The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-05-15
MILLS ON THE TARIFF.
He Stands for an Honest Bill Which
Redeems the Democratic Pledges.


He Stands for an Honest Bill Which
Redeems the Democratic Pledges.
WASHINGTON, May 1O.-The tariff
bill was taken up to-day after the de-
bate over the Coxey committee.
A long and interesting discussion
took place on the pending amendment
to insert in the enacting clause Of the
bill, the words, cor withdrawn for con-
SUMPTION" 80 that it will read that
1.-THE duties provided in the act will be
levied, collected and paid upon all ar
ticles imported from foreign countries
or withdrawn for consumption after
tho 30th of June, 1884,"
The amendment was attacked on the
Republican side OF the chamber as
making q gift of between SO, 900, 900 and
81, 900, 600 to the owners of imported
goods now in warehouses, and was de-
Tended on the Democratic side as being
just and equitable and in accordance
with existing law.
Hale and Aldrich commented upon
the fact that members of the finance
committee on either side disagreed
with each other as to the amendment
and taunted the Democrats with inf
deity to their platform, which had de-
clared protection in the United States
to be unconstitutional and to be fraud.
The taunt had an immediate effect
upon Mills, who took the floor as soon
as Aldrich had finished his remarks,
and in a passionate and excited man
ner, referred to his speech several
weeks ago, in which he declared him
self to be las between the Mckinley
act and the Wilson billy, between tho
devil and the deep sea-" and said: ga
change has come over the spirit of the
situation-not over my spirit. have
not got as much sea room as on that
occasion. tiud that the bill pending
before us is not tho Wilson bill, but q
bill which ought, perhaps, to bear the
honored name Of the Senator from
Maryland (Gorman), or of the Senator
from Ohio (Brice). No man can tor
ture me into the admission that the
bill pending before this body is in any
respect an answer to pledges made by
the Democratic national convention to
tho Democratic people OF the United
States. have said-and expect to
say as long as / keep my understand
ing-that ta-.ation levied on value is
the only honest system Of taxation !;
and that the specific system of taxa
tion is imposed for the purpose of con-
ernment for the benefit of favored
classes. 1 stand there to-day and shall
stand there as long as live.
' rise to say that do not intend to
vote for single one of these amend
ments changing the duties from ad
valOrem to specific. I am humiliated
enough to have to be drawn nearer and
nearer to the Mckinley act in the rates
of duty in the amount of robbery in
flicted upon the poor working people OF
the country, who have been starved to
death under this system of taxation,
without being compelled to bow down
in humiliation, and to take up even the
badges of protection. The very first
change is made from an ad valorem to
a specific system; and that runs along
through the whole bill. We have had
to surrender at discretion, at every
point, until it is now question be-
tween the Mckinley protection act and
the pending bill, with very little mar
gin of difference between the two. l
repeat what | said before, that l will
vote against these amendments but
that when they are Incorporated in the
bill, will vote for the bill if it has five
cents of reduction in it, as choice be-
tween the two.
THE Democratic party said to- the
people in 1892, that protection is a
fraud, and that the party was in favor
of honest taxation for revenue alone,
and there is where stand. / want to
make an honest effort to redeem that
pledge and | do not intend to go back
ward. would rather vote to reduce
the duties imposed by the Wilson bill.
Every one of them is high enough. l
would have put more articles on tho
free list 1 would. have reduced the
cost of production on our manufactures
so that we could take the markets of
the world and give employment to the
people in honest work in factories. in
stead OF having them walking the
streets and coming to Washington to
tell the government of their distress
distress which tho protective tariff
has put upon them.
"You may pile up duties in this bill
to any extent you please, and, if it is
any better than the Mckinley act, 1
will vote for it. But do not try to
make it just as bad as it can be made
before vote for it. felt it necessary
to file this caveat and let Democrats,
who are making this bill, understand
that l am not responsible for this
measure and that I do not intend to
assume the responsibility. Iwant the
gentlemen who have demanded this
measure to stand up in the open day
light and take the responsibility for
the amendments which they have fore
cd upon this bill"
There was some applause in the gal
leries at the close OF the speech. OF
singled out by Mr.. Mills, German was
the only one in tho chamber, but no
simply smiled and was not moved to
make any remark in reply.
The pending amendment was then
agced to without any further discus