| Show CRIil AND MILLS ON TilE TARIFF TUE HERALD though desirous of seeing ROGER Q MILLS elected Speaker of the House of Representatives is not in sympathy sympa-thy with those newspapers which oppose CHARLES F CIUSP on the alleged ground of his being a RANDALL or protection Democrat Mr Cuisr has been unfortunate unfortu-nate in some of his friends who advBcato his election because to them he seems the I most available asprant with whom to de feat Mr MILLS Thus the New York Sun and the New York World with a well known animus take the side of Mr CRISP just j as they would that of Mr McMiLLix or MB SFUIXGER orMr HATCH if either of these gentlemen presented to their view a better chance to accomplish the purpose at hand The defeat of Mr MILLS on any ground whether of superior parliamentary capacity personal popularity or what not would in consequence ot his identilicaton with tariff reform agitation and bis position posi-tion on the ways and means committee be caturally and logically a blow at tho leadIng lead-Ing issue of the Democratic party Such defeat could not have an effect oa the rest of the Democratic candidates otherwise than to shade them in the public mind regarding re-garding their complete accord with the party as pronounced in the platform of lSSS and in every convention since This might and probably would be unjust for we have no idea whatever of any contemplated treachery in case of the choice of any one of Mr MILL opponents to the great and overshadowing political principle that is foremost in tho peoples minds But nevertheless whilst alt of these gentlemen are doubtless true and reliable re-liable the ideal representative and champion cham-pion around whom Democratic expectations cluster is unquestionably the member from L Texas A week or so ago the New York irarld addressed queries to both CIUSP and MILLS asking each to what extent ho could be considered con-sidered a free trader Mr CRISP replies I that on the tariff be has always favored I genuine refojtm and positive reduction His first vote was for CARLISLE against I UAXIULL Later ho voted fo r the MORRI SON bill and tho MILLS bill In his tariff speeches in and out of Congress he has advocated ad-vocated reduction of duties He quotes from his speeches on the McKiSLEY bill Modify the existing tariff laws reduce taxation taxa-tion permit some reasonable competition in the market destroy trusts accord equal rights to all and special privilege to none Give him free bagging In which the farmer of the west sacks his corn and with which the farmer of the south wraps his cotton Give him free iron ties with which in the south he binds hii cotton cot-ton bales and with which in the west he bales his hay Give him some reduction on his hats on his woolen clothes and on his cotton goods In that way and in that way only can you benefit the great mass of farmers of tho south and won You cannot Increase the price of their products by protective tariff duties but you can decrease to them the coat of production produc-tion and of living by reducing the tariff on those articles used to makethelr crops and on those articles of necessity which all families must use So much for Mr CRISP and it oannot be denied be stands on firm ground Mr MILLS reply Is of course not less unmistakable unmis-takable I would try If I had the power to make the tariff low for the United States 1 would exempt ex-empt from taxation all raw material Why Because wo could then produce cheaper than any other people and sell in markets now closed tone by reason of the higher cost which the tax on material makes That would give vastly more employment to our labor and consequently con-sequently higher wages than any proposed system sys-tem of taxation Tho first question the legislator legisla-tor must ask himself is Bow will It affect employment em-ployment of American labor Having rendered tree from taxation all raw material the rate on the finished goods should be reduced to that figure that will bring the required re-quired revenue and no more This reduction I of rate will be a reduction of price to the con uner and largely increase home couumjjtlon t o > c and home production and again enlarge the demand for employment Thus these distinguished statesmen occupying oc-cupying the two leading positions for the speakership set themselves in their own words before the public as occupying a middle ground between the protection policy on one hand and free trade on the other Nevertheless as we have said consistent con-sistent reasoning a fair recognition of labor la-bor in responsible positions in the House I as well as services on the stump and as emphasizing the proclaimed policy of the I Democratic party all demand the election of f ROGER Q MILLS as Speaker I |
