The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-10-27
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
How 1t Affects Working Men
and Business Men.

The country has now been living for twenty
years under tariff system adopted by the Re-
publican party in Congress, the ground princi-
pie of which is to protect American labor and
American enterprise against ruinous competi-
tion from the cheap labor and immense accu
mulated capital of Europe. This system has
greatly benefited the industries of the country
Our manufacturing interests have vastly in
creased in magnitude since it was adopted,
and have broadened their field of operation so
as to take in almost every article needed by
civilized people. Hundreds of thriving towns
have sprung up where there was nothing but
open country in 1860, and old half. dead vii
lagos have become prosperous cities, teeming
with busy population. The whole land,
from Maine to the Far West, is dotted with
shops and factories which would never have
been built if our laws had not levied duty
upon foreign goods The wages of labor are
from 30 to 100 per cent. higher than they were
before the protective system was adopted. At
he same time the farmers, who have home
market for their products in the cities and
manufacturing towns, are getting far better
prices than they got twenty years ago, and are
consequently in much easier circumstances
In word, the whole country is thriving and
growing under the application of this Republi-
can protective legislation.
A SWEEPING CHANGE PROPOSED
Now the Democrats give notice in their
platform that if they get into power they will
sweep away this entire protective system, and
put in its place "a tariff for revenue only
This plank was put in their platform at the
9 81, Al
hostile to protection. The South has no manu-
factories to speak of. The manufacturing in
terests of New Jersey or Connecticut alone are
Ear greater than those of the entire region from
the Potomac to the Rio Grande. There are
single cities in those States which manufac-
ture now more than all the cotton States COM
bired. The South wants to sell its cotton
hemp and tobacco for the highest price it can
get. and buy in European markets the goods
it needs at the lowest prices; and it wants to
import those goods at nominal rates of duty.
Its true interest is to build up factories at
home, but it is too preiudiced and short-sighted
to see this. The Western Democracy always
acts with the South, and these two elements
OF the Democratic party immensely preponder-
ate over the Eastern Democracy which is in
part favorable to protection. The objections
of Democrats in Congress from Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, New York. and Connecticut will
not check for a moment the execution of the
plan of the South to repeal all protective du-
ties
WHAT is THE HISTORY OF TARIFF LEGISLATION?
1t proves that the Democratic party has al
ways opposed protective policy. After the
NOR If 1910 o1ocad n Of bar ri
years in this country. Business was prostrated,
wages were low and employment was hard to
get. A protective tariff was adopted in 1924,
and strengthened in 1928, which revived our
industries and brought good times Town and
country prospered alike, and the mechanic
and farmer were equally benefited The South
hated tnis tariff, which made it pay tribute, it's
statesmen said, to the Yankees of New Eng
land. South Carolina tried to nullify it and
prevent the customs officers from collecting
the duties at her ports.
In 1882 the Democrats struck down this tar
iff, by law reducing duties on sliding scale
for ten years. Prosperity was Immediately
checked. Times grew harder and harder, un-
til the great crash of 1887 came. No one,
whose memory does not go back to that time
can imagine the misery which came upon the
country. Flour sold as low as $3.50 a barrel
and in many localities laboring men worked
for 80 cents day.
In 1S40 the people put into power the new
Whig party, pledged to re-enact a protective
tariff. The result was the tariff of 1842 which
gave fresh life to the manufacturing and agri-
cultural interests, and put business upon its
feet again!
In 1914 the Democrats carried the Presiden-
tial election by cheating the Pennsylvania vot-
ers into the belief that they would not disturb
the protective tariff. Their campaign cry in
that State was, "Polk, Dallas and the Tariff
of 1872" AS soon as they got possession of the