Mr. HARDING, of Illinois. Irise to opplose this amendment of the Gentfrom Vermont, [Mr. Monuii.i.] when the line of my argument was interrupted just now I was eudeavonn, on behalfot my constituents, to show that this presents a practical question to the members of this House for consideration. The manufacturers and importers of this country have now on hand in the warehouses of this country large stocks of goods, to the amount of many millions, which have been withheld from consumption by the demand ofhiglhprices. And the question is whether those high prices which have prevailed during the war shall be 'continued or not, and whether my constituents and the constituents of other gentlemen here shall be required hereafter to pay those extraor dinary prices for these articles im orted from abroad or manufactured here. New, I hold that it is a clear proposition that the consumers of this country must pay the prices added to the materials embracedjiu this bill. We cannot derive the payment from anyone else. It is a question between us and our constituents at home. Now, sir, these gentlemen come here and tell us that, regardless of consequences, they must have an average of at least 30%. added to all the materials which are essential to the prosperity and existence of the country. I maintain, sir, that if there is a prosperous class in this country it is not that class who for 4 years toiled for their Government at 13 dollars permonth. My constituents at the outbreak of this war had nothing to do that would give them even a livelihood at home. Our crops were rotting, literally rotting, and burning in our granaries and store houses. Our people went to the war and spent 4 years in the service of the Government for the paltry sum of 13, 14, or 15 dollars permonth. ’They wore the clotheswhich these eastern gentlemen manufactured and sold to the Government at extravagant prices. We used the guns upon which eastern manufacturers made their fortunes, the powder and every thing else with which they'supplied the commissary establishment of the U.S. We supplied it at prices ruine usly low. Yet during the whole time we were paying the cast.ern manufacturers for the articles which We needed 100%. more than the articles cost them. RHere the hammer fell.],