Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-03-17
THE TARIFF ATTACKED
Congressman McMillin of Ten
nessee Opens the Debate.
ACTION OF THE LAST CONGRESS
Denounced by the Southern Statesman,
Remarks Confined Principally to
the Duty ON wooI-Bnt
Few Spectators.


the day for the opening debate upon the
tariff bin has been a red letter day and
almost all the members have been IN at
tendance, and the galleries have been
thfonged with spectators. But the rule
met with its exception Wednesday. When
the speaker called the house to order at
noon there were not more than $50 mem.
bers present and the galleries did not con
tam more than the usual audience After
the transaction of unimportant business,
and the morning hour having expired, on
motion of Mr. McMillin of Tennessee, the
mousse went into committee of the whole
upon the revenue bills Mr. Blount of
Georgia being designated as the presiding
officer Mr. McMillin then delivered the
following speech
MR.. CHAIRMAN-The last congress imposed
the highest tariff taxes ever levied in this
country. II also made the most extrayagant
appropriations ever made here in time OF
peace This congress was sent here to correct
both evils. The expenditures in the two years
Tor which the last congress appropriated. be-
sides the deficiencies, aggregated 81 900, 600 600
$40 per family annually, or more than S50O,000-
WO each year, about One-third OF all the money
IN existence in the United State. When we
take from our currency the Sl00OO0,O01 of gold
held for redemption purposes in the treasury
the reserve required in the national banks and
the different reserves held from circulation in
other ways We find that these expenditures
reached annually nearly one-half of all the
money In actual circulation. Can there be per-
manent prosperity while ape-half or even one
third of all the money has got to go through
the hands of federal tax gathererev year,
besides the taxes for state, county and munich
pal parposesf
The Remedy Proposed.
There Is remedy, impose less taxes and |
spend less money. Tnat is what this congress |
means to do The tariff law has now been in
operation for one year and five months. Where |
are the beneficial effects that we're TO follow |
from it? Where is that magnificent price the |
farmer and wool grower was to realize from
III Where are the increased wages the labor
ing man was to getr defy contradiction when
say the farmer has realized from to cents l
less ON the pound from his wool than he did |
before. And | challenge any representative
here to point to single line of manufactures
in which the laborers wages have been in
creased by that law. Ii was passed under pre-
tense OF desire to benefit him, yet whilst his
wages stand still or 90 down. what he, his wife
and children consume has been increased in
prizes Internationally,
ask any Of the Republicans on the commit
tee on ways ard means to point TO single la
borer whose wages have been increased by that
law. II ii diminishes the revenue received By
the government, If It does not Increase the
value of raw material 10 the farmer, Ii II does
not increase the wages OF labor, If it fosters
trusts, II il makes pooling profitable, in
heavens name let us not further legalize the
robbery but try some better method
Duty On Wool.
The duty on wool was in 1857 placed AT II
cents pound on uawashed wool This was
by an ag reement entered into between the
National Association Of Wool Manufacturers ,
and the Natiol Vi Association of Wool Grow
srs; and they dictated the terms TO congress- I
1t was claimed this would foster the sheen in ,
dustry and increase the value OF wool 10 the ;
farmer
Mr. MeMillin quoted statistics to show ,
that the result was a decrease of one-half
the number Of sheep raised in the states
east of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers
between the years 1858 and 1891
The wool manufacturers, he said. had
Jared no better. They have been restricted
as to the quality of wool they could
afford 70 buy in the grease by reason OF I
the tariff; they have been restricted in
markets substantially to their own coun-
try. They have been forced to use shoddy 7
rs ~ substitute for wooden goods. The :
rags that had already fallen from the ),
backs Of 5eggars in other countries have I
been used as a substitute for wool. :
The high tax GA wool has forced the use !,
Of vast quantities Of substitutes for wool d
-shoddy, mungo aud other adulterants =
Used in the manufacture of wooden goods :,
According to the report it is seen that !,
lhese substitutes have taken the place of n
he feeces Of .9o00.0o0 sheep, or about :,
.wo-tliris as many as there are in the !,
whole United States. =
The value of the wool of similar quality :,
las var e very little in the markets OF q
Boston aud London since the duty on :,
WOOL was imposed, occasionally "a little :,
higher abroad, sometimes little higher :,
n this country, but the average advan- =
age in favor OF one country or the other l.,
las not been one-fifth of the duty imposed -,
y our government, which proves con
lusively that, whilst the cost to the con
inner has been increased by the duty and
he possibilities OF the manufacturers a;
ave been restricted, both in mark ct anil n
uantity. the sheep husbandmen have de- n.
ived no substantial benefit. N
TERRIBLE MORTALITY W