Evening star., 1897-06-09
The Topic sirrsa Up in the Senate
Earif Debate.
PROTECTION AD TEE DEMOCRATS
Senator Mills Protests Against a
Change in Principles.
SUGAR NOT YET REACHED

r.
Allen eNeb.). was agreed to. nationalizing
the Mississippi exposition. to be held
at Omaha, and requesting the President to
invite foreign nations to participate.
joint resolution on the same general
subject was agreed to, suspending the i'm
migration and Chinese exclusion laws. so
as to permit foreign labor to take charge
OF foreign exhibits at the trans>Mississippi
exposition.
Consideration of the tariff bill was re-
sumed at 1915 pm. No mention was made
as to the time of taking up the sugar
schedule, and the debate proceeded On the
agricultural schedule
On the rice paragraph, Mr.. Allison, in
charge of the bill. withdrew the committee
amendments reducing the House rates,
leaving the House rates stand
MI Mills (Texas) moved to strike out the
entire rice paragraph, and substitute new
one. placing uniform duty of 40 per cent
ad valorem on all grades Of rice. Rejected
yeas, 10: nays, 40.
Five democrats-Bacon, Clay, McEnery.
McLaurin and Tillman-and four populists
Allen, Butler Heitfeld and Stewart-voted
with the republicans in the negative. The
rice paragraph was then agreed to as it
came from the House.
Rye and rye flour was agreed to as re-
ported.
Paragraph 231, on tapioca, had been
The Chicago Platform.
On the question of agreeing to this
change Mr.. Rawlins CUtah) took the floor
to answer Mr.. Vests statement yesterday
that new evangcl'' of democratic doc
trine was being proclaimed by certain dem
ocratic senators. Mr.. Rawlins said he had
been a member of the committee on resolu-
tions and platform at the Chicago conven-
hof tor rih olo xuyhi ioh
had been under discussion, and on his mo
ton 1t was agreed to.
Mr.. Lindsay lky). platform in hand, in
terrupted to ask Mr.. Rawlins. since he pre-
sented the tariff clause. why the good old
democratic word 'onfy'' after tariff for
revenue" came to be omitted. Was it an
Intentional omission? Mr.. Lindsay asked.
Il think not" responded Mr.. Rawlins.
Il can throw some light on that subject"
said Mr. Til}man, who was also q member
of the committee on platform at the Chi
cago convention. 81. 1t was omitted pur-
poseiy, after discussion"
Mr.. RawlinS reviewed the course of the
democratic party III early tariff legislation.
The essential principle Of this was that all
burdens and benefits should be borne
equally. This was no new evangel, no vile
characterized 1t, and there was no need of
any democratic senator invoking the AL
mighty against such doctrine. 1t came to
democratic senators pure and undefiled
support 1t.
Mr.. Mills Protests.
Mr.. Mills TexD spoke on the general
features Of the bill. For two months, he
said, the confessional committees had
sought to adjust and readjust and readtust
again the tariff law, in the interest of a
trust fund which this bill Is in
tended to raise. He came, he said, to speak
Ior the forgotten man'-the taxpayer
from whose labor and sweat was to be
wrung by legislative rapine this vast fund
for distribution among favored beneficiaries
Here was bill of confiscation, he declared
proposing to take the property of those
who We're not favorites-the forgotten
man." who Is laboring in the streets and
fields. And yet, when an explanation was
asked for the exorbtant rates of this bill.
no answer was given save, What are you
going to do about it?"
Mr.. Mills warned those on the other side
OF the chamber to remember that biblical
Injunction, For all these things God will
bring you into judgment" The process Of
framing this bill proceeded against the
fundamental principle of the Anglo-Saxon
doctrine that every man shall have a hear
Ing But there was a tribunal whose doors
always stood open, and before that tribunal
the projectors Of this bill would be sum
moned In 1880 similar act had fallen
like the bubonic plague on the country
and the tribunal Of the people had put the
republican party in quarantine
Mr. Mills declared that the effect of this
bill was to swell the value Of manufactured
1T to the wealth of its possessors and taxi
ing it from the pockets Of the masses.
Against this stupendous system Of legis-
lation. robbery and rapine he protested
IN the hope of aroustng the attention and
Indignation of the American people.
Mr.. Mills referred to the efforts at mast
democratic national conventions to lead it
away from its fundamental opposition to
a protective tariff and to make it walk
blindfolded into the republican party as
the advocate of class legislation" He
spoke Of the contest in the democratic na-
tional convention Of '42 over an uneouivo-
cal democratic declaration on the tariff.
Turning to the democratic senator's who
had voted yea for a duty on cotton. Mr.
Mills showed how the delegation of
Georgia, South Carolina and Utah haj
supported unequivocal declarations in ma
tional conventions against a protective
tariff.
Mr.. Mills spoke of the aspirations of our
early fathers toward the freest application
of natural laws, free trade. free men. free
press. free religion. With this freedom of
trade realized, with taxation on wealth as
1t ought to be. then there would be the
real prosperity Of natural, God-given laws
1t was toward that happy condition that
our fathers had been looking forward. But
instead of that had come the gradual build
Ing up Of a plutocracy Of wealth.
Mr.. Mills gave tables showing the vast
ioFtuneS OF lew INDIVIDUALS, who were
he said. tc receive the benefits of this bill
After reviewing many state and national
democratic platforms, Mr.. Mills declared
that man could not he democrat who
did not support the doctrine that a tariff
must be limited to revenue only. Rnt y
new doctrine of democracy was now nro-
claimed inEitingi democratic senator's into
the camp oflthe 1eBemy to sing hosannas to
the monstrous bonnties of this bill. Rut,
fortunately the senator said, there were
no Elishas yheretnto smite democrats with
To whom does the senator allude?" de-.
manded MrtRawlfns one of the denocrats
who had voted with the republicans
Every man may wear the garment if II
fits him." Responded MIR. Mills. "If r. does
not, he may throw 1t aside"
Mr.. MillsHhen turned his attention Tn the
daughters of millionaires, "fatted like heif.
ers" and sent abroad in quest of titles.
When the Vast fortunes had been buiIt IN
by unjust faxation. then. he said. these
hawked ard ped1led. sold for princesses
and duchesSes pRd countesses and mar
chionesses and a other "cesses." And here
was Congress legislating the money to nav
for these trips abroad. If the American
people accepted this condltio then thev
were not worthy of self-government.
Mr. Mills closed with an ominous pre
diction that the abandonment of demo-
cratic simplicity would bring forth out OF