St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-08
FREE WOOL FAVORED,
The House Passes Springer's
Measure Without Amend
ment.
No Wavering or Uncertainty
as to the Sentiment Of
the Majority.
Wilson, Of Virginia, Closes
the Debate in a Brilliant
Speech.
Seathing Arraignment Of Un-
Just TaXation--SteWart'S
Mortgages.

WASHINGTON. April Tariff and
internal revenue consumed the time of
the house today Tariff had the right
of way, and after fine speech from MIR.
Wilson, of West Virginia, who won his
spurs and reputation as one of the clear
est-headed men in the house when he
advocated the Mills bill, the free wool
bill was dispatched on its journey
toward the senate The cotton tie train
was about to set in motion when the in
ternal revenue came in and compelled
it to take siding. 1t came in with Mr..
Funston, of Kansas, acting as switch
man.
A New York temperance paper had
seen fit to publish the names of certain
senators and representatives who, the
correspondent averred, were accus-
toned to indulge in Intoxicating drinks
in the house and senate restaurants.
Much amusement was OccaSiOned as one
after another of the members alluded
to arose and denied the soft impeach-
ment or pleaded guilty to the charge.
But it was not a laughing matter with
Mr.. Funston, and his denunciation of
tile correspondent was so vigorous that
he was greeted with Kisses from the
galleries.
An Encisive Attack.
Then the house proceeded to consider
the free wool bill, Mr. Wilson. of West
Virginia. took the floor to close the de-
bate. He promised his speech with an
aliuSlOn to the illness of the diStin-
guished chairman of the committee on
ways and means, which, he SAID. had
been due to his conscientious industry
in framing this bill, and his tireless eff
forts to become acquainted with all the
facts bearing upon it. Mr.. " ilSon said
there was no more vital or m0ment0uS
question before the American people
titan the tariff. A system of taxation
correct in principle and justin opera
ton was the final goal, and an essential
Of free government. AS we approach
such a system, we broaden and eQualize
our freedom. AS we depart from it, we
narrow and make unjust distribution.
'Rhe existing methods of taxation in the
United States were incorrect in princi-
pie and unjust i'll operation. AS plenary
proof of that contention, he referred to
the very sections of the laws which the
present bill was intended to supercede
and correct.
Something more than million dollars
collected in taxes finds its way into the
treasury every day. He did not believe
that ii was within the compass of states
manShip to gather any such sum from
the people without imposing serious
burdens upon them, and lessening their
usefulness and their profitable trade.
This was a tax upon the health, the
vig0r, the energy, the very life of the
f,Nln 4 4 Alnt ,AI .Inr hn nfln
tons of the Mckinley law the people had
Suffered Mercilessly.
Over S41.000.000 was gathered last
year as taxes on an importation of $780,
000.000 worth of wool and WOODEN goods.
One dollar out Of every s. collected in
taxes came from wool and WOODEN goods.
/ There was not a civilized country OF the
globe which would dare to impose upon
It's people and upon the plain neces-
SarieS of life such cruel and EIercileSS
rate of taxation as this. [Applausel
The average tax was something over
SO per cent. If the output of 32S. 090,000
pounds of wool was taxed on the con-
suIner at the same average rate and
upon the same principle that these gen
tlemen contend for, who would figure
out the exact amount of taxes taken.
from the people of this country on their
clothing, part of which went into the
treasury and portion into the pockets
of those who were intended to be pro-
tected by the Mckinley law. 1t struck
at the very essence and life of the re-
public. That law which renders per-
son less able to work, less useful, is q
law that is merclesS and in every re-
spect indefensible. Applause. The
Mckinley law was made up by the
,f,<.t rhn fhni
. bounties. Loud applausel. The Re
publican majority of the committee
5 left the blanks on the committee table
and then went around the capitol seek
Ing those manufacturers and hauling
them in to fill up the blanks. 1t was
equally as appropriate to invite the Of
! fiCials of the government to fill in an APP.
preparation bill with the amount of
salaries they desired for their depart
mentS.
Prompt Answer.
Mr.. Miller, of Wiscon sin, inquired
whether this bill was satisfactory TO the
5w0olen manufacturers, and Mr.. Wilson
replied that it was framed in the inter
est OF the consumers OF WOODEN goods.
Applause
There is great exaggeration here and
everywhere, he said. as to the character
"a
days ago a statement made by Mr.. But
terworth, of Ohio. that he diligently
looked for this pauper labor of Europe
wherever he was in Europe last sum-
mer. In Germany, in Belgium, in Hol-
land, he looked for it and did not find
it. If he had looked for it i'll the fields
of the planters, if he had looked for it
in the fields of the farmers, if he had
looked for it in the fields of the wheat
growers, if he had gone further and
looked in the fields of the cotton grow
eers, he would have found that pauper
labor.
Gentlemen. compare the condition of
the people of England with the condi-
ton of the people of this country.
England has 27,OOO,OO0 people. England
/ is one-third the size Of the state of
Texas. 1t IS an old country, where.
for hundreds aud thousands of years,
millions of people have been treading
upon each others heels in the struggle
for the necessaries of life. 1t is coun-
try where every acre of land has long
since been appropriated, where land
monopolies prevail; country where
the laws come out of the past. saturated
with privilege, saturated with injustice;
a country where the people are divided
into hard, unbending social divisions;
country where every natural resource
has long since become private property,
where the forests have been felled and
the mines have been dug into and the
fields lave been narrowed for hundreds
of years to supply the wants of the mil
lions of the population.
And yet gentlemen compare the C on
dition of the people of Eng lana with