The Helena independent., 1892-03-10

-. i IN
OF peace.v This congress, @~M@sM2YTyY,
he said. was sent here >EsMSY ~
to correct both evils by -
imposing less taxes and M'MIL1,IN,
and by spending less money. Continuing.
he said: 'sThe tariff law now has been il
operation for q year and five months.
Where are the beneficial effects that we're
to follow from it? Where is that maenifi--
cent price the farmer and farmer and wool
grower we're to realize from itI Where are
the increased wages the laboring man was
to get? say the farmer realized from two
to three per cent. less on the pound from
his wool than he did before, and
l challenge any representative hero
to point to a single line Of manufactures in
which the laborers' wages have been in
creased by that law" McMillin said the
bill was passed under the pretense of de-
sire to benefit the laboring man, but what
benefit has been to him2 He then took up
wool and said: 'The whole matter may be
summed up in the fact that after twenty
five years Of experiment with high rates Of
duty on wool the resulG has been reduc-
tion of one half in the number of sheep i'll
the states east of the Mississippi and Mis-
souri, rivers, and a reduction Of about one
half in the prices of wool. Nor have the
results been encouraging to wool 1nannfac-
turers. They have been restricted aa to the
quality Of wool they could affosd to buy iii
grease BY reason Of the tariff. They havo
been restricted in markets substantially to
their own country. They have been forced
to use shoddy as substitute for
wooien goods, and sheep husband
men have derived no substantial
benefit. The speaker declared that now
more than two thirds OF the expenses in
Cured during the late war had been paid;
every legitimate excuse for the increase of
rates had disappeared, but not only have
but they have been vastly increased.
Touching on sugar, McMlllin said: "'Ihe
authors of the bill take much credit to
themselves for having placed sugar on the
FREQ list, but the finer grades are still taxed
heavily for the benefit of the manufacturer,
than by the rates imposed in the Mills bill.
True, fifty odd million dollars were taken
off the sugar tax, but this was no free will
offering. for tha same measure provided for
the payment of twelve millions to the pro-
ducers of sugars as bounties. Again, while
fifty odd millions of dollars in
taxes were taken off sugar. increased
duties amounting to about sixty-fve mill
ions wero put on other things and gener-
ally on the necessities of life. They re-
moved the sugar tax. which yielded eight
ninths of it's benefits to the treasury and
but one-ninth to the manufacturer, only to
place many millions more than tho sugar
tax on other things whore but one fourth of
the laws exactionsawent into the treasury
and three-fourths went into the private
Golfers of favored manufacturers. 1t will
be seen that the tax is still burden Of
~ ~
stead of their getting S60,0OO,OU0 relief by
this change of taxes they hardly obtained
S10,O0O.000 net benefit. The whole bill ia
characterized by conscienceless favoritis1n
for the few and merciless oppression for
the many.
turer alone was favored. but the consumer
was never considered. The EFFICIENCY of
the preceding campaign had required
vast amount OF money to carry on the elec-
tions. II was raised by arousing the APP
prehensions of some and promising a.
benefit to others. The promises of that
campaign We're put into statutatpry form
Every class except those who need it worst
have been benefited by various laws
passed by our opponents on the subject Of
taxation since 1869"
In regard to reciprocity, the speaker
said: II was astounded that in q free re-
public, where the right of taxation through
chosen representatives was bought with
blood, such q thing is possible as the sur
render of this right to one man. The
most sacred right q free man has
is to determine the extent and
manner of his taxation" The speaker de-
nounced the rebate feature of the Mckinley
bill. by this MEANS" he declared, very
many agricultural implements and pro.
ducts of American manufactures are sold
at Il much lower rate to foreigners, out of
tho United States than to citizens i'll it,
Continuing, McMillin declared that
annther most serious objection to high rates
of duty IS the destructive influence it has
on our commerce, and added: MANY
friends of high protection pretend to be-
Heve ana have busted themselves to show
that the duty collected is not u tax upon
the people. They claim that it il Il prem
ium or tax paid by foreigners whose manu-
facturea are sold IN this country fer the
privilege of selling them here. Those hold
ing to this view insist that the tariff
Is not q tax. When m American citizen buys
here an article manufactured abroad he
pays for not only the original coat
abroad but tho cost of transportation to
this country and the duty collected at tha
port of entry, and whom he uses and con-
sunles the article pays the tax imposed by
the government Oh it. 1t makes no differ
ence whether he or some prior dealer
handed the money to the customs officer
collected for duty. Not only this. When
uh AAhoilSAA oAhthSu buNs RSoAs aAAAhANV"
tured here, which are sold in daily compe
tition with goods of like character that
have similar use, imported from abroad. he
has to pay the cost of fproduction here and i'll
many instances IN amount equal to, or
nearly equal to, the rate of duty fixed on
the foreign goods so competing. II the
foreigner, and not our citizens. pays
the duty, why did wo relieve
him from paying the millions for us on
sugar? Why not lot him continue to pay
this fifty odd millionx2 If no other good
resulted from the Mckinley bill II taught
the American people that the tariff In a tar,
and tax which the people who consume
the articles upon which ii is levied, pay ii.
When the tax WAS removed from augar,
tho price went down iii all American mar
kets an amount about equal to tho duty re.
moved. On the other hand, when M aaQi-