Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-10
The House in Committee on
Revenue Bills.
McMillin Opens the Debate on
Tariff Legislation.
A Caustic Criticism of the Work OF
Last Congress.
FalIacies of the Mckinley Bill Analysed
and Denounced Diugley Essays a
Reply on Behalf of the
Minority.
Associated Press DISPATCHES.

Associated Press Dispatches.
WASHINGTON, March 9.-The morning
hour having expired the house went
into committee of the whole on revenue
bills, Blount OF Georgia presiding, and
McMillin being accorded the floor.
McMilliu iu his speech opening the
debate on the tariff, in behalf OF the
majority OF the committee on ways and
means, referred in his opening remarks
to the work OF the last congress. He
declared that it imposed the highes
tariff taxes ever levied in this country,
and made the most extravagant appro-
priations ever made in time of peace.
This congress, he said, was sent here to
correct both evils by imposing less taxes
and by spending less money.
Continuing, he said ''The tariff law
has now been in operation for a year
and five months. Where are the bene-
fetal effects that were to follow from it
Where is that magnificent price the
farmer and wool-grower was to realize
from it? Where are the increased ages
the laboring man was to get? l say, the
farmer realized from two to three cents
less pound for his wool than he did be.
fore; and | challenge any representative
here to point to single line of manu-
factures in which the laborers' wages
have been increased by that law"
McMillin said the bill was passed un-
der the pretense of desire to benefit
the laboring man, but what benefit has
it been to him.
He then took up wool and said "The
whole matter may be summed up in the
fact that after twenty-five years OF eX-
pertinent with 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 Mis-
souri, rivers, and a reduction OF
about one.half in the price OF
been encouraging in wool manufacture.
They have been restricted as to the
quality OF wool they could afford to buy
in grease by reason of the tariff. They
have been restricted in markets sub.
stantially to their own country. They
have been forced to use shoddy as
substitute for woolen goods, and the
sheep husbandmen have derived no
substantial benefit from the provisions
of this act"
The speaker declared now that more
than two-thirds of the expenses in
Cured during the late war have been
paid, every legitimate excuse for an in
crease OF tariff rates has disappeared,
but not only has there been no reduc.
tion in tariff rates, but they have been
vastly increased.
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 ie
true, place some and most grades oi
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. 1t is true $50,000,000 was taken
free will offering, for the same measure
provided for the payment of $12 900 OOC
to the producers of sugars as bounties
Again, while fifty odd million dollars
tax was taken off sugar, an increase oi
duties amounting to $65 ,O00,0 900 was put
on other things, and generally on the
necessaries of life. They removed the
sugar tax, which yielded eight.
ninths of its benefits to the treasury.
and but one-ninth to the manufacturer,
only to place many millions more than
the sugar tax on other things where but
one-fourth OF the laws exactions went
into the treasury and three-fourths into
the private Golfers of the manufacture
ers. 1t will be seen that the tax is still
burden of $4S, ,000,0 900 indirectly to the
people, and instead of their getting $780,
100000 relief by this change in the
taxes. they have hardly obtained $1O,-
000,O 900 net benefit. The whole bill is
characterized by conscienceless iavorit-
ism for few, merciless oppression for
the many. In the consideration of the
bill the manufacturer alone was favored,
but the consumer was never considered
"The exigences of the preceding cam
paign had required vast amount OF
money to carry the elections. 1t was
raised by rousing the apprehensions of
some and promising benefit to others.
The promises of that campaign were put
into statutory form. Every class, except
! those who needed it worst, has been
| benefited by various laws passed by our
opponents on the subject of taxation
since 1866"
In regard to reciprocity the speaker
said: 81 am astounded that in free
republic, where the right of taxation
through chosen representatives was
bought with blood, such thing is pos
sible as the surrender of this right to
one man. The most sacred right free
man has is to determine the extent and
manner of his taxation"
The speaker denounced the rebate
feature of the Mckinley bill. BY this
means, he declared, very many agricult