New-York tribune., 1894-04-26
THE CONFESSION or MR. MILLS.

The selection of Senator Mills Of Texas, to
close the tariff debate on behalf OF the Demo
crafts WAS in itself a confession. He is not
chairman and was not even appointed Il meh-
her of the Finance Committee, but Is an eX
IRENE Free Trader. and advocates direct tax
instead of indirect taxes on purchases from
other countries. He represents in an espccal
degree the Democrats who have surrendered
or are trying to capture Populist votes by sur
rendering To Populist ideas. Naturally 'he
sncech is not one Of great ability, ht Is fine
revelation Of the spirit and purpose OF the
Marty. II declared that the party would drive
the Protcctonist criminals out of the country,
and that the income tax would surely De I'M
nosod eft has got TO be done. il not by this
Congress. then by the next" Such Is the tenn
nor Of the marty with which the labor of the
country has to deal For the "Protectionst
criminals" who get more than half the diHer-
ence between the cost Of materials ana the
value Of products in all manufactures are the
vagc-carners The net value produced by
manufactures in 1890 was S4,211 100000. while
the wages paid were 81. 2S3, ,OO0.OOO. the miscel-
laneous expenses SG31 100000, and Sl,29IOO0,
600 remained for replacement Of machinery and
buildings. losses in bad years and profits OF
capital employed.
Mr.. Mills believes that the manufacturing
workers whose wages averaged S4s5 10 in 1890,
having advanced 394 per cent during the last
decade. and GO per cent under the Protective
policy. are getting more than they ought and
robbing the rest Of the people. The capital in
vested in protected industries gets more than
it's share. he thinks The undue profits Of the
Of ttc lo1,n
in these industries according TO Mr. Mills. con-
stitute the robbery by which the rest OF the
people suffer. or the entire difference between
cost of material and value Of all manufactured
products, labor gets 542 per cent In wages and
miscellaneous expenses are II per cent De
Quoting for renewal Of plant and property per
cent on the capital, there remains about II per
cent on the capital employed for profits in an
exceptionally good year while in some other
years losses only would be realized.
The robbery, Mr. Mills imagines, is mainly
by the protected industries but the census
shows that these industries return n larger pro-
portion to labor than others. and a smaller per
ccntage of profits 10 capital. Thus the iron and
steel and the various branches OF the woollen
industry, which are especial objects Of Demo
cratic hostility, yield net products valued at
500 5.47G745 Of which $l5S,921 ,OOs. or 59.S per
cent. went as wages TO labor. about 5la per
cent more than in all manufactures. while 1874
per cent went for miscellaneous expenses. and
there remained S70.s69,9l5 for renewals Of
plants and property. losses and profits Putting
the renewals at . per cent on capital. a low
estimate. the remainder for profits or losses Of
capital would be 81 per cent on the capital
employed In good year, against about II per
cent on all manufactures.
The bulk OF the gain goes TO labor especially
in the protected branches. So that the laborcrs
are the "Protectionist criminals" II there are
any. who must be- driven out OF the country -
No doubt the Democratic policy would drive
them out Mr. Mills distinctly avows the in
tentiQn 10 send products abroad 10 consumers
who will remain there. instead Of importing
these consumers 10 build mp larger home mar
kel. In the same breath he denies that the Re-
publican policy has built up larger home mar
ket-a statement which shows as little respect
for consistency as for truth. The census sho =
that the bare increase In wages paid to manu-