Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-10-22
question. l read from the published
account as follows
uHa danrAnatad the charoa that Dem.

| III tne taflH, 2S Lne UemocTatio ioeE wal
thst it simply needed revision, as
sariff formed twenty years ago was NJ
more fit for the present needs of bust
ness, than suit OF clothes made for
boy twenty years ago would do for :
man to-day. The claim OF certain man
ufacturers that a change in the tariff
would compel them to reduce wages, he
said he would best illustrate by his own
business. 1t was asserted that the
chisf necessity for tariff was the pro.
lection of American labor from the poor
lly-paid labor Of Europe.
In his business the cost Of producing
morocco was d cents per foot, and if ii
vas reduced one-half, which would be
considerably less than what is paid iu
Europe, it would only make differ
,nce in the cost Of only i cents per
foot, and therefore the tariff was not q
Necessity on the point Of protection Of
labor.
The cost Of manufacturing pebbled
morocco, Gen. Postles said, was in this
country about Is cents per foot. The
cost of French psbbled morocco was 81
cents per foot, and ifths tariff duty was
reno we'd it would be about % cents, or
still higher than American morocco.
The best protection to American mo
rocco, he said, was its superior quality
as th at manufactured in Europe was
not nearly SO we'll suited to the wants
OF trade"
Now let us see what views the Gem
eral entertained in 1878. In the Shoe
and Leather Reporter, published In
September of that year, find in the
rspert of the Executive Committee that
y. Parke Postles was appointed to draft
a memorial to Congress, and it was de-
cided that your committee proceed to
Washington on the Goth of the same
month and procure ahearing before the
Committee Of Ways and Means, and
take such other measures as they
deemed best for, the interests OF our
trade:"
And here is the memorial:
"Rsw goatskins are not q product OF
the United States, Calcutta, Cape OF
Good Hope, London, South America
and Mexico, being the principal sources
Of supply. In all these markets we
meet the morocco manufacturers Of
Europe as competing buyers. We are
paying 35 to 40 per cent. more for our
labor than the manufacturers OF France
and Germany, who, with their cheaper
labor and absence Of duties on their
raw material, are able not only to close
the markets Of the world against our
PRODUCTION, but even with the present
duty of 20 per csnt. on imported mo-
rocco, and our raw skins free, they com
pete with us to considerable extent
In our home market. 1t is plain, there
fore, that any duty placed en- raw
skins ia discrimination against Amer
| lean manufacturers, which must inevi-
tably result in the serious prostration,
II not the entire destruction, OF this in
terest in the United States.
The Importance to the commercial in
terests of this country, of securing a
foreign market for portion OF our
manufactured products is recognized by
all, and an earnest effort is being made
TO secure such market in South Amer
lea and Mexico, which lie almost at our
doors, and should naturally be consul
mers of our products. Wenow receive
from these countries, two millions Of
goatskins annually. Should these skins
be diverted to European markets as
must necessarily follow if this duty is
imposed, they will receive in exchange
thst amount of European Cinstead Of
American) products; and we thus drive
from our doors trade with those oOuu-
tries to that extent, which would other
wise come to US, and which wsso much
need.
The revision of the tariff, as propos-
ed. must result in serious injury, If it
does not prove absolutely fatal, to the
in lustry we represent. Its effects will
be the ourtailment Ut our product, and
imposition of burdens bearing heavily
upon the capital and labor contributing
to its production, and we would avoid
such measures as must result, either in
the enforced idleness of thousands of
laboring men, or in the necessity of
such wages as will afford the most mea-
Ger subsistence. We do not ask for any
legislation specially favoring our bust
ness, but do most earnestly protest
against the adoption ofa measure dis
eliminating so fatally against u.s."
Isay to you that Free Trade or
"Tariff for revenue only" in this eoun.
try is, thank God dead; it never can be
resurected. Since 1861, when the Re-
publican party came into power, the
people have so progressed in their
ideas that for an American to talk
about Free Trade is to talk about some
thing of the dead and forgotten past.
(applause.) say, and l want you all
to hear me, that the day has passed
for men to make sophistical speeches
upon the tariff. 1t will not do. The
masses of to-day are better educated
than they we're twenty years ago. In
stead Of having no daily paper in Will
mington, as was the case then, we
have three or four. The newspaper
finds its way into the homo of every
mechanic.
H. reads is and so do his wife and
children.-He is brought shoulder to
shoulder and hand to hand with his
employer. 10 talk Free Trade to him,
if he is sensible man, is to talk ruin,
and starvation to his home. l say to
the Democratic speakers, If any more of
them come to Wilmington please to make
speeches that we can understand. Our
public schools have dispelled the fog
of ignorance and our newspapers bring
the facts Of each days history to our
doors. sophistry is no longer available.
Free schools in Wilmington and free
thought, and all its Influences have
haau hrauoht IN haar so that no