Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-24
THE NEW TARIFF BILL.
AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH Hoi E. l.. RUSSELL.

AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH HON. E. L. RUSSELL.
 Mobile Herald.
 reporter of the Herald yesterday called upon Hon. E. l.. Russell and asked him if he had sufficiently studied the new tariff bill to point out the practical effect and practical relief it gave to the country. Mr. Russell said:
 ''The tariff is in the hands of the presi- dent, and the president is in the hands of his friends at Buzzard's bay, and congress is patiently waiting for the expiration of the constitutional length of time allotted to the executive for keeping this and the appro- priation bill in his inside pocket AS you know, I have been somewhat stude nt of the tariff question, and, therefore, have been compelled to study the tariff bills passed by the republicans aud the tariff bills that have heretofore been proposed by the democratic party, aud my investigation of the present tariff bill leads me to believe that it is the best one ever passed and ad- mirably adjusted to the times.
 ''In the language of Senator Smith of industry, while it will vastly cheapen all the necessities of life to the people, and set every willing man who is now idle to work. Whenever the growiers put on their spec tacles and examine the schedules they will be well pleased with the work of the Fifty third congress, and particularly with the senate, which, through storm of what might term ignorant defamation, had the courage to compromise to victory and save the present tariff bill, and thereby save the democratic party. The bill that has been just passed, might have. at almost any stage of conside ration, been killed by the republicans, despite all the democrats could do.
 s'As compared with the Mckinley bill, it shows vast reductions on every schedule. As compared with the Mills bill or Morri- son bill, it shows lower coal, lower iron, lower lead, lower tin, lower sugar, lower wooleu, cotton and silk goods. At the same time it shows a much larger propor- tion of articles on the free list, incl uding such articles as wool, lumber, bagging, ties, agricultural i'm plemsnts, binders twine, hides, grain sacks, etc.
 ''ln but one feature is it odious, and that is in retaining half the differential duty on r4fined sugar that was imposed by the Mckinley act; and it seemed this could not be escaped if the bill was to be passed, as Quay and others would have spoken and fought forever In the interest Of their re- fuery constituents. wish that the senate could succeed in am n ding the bill sent it last week from the house, calling for free sugar, by making duty of 30 or 40 per cent ad valorem on both raw and refined. This can be done, provided the repub- licans wifi allow it an d the house will con- cur in such change
 ''Locallties and ports that would have secured greater advantages by an increased free list should recognize that it became necessary for them to surrender suca ad vantages in order 10 secure the passage of the bill, and thereby secure general relief covering the entire country. In other words, they should cheerfully submit to the principle that government should be so administered as to confer the greatest good to the greatest number"