Evening star., 1894-04-13
SENATOR MITCHELL
de Makes a Vigorous Speech Against
the Tariff Bill.
THE FREE TRADE BLUNDER IN 1856
What Would Be the Result of
Free Wool.
A MENACE TO THE PEOPLE

uNhai heresy. The condemned doctrine of
the right Of secession was fraught with
out little more danger to the republic. In
the platform of 1856 the democratic party
mad committed itself to the doctrine of
free trade, and the people had made the
Ieartul mistake Of electing Buchanan on
that issue. AS a result the treasury was
made almost bankrupt, the national
credit was shaken and the very life of the
republic was placed in danger In 1850
the people realized their mistake and hurl-
ed the democracy from power and indorsed
protection. History frequently repeats
itself in many respects and he imagined
1t required no uncommon gift of prescience
or prophecy to either see or predict a repe-
tition OF as complete overthrow of the
democratic party in this country in 1896
as befell 1t in 1860.
The Early Condition of the Country.
Mr.. Mitchell declared that not until 1892
had the democracy dared to attack the
constitutionality of the protective principle,
and then he gave a sketch of the formation
of the national government, to show that
the Union had been brought about because
of the paralysis of trade and industry re-
sulting from the varying tariff schedules
In the different states under the confedera-
ton. He quoted from eminent historical
authorities to support his assertion that
the present evil times bear no comparison
In disastrous consequences to the expert
ences through which the people passed be-
fore the adoption of the Constitution, when
the country was overwhelmed by English
exports, the circulating medium was con-
tracted, the specie drained away and wages
and prices went down. He said:
'"These historical references give some
idea of the condition of our country during
that period when there was no constitu-
tional power in the Congress to regulate
commerce with foreign nations and among
he n
dition our country and its people will be
again driven, if the fearful heresy that
there is no constitutional power in the
Congress of this new nation to regulate
commerce with foreign nations by impos-
ing restrictive and even prohibitory GUS
tom duties should ever find substantial eX-
precision on the statute books of our coun-
try"
Mr.. Mitchell condemn ed the adoption of
the ad valorem system in the pending bill.
asserting that She principle had been de-
noul ced by none more severely than by
many of the great democratic leaders, and
he gave numerous extracts from the utter
ar ces of public raen-Secretary Manning.
President Buchanan and others-in proof
Of this.
Discussing the Wool Schedules.
A great part Of his speech was given up
to a discussion of the wool schedules,
which he declared were arbitrary, invid-
ious and unjust. placing this great industry
ashes as a sacrifice to the avarice of for
eign wool-growers. and. to some extent, the
greed Of eastern manufacturers. transfer
ring to their Golfers the great bulk of the
five hundred millions invested in sheep and
wool. Such a bill, which vouchsafed pro-
lection to the manufacturer and refused u
extend ii TO those engaged in the sheep in
dustry, which favored the foreign producer
at the expense of the home producer, was
one which Disseminated untustly, unneces-
agriculturalist and in favor of the manu-
facturer, against the Americans and in
favor of the foreigner.
No state in the Union had, in proportion
to population, so much money invested in
sheep and wool, as Oregon, amounting as II
did to over S31, to 3-4 head of sheep and
to 4S pounds of wool for each man, woman
and child in the state. California had over
4,JOO,OOO head of merino sheep within her
borders, had invested. S15,Oc0,Uo0 and en-
ployed over 5000 people in the industry.
He argued that no greater fallacy was
ever entertained by the most visionary
theorist than that by placing wool on the
free list the clothing of the masses of the
people would be cheapened; yet that was
the sole reason assigned by the democracy
for its action. Arguing against this as
sumption, Mr.. Mitchell said: The whole
history of the doctrine and the practical
effect Of the doctrine of protection affc r5
conclusive answers to this heresy And the
very fact that all kinds of wooden clofhinr
are today infinitely cheaper in this country
than they were prior TO the leVying of the
Mckinley tariff on wool in 1890 ought in
and of itself, to be a sufficient answer 10
this argument. But the real answer is n
be found in the logical. economical ded,;c.
tion which must inevitably follow and
which invariably does follow in the wake of
a policy which subordinates the great wool
industry of this country to that of the for
eign producers of wool, whether in Aus
tralia, the Argentine Republic the South
Sea Islands. or elsewhere"
He further contended that by the destruc.
ton of our own wool industry We woIld be
placed at the mercy of foreign producers
and Obliged to double our importations As
result prices would increase far beyor6
the present scale, great wool trust would
be formed to Cypress us and our country
would be drained of more than 60OoOoo0 ot
gold annually to buy wool. and our people
by the destruction of our sheep herds, would
be deprived OF cheap and nutritious food
Paralyxing Agricultural Products.
Barley and hops. plums and prunes, al
! produced largely in his section of the coun
try. also received a share of Mr.. mitchell.
attention, and he asserted that by the pend.
| Ing bill paralyzing blow was struck al
these agricultural products. In fact. all
kinds of western agricultural products fel
under the ban-fiaX and henD, vegetables
dairy products. horses and cattle, eggs-not
{ one escaped the blighting influence OF IN,
Wilson bill. BY its provisions millions o.
. uollars were tnroWn TO the fishermen OF
I Canada.
/ A careful inspection of the pending bill
! disclosed the remarkable fact that out o.
$50.o0OV00 of duties which this bill puts upor
| the free list S35,0ooO00 were taken from m,
duties on agricultural products. Yet hi,
democratic friends and the present admins
tration professedly were the friends of IN,
| farmer
Mr. Mitchell also denounced the lun,bel
and coal schedules, and asked how Mary
! lands Senator's could vote to halve the dut,
| on coal and close their eyes to the mayniti
| cent development of mining in their state
| He asserted that the Wilson bill finally 1e
! stroyed silver mining interests by reducin,
the duty on lead contained in silver-lea,
ores.
! Coming TO a conclusion, Mr.. Mitchell QUOT
I ed from a speech made by Senator Nooraee
in 1881, to show that he was once 2 nrot.c
! ZIONIST; then gave a startling list Of ,.:4tam
+ ities and disasters which had afflicted on
country since CleVeland's inaugara lion de
scribed in glowing terms the prosperity o
the country under the protective system anS
wound up as follows:
His Concluding Remarks.
1.-THE bill as il stands today is based on n,
definite, well-recognized principle or polio,
I of customs taxation. II is neither free trad
nor protection. and yet it is both. But on
consideration seems to have heen uppernos
in the minds Of its makers, and that is. nov
shall we frame this bill, wherein shall W,
make it free trade and wherein protection
in its policy, so as to assure us of enougi
votes to secure Its paSsa,-c2 This, Nr Pres
tdent. is craftsmanship 4 the higll..st order