The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-10-29
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
How It Affects Working Men
and Business Men.

ft-'-r -
The country has now been living for twenty
years under a tariff system adopted by the Re-
publican party Congress, the ground princi-
pie of which is to protect American labor and
American enterprise against ruinous COMPETE
ton 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,
AID have broadened their field of operation SO
a. 70 take in almost every article needed by a
civilized people. Hundreds of thriving towns
have sprung up where there was nothing but
open country in 1860, and old half dead VIII
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 a duty
upon foreign goods. The wages of labor are
from SO to 100 per cent. higher Than they were
before the protective system was adopted. At
the same time the farmers, who have a home
market for ;heir 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 Republic
can protective legislation
SWEEPING CHANGE PROPOSED
NOW the Democrats give notice in their
Platform that if they get ii'to power they will
sweep away this enti. e plott cti,e system, a, d
put in its place "a Tariff for revenue only. >
This plank was put in their. platform at the
demand OF the South, which has always been
hostile to protection. The South has no manu-
cIories to speak of. The manufacturing III
terests OF New jersey or Come cticut alone are
far greater than those of the entire region from
the Potomac to the Rio Gfande. There are
single cities in those States which manufac-
ture now more than all the cotton States COM
biz ed. The South wants to sell it's cotton
hemp and tobacco for The highest price it CAN
get, and buy i'll European markets the goods
1t needs at the loa EST prices and it wants to
i'm port those go, DIS at nominal rates of duly
Its true interest is to build up factories at
home, but it is TOO rejudiced 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 il
part favorable to protection The objections
of Democrats in Congre IS lrom Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut will
not check tor moment The execution Of the
plan of the South to repeal all protective du-
ties.
WHAT is THE HI STORY OF TARIFF LEGISLATION?
1t proves that the De .nocratc party has al
ways opposed protective pol cy. Alter the
war Of 1872 closed there came series Of hard
Yeas in this country. Business was Frustrated,
wages were low and enp;o, ment was hard 10
get. protective tariff was adopted i'll 1924,
aud strengthened in 1928, which revived our
industries and brought good times. Town and
country prspered alike, and The mechanic
and farmer " ere equally benefited d. The ooulh
hated t1IS tariff, which made il pay tribute It's
statesmen said, TO the. Yankees uf New Eng
land. South Carolina tried To nulliiy it and
prevent the Gus Ous officers from collecting
the duties at her ports.
In 1882 The ID mocrats struck down this tar
if, by law reducing duties on a sliding scale
Tor ten years. Prosperity was Immediately
checked Tunes grew harder and harder, un-
til the great Crash OF 1887 came. No one,
Whose meulory does not 60 lack to that time
caE Imagine the misery which Came upon the
CouutIy. cOlu al low as YI.CU u Ddrr6l.
and in many Localities laboring meu worked
for 30 Gents day.
In lo40the people put into power the new
Wing party, pledged 10 re-enact protective
tariff The result was the tariff of 1872, IIich
gave fresh lite 10 the manufacturing and agri-
cultural interests, aud 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
Oh lo42 As soon as they got possession uf the
government they proceeded to pass low tar
in bill at the dication of the South. The vote
on 1t was a tie in the Senate, and Vice Pres-
dent Dallas, a PennsS lvanian pledged to pro-
lection, gave the casting vote 10 destroy the
protective system. The bill established what
crippled the manufacturing interests Of the
The growing industries of New Eng
land, New Jersey and Pennsylvania received
a heavy blow. The worst effects # this Dem
ocratic revenue tariff were not mmedia ely
feit throughout tive country, however, becau.e
OF the stimulus which came from the discOv-
cry of gold in California. But in spite of that
great gain to the national wealth. the crash
of 1857 came, and swept business, labor and
agriculture away into a common disaster.
In 1860 the Republicans came into pow err and
passed the Morrill, Tariff Bill, which was based
Oh the principle Of protection. MANY Changes
have been made in the law since, but i'm no
case has this principle been Abandoned The
Republican party has stead aslly defended all
the great national industries, and their flour
ishing Condition 10 day, is directly attributable
to the long period of Republican ascendancy.
WHAT DoEs"A TARIFF F r RE VENUE ONLY
MEAN?
1t means tariff wblci, will produce a large
revenue, so that the lakes on wbiskey and To.
bacco, which are objtcI onabe tn the South
can be largely reduced or abolished altogether.
10 raise "a large revenue AT the custom house
there must he large importations. Large in-
portations OF foreign eooos can only take place
under low tariff. which will enable The inn
porters to undersell our own nufacturers
Foreigners can make goods cheaper than
We can, because they only pay their laborers
about hall the wages the American working
man gels. Under Democratic tariff for
revenue only our markets will be flooded
with foreign goods. Then one of two things
must happen: either our iron and steel works.
our silk factories, wooden factories and cmton
and o r shops that make cutlery,
hard are, leather goods and A hundred other
articles, must close, or the men . ployed III
them must work Ter ha.f the wages they are
how getting. There is 10 other alternative
possible. The Southern cotton planters will.
rejoice at The opportunity TO buy cheap Eng
lish and German gods; but there will be sag
ma ION and de stltuliOh III every manufacturing
city and village in the land, business will he
Frustrated, and the hard times OF 1887 and 1857
will come again.
The interests of the working men, farmers,
busln' IS men OF the North aike demand the
maintenance OF The Protective Tariff System.
II Is openly assaied by the Democratic party
at the budding of the South Ii can ONLY be
defended effective " by the election of Garfield
and Arthur.
READ THE REPUBLICAN TARIFF PLANK.
HeIe Is the d, ciaratlon Of The Chicago Con.
Ssution on the question VI tariff:
1--WE re-afarm the belief, avowed in 1875, that