Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-22
MIR. MILLS AND THE TARIFF,
What II Said to BE His Intention In Regard q
the Matter.

What ID Said to BE His Intention In Regard to
the Matter.
THE M'KrNLEY BILL TO BE ATTACKED. sur IN
JUST WHAT WAY IT Is NOT YET DETERMINED
UPoN-wHAT SECRETARY FOSTER WILL BE
QUESTIONED ABOUT.
For some days there has been q report cur
emit in certain circles that Mr.. Mills proposes to
antagonize the committee on ways and means il
they decide to report several bills dealing with
the tariff in detail-item by item separately
and that he will offer as q substitute for the
first of such bills reported general and radi-
cal bill making q complete revision Of the
tariff laws. Some such a suggestion was made
soon after the committees were announced
and it was found that he was not on the ways
and means committee, but it was then under
stood that he would not lend his name to such
move. Having by his letter to the Speaker
announced that he would serve wherever placed
If not on the ways and means committee, aud
having by silence after that accepted the as
signment which placed him at the head Of the
committee on interstate and foreign commerce,
the name of which committee was changed at the
suggestion Of some Of his friends to add to it
dignity not before possessed, it was assumed
that he would not consent to any act which
might endanger the harmonious action of the
democratic party in the House. Some Of his
friends at the time declared that if he did not
intend to give his support to the administra-
ton OF the House he would not accept any as
signment at the hands of Mr.. Crisp. That he
mad accepted was pointed to rs an evidence of
his purpose to let the past be past. His action
at this time In suddenly announcing publicly
without communicating with the Speaker that
ne Will not serve as chairman Of the commerce
committee. coming, as it does. on the heels of
the secret report that he proposes to antag-
onlze the ways and means committee if they do
not follow his policy gives the color of truth to
the report. and 1T is suspected by some OF the
democratic leaders in the House that his object
In declining to serve assigned is to leave
himself more free to organize the opposition
movement.
TO ATTACK THE M'KrNLEY BILL
At this time it is not altogether certain how
the Mckinley tariff law will be attacked by the
House, the only certainty being that it is to be
attacked and attacked vigorously. The demo-
Gratis contend that the republicans during the
last Congress not only increased duties, but
they also reduced the revenue and increased
the expenditures, and that now every cent of
the revenues IS necessary to meet the current
expenditures and that there is a deficit of rev.
enues which even very considerable reduc-
ton OF appropriations Tor the next fiscal year
will not make up.
Taking this view of the case, it is very clear
involve OF III connection with which provision
Is not made for an increase in the revenues
will only add to the deficit. When sugar was
placed on the free list with bounty the gov
eminent was deprived of a very considerable
revenue and, in addition. incurred an expense
for the payment Of the bounty. leaving the
duties on other articles, which the democrats
would like to have on the free list apparently
necessary to furnish the government with q
sufficient revenue. The democrats incline to
hat ha It,kv Of hn~
some other provision be made for the raising
OF the required revenue in order to give the
opportunity to place raw materials on the free
list and to make other reductions which they
deem desirable. 1t is obvious that the sugar
duty cannot be restored by the democrats
though the bounty may be destroyed, for &C.
cordlng to the democratic doctrine this taste Of
free trade Is of advantage to the people, though
| 1t may not benefit them as much as would free
WOOL cheaper wooden goods, free tin, free
lumber, free salt and free cotton ties and bind
| ing Irvine.
HOW GREATER REVENUE MAY BE OBTAINED.
The democratic position is that the republic
cans have used free sugar as a check There
fore revenue must be got from elsewhere to
give the chance for the reductions where thew
are desired This may be possible only in a
general tariff bill, which will thoroughly revise
| and readjus the tariff schedules increasing the
revenues by encouraging a certain character of
importation by a reduced duty to produce q
greater revenue, while admitting raw materials
OF certain sorts free of duty to cheaper the
commodities in common consumption. Ii the
revenues OF the government not now
enough for ordinary expenditures bill deal
Ing with the single item of wool and putting
| that on the free list would cut down those rev.
enues by just 30 much as the wool duties now
produce; and SO with all other increases of the
free list, without other revision of the tariff A
reducuon OF duties may Increase the revenues
by encouraging greater importation, but an
addition to the free list alone merely cuts off
SO much revenue.
This is the trouble in the way of Mr. Springer
plan and the plan of many other democrats for
the reduction OF duties by individual bills add
ing to the free list. 1t may be found impracti.
cable under existing circumstances. That is a
thing to be determined before it is adopted as
policy. If it is found to be imprac ticable a
general revision will have to be attempted in
face OF the certainty that any bill passed by
the House will be defeated in the Senate.
WHY SECRETARY FOSTER IS SUMMONED
The object Of the democrats in calling Secre-
tary Foster before the committee on ways and
means next Saturday is to ascertain the condi-
ton of the treasury and by it to test this ques-
ton. The truth about the government finances
will come out at this hearing, as the Secretary
will be confronted by the necessity of acknowl-
edglng 1t II the revenues are short of the ex-
penditures or else of suffering still further
reduction OF the income of the government
II he shows that the government economically
administered will have plenty of money Mr..
Springer's plan for enlarging the free list may
be followed. II, on the contrary as the demo-
Gratis believe to be the case, he shows that the
expenditures are in excess of the revenues it is
probable that a complete revision of the tariff
will be undertaken.
This is the situation today. The plan by
which the democrats will attack the tariff IS
not yet adopted, and it is possible, if not prob
able, that a complete revision may be neces-
sary, though majority would prefer the other
plan If it were practicable.
CAPITOL TOPICS,
MIR. M'MILLIN ON THE NEW RULES.
Mr.. McMillin. the leader OF the democratic