The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-10-30
General Garfield and the Tariff.

The monstrous humbug by which protected
manufacturers are endeavoring to persuade
their workmen that it is to the interest of the
workmcn that the tariff should not be revised
is etlectually exploded by the statement which
we print to-day from two experts, Messrs. Da-
vId A. Wells and j. s. Moore The truth is
that there is no legitimate industry in the coun-
try which could not sustain itself, as Judge
Hilton said the other day, at half the present
rates Of duty, and the wages Of the wOrkmen
do not enter INTO the question at all Wages
of operatives in factories are high in this coun-
try simply because all wages are high in this
country compared with wages IN Europe The
wages of the labOrer are an element in the cost
of production, aud surely no party in this
country desires To see that element in the cost
of production diminished. Every American
manufactures, like every European manuiac.
turcr, hires his men for the least that he can
get them for The attempt to make 1t appear
that the difference between wages in Europe
and wages here is in the nature of gratuit-
Gus dividend distributed by the benevolent
American manufacturer among his workmen
in token of gratitude for his profits, is one of
the most shallow and impudent attempts at
bamboozling grown men ever made. There
is time enough yet to make every operative
employed IN an American factory understand
of this clear and explicit statement of Messrs.
Wells and Moore as To the force and bearin 2
at the revenue plank" III the Cincinnati plat.
form IL an effective means 10 that end. Mr..
Wells Nh3 member OF the Platform Commit.
tee OF The Cincinnati Convention aud knows
whereof he ailrms. 1t is 10 Mr. Wells also
who was one of the earliest American mem.
bers OF the Cobdcn Club that General Garfield
is doubtless indebted for the compliment paid
him by the Golden Club when he was elected
an honorary member Of that body IN 1868. For
on the 18th of July, 1868, General Garfield
leading the opposition in the House to a meas
urc introduced and defended by Mr. Moor
head, of Pennsylvania Mr.. briggs of Michi
gan, and Mr.. Maynard, OF Tennessee, NOW
Postmaster General of the United Statcs,) for
projecting" American copper, cited Mr. Da
vld A. Wells rs the highest authority in the
United States on questions connected with the
tariff and declared that if the tariff bill report
ed at a previous session by the special com
mission of which Mr.. David \. Wells was
member "had become II law il would have
been great Improvement on our tariff laws
"as they then existed" II do not believe
said General Garfield. that any man appoint,
" ed by the Government in the civil service
" has done for this country more work and more
valuable work than Mr.. David \. Wells. Fl
nance Is SUBJECT 0Oth complex ana dlflCul'
" and its foundations rest on statistical know
" edge. Any man who expects with
rough instruments tO make a tariff machine
" that will run with any degree of success will
" be mistaken He is like one who attempts
" to mend clock with crowbar. Now, what
We have needed in this country more than
anything else has been an array Of carefully
" arranged facts gathered from all sources and
:" brought to the attention of Congress as III,
raw material out of which to construct tinan
" cial legislation. Into the financial chaos re
sulting from the war Mr.. Wells threw the
whole weight of a strong, clear nina, guided
|" by an homes; heart, and during the last three
I"years he has done more in my judgment u