The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-29
sxArrEI. WEDNESDAY,. soE 80.



TnK PROJECTED TARIFF BILL.
The new Democratic tariff bin includes
free wool, coal, lumber and salt. and re-
auces the duties on finished goods so low
that IL will compei q cut in wages OF. the
closing of the most important mills in the
country. The bill. in our judgment, never
can pass the senate. II Is sectional
tariff drawn on the lines Of the Mills bill,
and of course is q complete liquidation OF
She pledge OF the Chicago platform for q
tariff for revenue only. A tariff for
sevenue only would require taxed sugar,
tea and coffee as non-competitive indus
srics.
When the senate substitute for the Mills
bill was considered in the senate the coal
question WAS considered at length. Only
eleyea Democrats yeted IN IA vor of put
ting bitumnous coal on the free list, while
Bate. Daniel, Faulkner. German. Pugh,
Turpie and Voorhees, voted against 1t.
Gibson, Of Maryland. will vote against
free coal. and 80 viii Briee, Of Ohio. The
duty on coal. IS cents per ton, is less than
Is per cent. adj valorem. Ninety per
cent. Of the cost OF coal from the mines
20 the furnace goes TO labor. There
sre more than 10000 men engaged In
mining bituminous coal, their wages not
exceeding $500 year. The owners OF the
property do not realize moro than 10 cents
. ton. The transportation lines, the rail-
roads and canals. carry these products
from the mines east Of the Alleghanies to
mile, so sharp Is the competition, even
with the duty at IS cents. To admit for
eign coal free of duty can only close our
coal mines or bring lower wages to coal
miners. The effect Of putting coal on the
free list will destroy one Of the most i'm
poriant industries of Maryland, Virginia.
West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio,
and BRING in Nova Scotia coal free TO the
Atlantic ssaboard, and Australian and
British Columbia coal free to the Pacific
seaboard. Indiana Is largo coal-produc-
ing state. In discussing the senate sub
ssltnte for the Mills bill Mr.. Voorhees, said
that his state has G. 800 square miles of the
best coal in the world. and that he would
not vote for free coal. The Alabama SEN
ators. Mr.. Pugh in particular. said the
same thing.
Alabama vigorously protests against
free coal aud free iron ore. and ex-senator
Davis, one Of tho leading Democrats of
West Virginia, has warned the committee
ofways and means that II coal is put on
the free list Congressman Wilson will be
defeated for reelection. The Alabama
Democrats propose TO fight free iron ore
and free coal on the floor of the house.
The iron and coal interests of Alabama
amount 20 si2o. o0o, 900. and are the means
OF livelihood to 10000 men in Alabama.
The coal and iron interests OF Alabama
feed and elothe more than one-fifth Of the
entire population Of the state. From Ten
nessee comes loud protest against med.
ding with the tariff on wool and iron ore.
Tue Birmingham Age Herald protests
against running "the eastern mineral belt
Of Alabama. and calls on the congressman
from that state to save its credit and pre-.
vent the bankruptcy OF the treasury by
keeping the tax on these raw materials.
The state OF Washington Is deeply in.
tercsted in the fate of tho proposed tariff
which places coal. iron ore. lumber and
wool ON the free list. The state of Wash.
ington can make itself easy, for no such
tsriG can ever pass the senate. No tariff
bill that places coal on the free list car
possibly pass the senate. for there is bu,
i've Democratic majority in the senate
and there are at least elk Democratic
senators who will never vote fer free coal
So far as free wool and free lumber ar,
concerned. IL is not likely that they car
ever be enacted. Briee OF Ohio will never
dare To- vote for free wool Texas is or
posed TO free wool. and the opposition &
free lumber is very strong from the lum
her producing states Of the South, Tx,
Georgia and Alabama IL Is safe pre-
cietion that no tariff bill that includes fire,
coal, free Iron ore or free lumber can eve
pass the senate.
The proposed tariff Is nothing but tn,
Mills bill: IL is = sectional tariff, whethe
it includes an Income tax or not. The in
ternai revenue tariff Is not mcddlsd will
because the South does not relish an,
more tax on whlsky and tobacco; the new
tariff plaoes cotton ties on tas free list
despite the fact thai they never we're $,
cheap a. they have been under the MeKin
lev tariff. The Soa.h wants an inccm,
tax because il Is bid for the Popagis
vete. bat We have had the income tax /,
war time oaee, In peace IL will ruin an
party that adopts it, The Soash in th,
main is no; a manufacturing bat an sgri
cultural section. aud 80 il believes in Cd,
theory of a sectional taris as fervent!y a
IL aid in the days of John C. Calhoun. /
seeks 10 destroy protection, thinking tha
when IL has broken down the industsla
supremacy of the North IL can bald q,
che South Qua Of the fragments.
The Mills BAL wss . sectional tariff: IN.
present protected tariff 10 shs Mills bsl
over sgaia; Tia Mckinley tariff prosecses
equally the sugar planters Of l.onislani
aud the wool growers Of oh.e. ard ne rrs
daes that the Democracy will tie unable ..
repeal the Mckinley tariff, FOE &, /
founded en- )ast principles. Ii Is nrossc
iaeH all around; IL protests the msna
iaeturer and the producer: II is q logical
consistent, square taFia policy, sts Oh