The state chronicle., 1892-08-09
THE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE.
hEFORMS ATTEMPTED WHICH
WE'RE KILLED BY THE SENATE.
Comparison of Features of the Mills
B1ll With the Springer Policy
Vast Reduction of the RObber
Tax Sought by the Latter.

comparison of Features of the Wills
Bill With the Springer Policy
Vast Reduction of the RObber
Tax Sought by the Latter.
New York World
There were three great questions to
which this House when organized was
expected to address itself-the tariff
question, the free coinage question and
the question of economy in the matter of
public expenditures. Upon two of
these issues the party was united, while
with regard to the third-the question
of free coinage-the understanding was
that nothing should be attempted until
after the fullest consultation and freest
discussion had taken place. The atti-
tude of the republican Senate must, of
course, be taken into account at every
stage of the proceedings of the House. It
wasthe Presidential year, and the Senate
was to be expected to block the way
as far as possible to all measures sent
over by the House in redemption of
democratic promises made to the peo-
pie.
The tariff question presented some
difficulties. The democrats of the house
were in substantial agreement as to the
principle of taxation Mr.. Z Crisp, Mr..
Springer and Mr. McMillin, like Mr..
Mills, the two Breckenridges and Mr..
Wilson, of West Virginia, had support
ed the Mills bill, and opposed the Nc
Kinley bill. The tariff, as tax, was OBJ
jectionable to all alike. The Senate, it
was known, would do nothing towards
repeating any part of the Mckinly bill,
but would resist every effort of the
democrats to weaken that measure
There were certain republican senators,
however, who had been pretending to
favor lower duties in one direction OF
another. Since no general tariff-reform
bill could be expected to pass the senate,
it was decided by the house to test these
senators with separate bills calculated to
meet the situation in certain localities.
Tari II IL eform Blocked by the Senate
Bills putting wool, binding twine ano
tinplate on the free list were passed with
others, and sent over to the senate The
house performed its duty to the people
but the senate, acting together under the
crack of the party whip, pigeon holed
the separate measures and refused the
country the relief so strenuously clamor
ed for. The republican senators from the
east, where the demand for free raw
material has been growing among the
manufacturers, would have none of thu
free wool bill. and republican senators
from the west and northwest, where tn,
farmers have been demanding, among
others things, free binding twine, re
fused their support to that measure. [
has been made perfectly plain, therefore
that protection in it's highest and mos
,, intoerant form still dominates the re
publican party and its policy, and that Ut
, reduction of duties anywhere alon!
the line is to be expected, excep
through the national triumph
, of the democratic party. No mas
querade will deceive anybody now
The Mills bill was rejected and so hav
c been the separate bills tending, so tha
4 as that tended, to relieve the burdens
of the people. And thus the democrati
. position on the tariff question has bee
a maintained and the party strengthene'
0 for the coming campaign.
The Springer Bill and the Mills Bill
: If the bills reported from the Way
and Means committee and passed at tn
session through the House, were to pa.
} the Senate and receive the signatul
of the President, a short experiene
under their operation would most effec
: ually convince the public of their impo
tance. Take first the Springer wool bi
and compare it with the Mills bill.
q Our custom dues in 1890 aggregate
100000 000 The Mills bill provide
Or an average cut of 6 per cent making
Is saving on imports of $23, 600, 900. Upc
II domestic products the bill would ha,
r saved five times this amount, or $63
= 600 600, making total saving upon in
ported and domestic products of $75
1, 600, 900. In 1891 we imported woollt
g goods amounting at foreign prices I
- $50, 900, 900. Upon those woollen goot
y we paid uuder the Mckinley bill 81 1
per cent, tax, amounting to S32, 900, 90
Under the Springer woollen bill this ts
would be reduced to 33 1-3 per cen
s. amounting to $11, 100000 thus etfee
At ing total reduction on imported woo
IN len Of $50 100000.
" In 1891 we used $365, 900, 900 of d
ly mestic woollens, against $67, 900, 900 il
e; ported. The increased tax price of the d
# mestic goods was $174, 900, 900, or mu
d; more than tivefold the tax on import
to woollens as given above. The Spring
ur bill would save us upon domestic wo'
,d len goods five times as much as up'
imported goods, or at least $102, 600, ,O(
Hence upon imported and domestic goo
: the Springer bill would have erected
ok reduction aggrating $22, 100000.
. The Mills bill would have saved up
Is all imports only $l2, 600, 900, or 81, 80
- 900 less than the Springer bill wou
! have saved upon imported wollens alol
The Mills bill would have saved upon
domestic products $63, 100000 or S
II 600, 900 less than the Springer bill wol
4, save upon domestic woollens alone.
will thus be seen that the Springer w
bill would save in the aggregate $46, 8
Or, 600 more than the total reduction uI
Ire all products, foreign and domestic, t.
ST. would have been effected by the NJ
bill.
other Tariff Bills Passed by the Ho'
TX. The bills placing binding twine a
cotton ties upon the free list, althou
comparatively small items, would S
tho uhoof ont COTTON CrTWprS SpV(