Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-09-16
Congressman Updegraff on the Tariff


Belfast (AIe.) Journal. August 26.1
Our readers who have had the good
fortune to listen to speeches of Hon. j.
T. Updegraff, of Ohio, will regret to learn
that he will speak no more in Maine
during this campaign after the present
week. He goes home to take part in the
Ohio canvass and especially to look af-
ter his interests, i'll his own district. He
is an excellent speaker and has done
splendid service in Maine. We. wish it
had been in our power to present in a
more extended manner his forcible argu-
ments. He IS particularly happy in pre-
senting the views of the tariff question.
Upon this subject the following from
one Of his recent speeches elected great
approval
The founders of our government made
it one of their first cares to protect and
build up our American labor and our
American industries. In the very first
session of the first Congress, and only
few days after it convened, a bill was
passed for this purpose. (Cheers) They
had fully realized that Nation can es-
tablish its claim to be such only by the
strength and completeness of full,
symmetrical, self-sufficing national life.
That to do this it must SO diversity and
guard its industries as to be able not
only to furnish the most numerous chan
nels for the progress of its people in all
the enriching and ennObling arts of
peace, but to find in its own resources
even in war such reliance as makes it
independent of foreign commerce and
attestS the highest claims to wise, per-
feet nationality. Great applause) Such
has always been the policy of the Re
publican party. That policy it has not
only avowed in platforms but has al
ways defended, worked for and carried
into practice (''That is true.") Yes, it is
true, and the wonderful success of this
policy not only attests its wisdom, but
endears it to the great mass of the in
dustrial classes, which in this country,
thank God and our wise forefathers, are
not only the majority but the rulers.
prolonged applause) During the twen
ty pears in which the Republican party
has shaped the legislation of the country
our growth, progress and development
not only have no parallel, but have sur
passed the very dreams of avarice or
hope The sort of ruin" which five
consecutive Republican administrations
have brought upon this country has
awakened national life and exalted our
rank in position no less than in power
and wealth. (Applause)
In those twenty years our internal
commerce has increased SeUeI1 hundred
per cent Our exports of agricultural
products have increased six hundred per
cent. Our exports of manufactured ar
ticles have increased two hundred and
twenty-five per cent. Is that the bal
ance sheet of nation on the road to
bankruptcy and ruin? In that time the
country has paid of its public debt-the
money cost of Democratic rebellion
1887 100000, more than twice as much
as England has paid of her debt since
1915. In the last days OF the last Demo
cratic administration your six per cent.
bond was worth 50 cents, and a loan of
S1S,000,0O0 exhausted the market for six
months. Now four per cent. bonds are
worth one dollar and nine cents, and a
loan of $15O,000,0O0 was taken in a single
day. There is now only one drag on the
nations career, one drawback to its high
er financial credit, one blood stain on the
ballots purity, one enemy of American
labor, and that is that costly luxury, the
Democratic party. Great applause) 1t
has assailed the national life. 1t has de-
preciated the national currency. 1t now
assailS the great american system"
which seeks to protect American labor
4 f,nI nd
national industries.
What means "free ships" in the Dem
ocratic platform but watchword whose
realization would close up every ship
yard in Maine, and indeed on our whole
cOastp ("That is it." Yes, you Maine
ship builders well know you cannot
compete with the half fed laborers of
Scotland and Norway, with whom free
ships" would bring you in direct compe-
tition. The intelligent industrial classes
of this country know what these words
of evil omen mean. They know what
ruin turks to our great industries in that
oft defeated but still malignant heresy
of the Democracy-"a tariff for revenue
only" To thousands of industrious men
it means the loss of bread and comfort
and hope for themselves and their fami
lies. Great applause.) Every ton of
American iron means twenty-five days
work for an American laborer. Last
year the iron interests of this country
meant the constant employment of q
quarter of million workingmen or 75,-
OOO, 900 days work! (Applause)
Shall we have again in this country
the experiences of 1S16-Of 1S37-of
1852 Three times this Democratic
party has torn away every breakwater
from the uncompleted foundations Of