The Portland daily press., 1881-12-01
TARIFF CONVENTION.
Men Who Believe In Protecting
American Industry.

NEW YORK, Nov. 30.-Only about 200 dele
gates were present at the tariff convention to-
day. Senator Miller presided.
John Thompson N. Y banker, claimed that
under the influence of a protective tariff the
country had prospered beyond parallel, and
grown beyond precedent. Free trade would
he said, bankrupt thousands of establishments
and thrown millions OF dependant, deserving
operatives out of employment This would
bring with 1t panic, destruction of credits,
in short revulsion which like the revulsion of
1873 would carry depression and despair every
where. The good results of protection are
measured by our prosperity. the bad results of
free trade may possibly be measured by bring
ing the product of European and Asiatic labor
in competition with American labor. In rela-
tion to "details OF tariff protection the speak
er said he was not an expert and at his request
the Secretary read paper on monetizing OF
silver which he had prepared. After showing
by statistics the popularity of silver coin, Mr..
Thompson recommended the removal of all
restrictions on silver coinage. and to make sill
yer dollars not only for the United States, but
for every silver using nation. This would at
tract the trade and travel of all silver using
people, and they are seven eights of the popu-
lation of the earth. The better classes of emf
grants would always take into consideration
the currency of a country TO which they pro-
posed to go. Let Us then have paper curren-
cy based on precious metal for domestic and
American coin currency for the outside world.
Let England and Germany take our gold, as
t06y Will WhOh thcJ Idf0 power W uO 3D. Iu0
sooner silver and silver certificates constitute
the majority part of our money, the farther
off will be panic and revalsion. He also sug-
gefted that the people have the privilege of
taking greenbacks from the treasury in ex-
change for interest bearing bonds, the bonds to
be given back on return OF the greenbacks, the
the treasury saving interest while the currency
is out. This measure would surely ward off a
panic, and it would also effectHally bar the
stock and grain gamblers from locking up n
For this n < cent b0pd WOul0
bear proper rate of interest so that currency
would flow out where much needed, to return
when not required for legitimate business.
Joseph Wharton spoke at great length upon
the expediency of basing our tariff legislation
upon the report of o commission appointed
for the purpose OF investigating the needs of
all industries. In his remarks Wharton said
American manufacturers are mostly prevented
by pressure of their own affairs from continu-
GUS personal attendance in Washington, and
when pressed their rightful influence is cur
tailed by impufaton that they are lobbyists
seeking their own gain at the public cost. They
do not take sufficient pains to accommodate
their differences outside of Congress and their
mutual chickering's in many cases where the
product of one industry is the raw material of
another breeds 6istruSt of both disputants. Al
most every Congress brings forward a scheme
sufficiently menacing to alarm and check the
steady and peaceful production which creates
natural wealth. The speaker recommended
the appointment of a tariff commission to be-
composed of protectionis,s, free traders and re-
presentatives of both political parties and hop
ed that any changes made in the existing laws
would turn out to be mainly in rectifying that
of real mistakes and abuses
While Mr. Wharton was speaking Peter
Cooper ascended the platform and took a seat
next to the chairman. His appearance caused
much applause.
Wellington Smith of Massachusetts offered
a resolution to the effect that all lengthy
papers and speeches be referred to the com
mittee on resolutions and printed in the
minutes of the convention Resolution was
adopted with amendment that various indus
tries be called IN their order and representa-
tive from each granted the privilege of speak
ing five minutes.
John Jarrett, president of the association of
amalgamated iron and steel works, representa-
tive workiDgman, was however allowed the
privilege of The floor for a longer period in
der that the views of the ~orkingmen on the
tariff question might be make known.
Mr.. Jarrett in his remarks said he repre-
sented a body of $4,000 workingmen which
was a solid phalanx of protectionists The
/ speaker was gratifed to see that the sentiment
of the convention was favorable to the work
iDgmen. 1t bad been stated be said, that
labor secured all the benefit of the tariff. This
statement he said was incorrect. The work
ingman did not get nor did he want all the
benefits. The tariff was for the protection Of
capital as we'll as labor. As long as the work
ingman is free the prosperity of the country is
keep the workingman free and untrammelled
He advocated education of the workingman
and said every means hould be adopted TO en-
courage the workingman to educate his chill
dren. Mr.. Jarrett contended that the inter-
ests of labor and capital were identical. He
was glad to see that capitalists are beginning
to see that what conduces to the benefit of la
Dor also benefits capital
Wellington Smith, as representative of the
paper industry, said we are the only nation on
the face OF the globe hich made any pretence
of paying the national debt and as a result of
our protective tariff we have paid $100,000,000
OF that debt in the past fifteen years.
Colonel Scriven of Georgia, representative
of the rice industry, was the next speaker
Five-minute speeches on the following in
dustres were delivered by various delegates:
Copper and brass industries, f. Il. Kingsbury
of Waterbury. Conn; Manufacturing Chem
ist Association, A. H. Jones; the potters, R.
W. Taylor of Ohio; glass manufactures OF the
United States, John Adams and Michael
Kline of Pittsburg; general farming industries
treated by ex-Gov. Grinnell of Iowa.