Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-10
AMERICAN TARIFF LAWS
XEEE-The Mills Bill
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN

While the bill was pending in the
house the national conventions met.
The Democrats were about as badly
divided over indorsing the Mills bill
in terms as they were over the propo-
sition specifically to reaffirm 16 to at
Kansas City. But there was no Bryan
to lead them. The bill was unani-
mously Endorsed by the convention, but
that Endorsement was not made part
of the platform. 1t was a sort OF
Parker gold telegram" promulgated,
however, by the whole convention in
stead of by the nominee. The Repub-
licans denounced the Mills bill and
came out for the Randall idea of re-
pealing high internal revenue taxes
instead of lowering tariff duties. Some
of the newspapers inclosed whisky
and tobacco" In brackets after the
phrase internal taxes" and thereby
made the Republican platform seem a
declaration for free whisky"
After the convention period was
over the house continued its consider
alton of the tariff bill and finally
passed it on July 81 with only four
Democrats voting against it. Samuel
]. Randall wanted to be paired against
the bill, but was not. After this the
scene shifted to the other end of the
capitol, which was Republican. The
senate was bitterly opposed, to the
Mills bill. The finance committee got
hold of it and ostentatiously did the
things the ways and means committee
failed to do The committee accorded
the fullest hearing, allowed the minor
ity-this time the Democrats-to par
ticipate in It's deliberations, and, in
short sought to make the course of
the house committee look petty and
unfair by contrast. The bill was kept
in the finance committee until october
8, when 1t was reported back.
Parliamentary speaking, 1t was the
same bill. Actually, however. 1t was
as If a blue pencil had been drawn
through every word of 1t except be 1t
enacted" and a new bill substituted.
The measure was then perfunctorily
discussed until October20, when con-
gress adjourned. No effort was made
by the senate to pass it's bill. The two
party measures, the house bill and the
senate bill, had been got before the
country and that was all anybody nan
expected-even II few did hope for
more. Congress had been in continu-
Gus session longer than ever before In
the history of the nation-321 days. A
possible exception to this statement
might be made of the congress which
recessed from time to time during the
Johnson administration and was only
technically in session.
The election of Benjamin Harrison
was construed as a verdict in favor
of the senate substitute for the Mills
bill, and as soon as congress reassem-
bled the senate began the considera-
ton of the measure. The Republican
senate knew it's bill could not pass the
Democratic house and that even If 1t
did 1t would be vetoed by the outgoing
president, Mr.. Cleveland; but the bill
was considered for month and a half
and then passed.
There were 151 speeches made on the
Mills bill in the course of general de-
bate in the house. There were 240 hours
of actual talk expended upon It, OIL
thirty days of eight hours each. VIII
liam Mckinley, in speaking of it in his
"Tariff In the Days of Clay and After,
says that the debates would fill some
twenty-five quarto volumes the size OF
an unabridged dictionary. But he
seems to be mistaken about that, as
the entire proceedings of the first ses-
sion of the Fiftieth congress occupy
only nine volumes of 1000 pages each.
The Mills bill was the first tariff
measure upon which party lines were
drawn so closely as to make 1t strictly
a party measure Since then all tariff
bills have received practically the
unanimous antagonism of the opposing
party
Copyright, 1909, by Frederic J. Haskin.)
Tomorrow-American Tariff Laws.
XVV-Tha MaKinlav