1t was only the rich
who were benefited, he argued at great
length; the families of the poor had to
pay on their clothing a tax amounting
to 115 per cent. of the cost, while the
rich paid tax of only so per cent.
He told of how the conspiracy be-
tween the Republicans and the agents
of the rich was brought about; how
different sections of the Mckinley law
amended by representatives of capital
site organizations came to be embodied
in the act.
''Have the farmers or the working
people been asked to appear before the
Ways and Means committee for hear
ing? Have sections favored by working
people been embodied in the Mckinley
law?" he asked.
The impression left upon the people
by the speech was that the American
manufacturers were nothing but set
of conspirators and robbers who en-
riched themselves at the expense of
the producing masses.
Senator Villas has nothing to complain
of himself. Within a few years he has
come into possession of princely in
come through the protected industries
he walls about. He tolls not neither
does he spin, but calmly absorbs, it is
said, about 80 cents ton on protected
iron ore-a royalty which is reported to
furnish him something like $1,000 a
week, and, comfortably warmed and
nourished by this protection "fat," he
can afford to saw the air and bewail the
miseries of others. We do not envy
him his wealth-we only regret that he
should employ his acknowledged ability
to SANDER the manufacturers of Wiscon-
sin who have largely assisted in placing
HIM where he is, and whose enterprise
and industry provide him the very
bread of his life. He is no statesman,
he is no patriot who seeks for party
gains, to array one class against another
AS to the implied assertion that the
farmer and working people had no
hearing before the Ways and Means
committee when the Mckinley bill was
being framed and adopted, it is exactly
contrary to the facts. The charge was
made Oh the floor of the House when
the bill was on its passage, but its falsity
was demonstrated by members of the
committee, Democratic as we'll as Re-
publican, and the evidence was so
direct and unimpeachable that no one,
ever after, resurrected it. It has been
left to Senator Villas
When similar charge was made, by
a Democratic blatherskite, Mr.. Bynum,
two years ago, this is what Mr.. Flower
saba Democratic member of the
House and member Of the Ways and
Means Committee. We quote from the
Congressional Globe Of May IA, $780,
Mr.. Chairman, desire to state, in
regard to the hearings by the Ways and
Means committee, that both the MAORI
ty and minority of the committee have
sat in their room from the day after
Christmas until the present time, and
that do not know of a single manufac-
turer or laborer who desired to be
heard that has not been accorded full
and free hearing. applause on the
Republican side"
Following Mr.. Flower here is what
Mr.. Mckinley said
''In this connection I want to say
there has not been single interest in
this country that asked for hearing
before the Ways and Means committee
that has not been heard. Manufacture
ers, laborers, consumers, importers,
COnsignors, consignees--f ree-t traders and
protectionists-al who have presented
themselves at the door of the committee
on Ways and Means have been heard
(applause), and they are being heard
now while we are considering this bill
in the House. (Applause on the Re-
publican side"
The committee was in constant ses-
sion for over nine months, and during
all that period the doors of the great
committee room were open to all the
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