Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-05-17


those that require a large amount of labor /;
and it then becomes question of vital im
portance, one that must be fairly met, wheth-
er it is the true policy of this Government TO
adopt that system which tends to depress Ia
Dor down TO the level Of the European stand
ard, or that other and better one, which shall
increase its value, and elevate its importance
70 its just rank as the great element OF our
national wealth and prosperity.
The argument In favor of protection, based
gpon the advantages it confers and the bene-
fits it affords to the free labor Of the country,
IS. in my opinion, amply sufficient, if no 9TH
or existed. 4 Just division Of labor must be
admitted, L think, an essential requisite, in
order to advance the wealth and prosperity of
q nation to its highest attainable point It
will not DO to have all, or an undue proper
ton, engaged in agriculture, lest there be
found no market for the farming surplus nor
Will 1t do for all to be engaged in manufac-
tures, lest there should be no agricultural
products for their subsistence. The true con
dltlon Of State, and the most prosperous, Is
when there is constant and profitable en-
plOyment for the artisan, and a convenient
and reliable market for the farmer. Every
intelligent community would soon adjust It's
business so as to bring about this result if
rendered it impracticable. The lower price
ef labor in foreign lands than in our own is
the great disturbing cause which prevents
this from being effected here and to remove
this difficulty is one principal object cf the
protective system.
Suppose we are required TO pay larger
price for a manufactured article made at
home than for the same made in Europe.-
This may be considered for the sake Of argu-
ment; although | am confident that where an
article can be produced and manufactured in
this country, all experience proves that when
sufficiently protected, for 4 reasonable time,
the superior skill Of our w0rkmen, aud the
active spirit Of competition among our peO-
pie, have almost invariably reduced the price
below what it was when the manufacture Of
it was fgSt commenced.
But suppose, as | said the article costs
more here than we would import it for: in
the first place, we must have the money
which we raise by duties on foreign goods for
the support of the Goyernment-and, by gen
eral consent, this is the easiest and best mode
Of raising revenue; so that in reality so long
as tariff raises only sufficient for the wants
of the Government, nothing whatever is paid
as bounty TO the manufacturer. We only
ask that when the money required by the
Government is to be raised discrimination
shall be made, SO as to afford u reasonable
protection to the great interests of the coun-
trr. Nothing can be more unreasonable and
unjust than to refuse this. To do so would
seem to be policy dictated by the narrowest
spirit Of partisanship, far removed from a
true patriotism and wise statemanship.-
II, while raising the necessary money for the
support Of the Government, we can at the
mo 81 inn ha lr.Evr =, = In
Of the country, devel0pe the
mineral wealth, encourage and protect labor
give a good home market to the farmer, and
thereby give an active and steady impulse to
the whole business Of the country, why shall
we not do so? Can any good reason be
shown for pursuing the opposite policy
Surely, if gentlemen would diyest themselves
If prejudice and party feeling, and come to
the examination Of the question with an i'm
partial spirit there could be no doubt of the
result.
We do not desire tariff so high as to be
rroEibitOry, for then no revenue could be
raised under it. Nor should it be indiscrim
mate, for then it would afford no sufficient
protection.
The present tariff bill is believed to be al
justed, as nearly as possible, upon the prin-
ciple Of raising sufficient revenue for the
Just wants of the Government. and at the
same time so discriminating as to afford
reasonable amount Of protection to American
industry.
This policy, so eminently wise and Just.
has so commended itself to the people Of the
State | in part represent, that all parties
there claim to be its friends and supporters.
Especially does the so-called Democratic par
ty claim to be its peculiar champion just be
fore an important election, when it is neces.
sary to secure the votes Of its friends 1t
vii. sound strange to honorable gentlemen
on the other side Of this house to be told that
they belong to the protective tariff party of
the country, and that they are SO represent
ed in the tariff States, when it is we'll known
here that, with scarcely an exception, you and
the party to which you belong are opposed
to the whole system.
1t is, however, very possible that candi
date may be nominated by that party who
will be represented to the people of Pennsyl
vania as a good tariff man, hoping thereby,
as in times past, to secure the support of the
people of my State. The great
swindle Of 1914, | trust, however, has not
been forgotten by them.
1t may be the same game will succeed
again That it will be tried there is not
much doubt We shall see whether our peo-
pie will consent to be again deceived and be-
trayed. We may safely say, from all past
history, that the extent of the friendship of
our Democratic leaders for tariff amounts
to resolutions in town meetings and conven-
tions, and perhaps stump speeches occasion
ally before an election and no more. So it
will always be. The policy oT that party is
and in all future time is likely to
be controlled, by that portion of it living in
the cotton States of the South, who are fool
ishly hostile to the free labor of the North
enormously, I think-believing their inter
est is to send their raw material to Europe,
and bring back from there the. manufactured
article, instead of encouraging those of our
own country.
From the nature Of the labor in that re-
gion, it must be confined to its rudest and
simplest form being ignorant and unpaid, it
has no motive, even if it had the capacity