The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-10
MeMillin Opens the Debate for tn
Democratic Majority.
DIiCLEY DEFENDS THE MCKINLEY ACT.
The Issue Presented on Wool, Sugar and Free
Ships Arguments Advanced for
the Campaign.
Special 10 THE MORNING GAIT.

perience, was awarded the honor Of
presiding over the proceedings of the CON-
mittee of the whole. In the days of long
political wrangling that are probably to
follow Ia the committee of the whole
Speaker Crisp will find the res pite he has
SO much desired To-day he occupied seat
in the gallery, and was as interested an
auditor as any Of the other 1000 visitors
vino bent eagerly forward to catch every
word OF the partisan orations. The press
and diplomatic galleries were also Gro wded,
but the erowning indication OF the i'm
p0rtance of the discussion was the deep at
tention the members themselves gave the
speakers. During McMillin's speech Bur-
rows Of Michigan and few of his leading
Republican colleagues vacated their seats
and gathered on the Democratic side to bo
near the Tennessee gentleman as he ar
ragnei their party from a Democratic
standpoint and defended the justice of
Springer's wool bill and the various meas
ures reported from the Ways and Means
Committee to reduce duties on imports.
Attention to the Arguments.
When Dlngley. although not mem Der of
the Ways and Means Committee, opened
the discussion on behalf of the Repu blican
side. no less fiattering was The attention
paid him by his Democratic opponents,
Senator Carlisle, under whose leadership
as the Speaker of past Democratic Houses
the tariff debate was revived, found the
occasion OF sucl, charm that he left his seat
In the upper BODY and was an attentive
listener TO the eloquent argument Of Repre-
sentative McMilln. No less vigiant was
the attention with which ex-Speaker Reed
noted every argument, nOt only Of his friend
but lis political opponent rs well. Now
and then there came a twinkle in his eye as
he medltated Oh and stored away In his
memory a response to be made TO the Demo-
cratic arguments when his day should come
Both speakers were frequently applauded
By their party colleagues, and as each re-
sumed his seat he was the recipient of warm
congratulations and a floral testimonial.
McMiilin Opens the Debate.
The morning hour having expired, the
House went into committee of the whole
on the revenue bills, Blount of Georgia
presiding.
Representative McMllin, in the speech
opening the debate on the tariff, in behalf {
Of the majority of the Committee on Ways
and Means, referred in the beginning of his
remarks to The work OF the last Congress.
He declared il imposed the highest tariff
taxes ever levied in this country and made
the most eXtraya.ant appropriations ever
made IN time OF peace. This Congress, he
said, was sent here TO correct both evils by
imposing less taxes and spending less
money. He said the bill was passed under
the pretense of desire to beneit the labor
ing man. but what benefit has il been to
him?
Wool and Sugar.
He then took up wool and said: "The
whole matter may be summed up In the
fact that after twenty-five years OF experi-
ment with the high rates of duty on wool,
the result has been reduction of one half
in the number OF sheep in the States east of
the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and a
reduction Of about one-h half in the prices of
wool. Nor have the results been encourag-
ing to wool-manufacturers They have
been restricted as to the quality of the
wool thev could afford to buy by reason of
the tariff"
Touching on sugar, McMIllin said: "The
authors OF the bill take much credit to
themselves for having placed sugar on the
free list. They did, it is true. place some
and most of the grades of sugar on the
free list, but the finer grades are still taxed
heavily for the benefit OF the manufacturer,
and he is left with more protection by that
bill than by the rates imposed in the Mills
bill True, fifty odd million dollars were
taken of the sugar tax, but this was no
free-wil Offering, for the same measure
provided for The payment OF twelve millions
to the producers OF sugars as bounties."
Concerning Reciprocity.
In regard to reciprocity the speaker said
II am sstounded that In a free republic,
where the right Of taxation through chosen
representatives, has been bon yht with blood,
such thing is possible as the surrender of
TINS right to one man. The most sacred
right Tree man has Is TO determine the ex-
tent and manner OK his taxation. IL no
other good resulted from the Mckinley bill
1t has taught the American people that a
tarln is tax, and tax upon the people
who consume the articles upon which Ii is
levied, and they have dealt with those who
increased the tax in the last Congress ac-
cordineiy, by administering to the authors
OF the high rates we now have to pay the
greatest rebuke that was ever administered
10 any party in this country"
The Shipping Industry.
McMulin. referring to the shipping
industry, said: "We neither allow our
citizens to buy ships abroad nor
laws that II an American citizen
who cannot build ship at home at rate
that enables him to compete with Others
in the carrying trade goes abroad with
American money, buys a ship. mans 1t with
American seamen and officers, hoists above
it the American flag, puts on il a cargo for
American consumers, and steers into an
American port, his ship is seized and he is
arrested and not permitted TO clear from the
ports OF his own country with his ship
again.
IF the same citizen takes the same money
goes abroad and buys the same ship, mans
IL with British subjects, hoists above it the
British flag. loads it with the same cargo OF
coffee and casts anchor in an American
port, his ship is protected and defended
and the American navy, if it need be, called
out to defend his foreign flag and his
foreign ship. All that America requires by
her laws Is that If her citizen buys ship
abroad he shall hoist foreign flag over il,
give the right TO foreign Government to
use II against the United States in time Of
war under certain circumstances, and he is
secure in his possession of his ship and the
pursuit of his vocation"
In closing the speaker said: "The peo-
pie have resolved. and they will make that
resolution good, that they will have re-
duction In the rate of taxation or q still fur
ther reduction Of those in Congress who
favor higher taxation. The battle is on and
Is on to the finish On one side is arrayed
the Democratic party, in favor of just taxa
tion; on the other side its opponents, clam
oriEg Tor excessive and unjust taxation
Charges aud Retorts.
In the course Of his speech McMillip was
Interrupted by Raines of New York with
the suggestion that the New York State
elections had not been OF a character to ell.
courage the Democratic party.
McMlliin retorted that the ex-Speaker on
Tuesday referred to "ths triumphant march
OF truth" That march was emphasized by
the fact that the gentleman from Maine
(Reed) no longer occupied the chair but was
reiegated to the floor, where he could do
nothing but curse and cry. [Laughter.] The
city Of the gentleman from Maine had gone
Democratlc the other day. Applause
Reed. who was in the cloakroom when
his name was mentioned, strolled down the
aisle making as an apology that he had
been present because he knew the gentle
man from Tennessee was speaking.
[Laughter]
McMillin replied that he didn't care what
the gentleman's reasons were for his alb
sence.
Dingley's Strong Reply.
McMillin spoke for an hour and half.
Then Dingiey of Maine took the floor 10
reply on behalf Of the minority OF the
Ways and Means Committee. Dingley ridi-
culed the Democrats for their failure 10 dc
more than attack three little items of the
Mckinley tariff out of 25OO after their