Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-04-14

children, thereby making it possible
for the poorest boy in the land to
become either President of the United
! States, or an Editor. But let US read a
little farther; in SO the old Democrat
ic party in this country were IL pos
session of the government of the
/ United States, that party had split
asunder and the anti-sIayery element
of that party had drifted towards the
Free Soil idea, then rapidly gaining
the attention OF the people. The cid
Wing party had collapsed and the
pro-slayery element Of that party had
gone over to the old line Democrat:
the anti-slavery element Of the old
Wing party had joined the anti-slav-
cry element of the old Democratic
party and formed the Republican par
ty, the anti-slavery element of the
old Democrat party and formed the
Republican party. The anti slavery
element Of the old Democratic party
was in majority in the free States
of the North, the pro slavery element
Of the old Wing party in the majority
in the Slave States of the South, and
after the readjustment Of the parties
in 1854 when the Republican party
was organized and from that time to
the present the southern wing Of the
Democratic party has held the exclu-
siVe control Of that party. The con-
sequence was that in 1856 the south
ern wing of the party then in power
j demanded free trade. Their orders
were obeyed. The tariff was repealed,
and the scenes and suferings of from
1856 to 1912 were again reenacted.
American indurtry was again prostra-
ted. Manufactures comparatively ceas.
ed, and your old dog and pups, the
British manufacturer and the middle
man and ship owner sent the prices of
their goods up to figures that were
bayond the reach Of thousands. The
American laborer was again reduced
to the condition Of the pauper laboTer
OF Europe. One-third or more of the
farms in Williams County were
mortgaged for the means to procure
the necessaries of life. Many of the
farmers of this { Madison) Township
went to Joneseille, Mich, and borrow
cd money that had been placed in the
hands Of Murphy & Baxter by British
capitalists to loan; and paid % per
cent interest per annum in order to
save thei. homes from being sold for
taxes or an execution to pay doctor S
bills and mortgagsd their farms as
security therefor.
More than this: they were compelled
to pay from three to five and in some
instances seven or eight dollars each
to furnish these agents of the British
usurer with an abstract of the titles to
their lands they were mortgaging; but
in 1861 the Republican party came
into power and promptly tariff law
affording Incidental protection was
again enacted, and history marks the
change. Soon these mortgages were
cleared off; % per cent int. was thing
of the past, and has since that day
never reappeared SO far as frst-class
securities are concerned. The jaws Of
your old free trade pup has been closed,
his groWl is no longer feared by the
old man, rub his ears or wiring his
tail ever so much. Manufacturing of
every description Of wares have been
stimulated so that Yankee ingenuity
has been brought into requisition
labor saving machinery has been inven-
cd competition has ran high carnival
prices of manufactured goods have
gradually receeded, until for the past
few years we have been competing in
the European markets, notwithstand
ing their unpaid labor, with millions
Of dollars worth of their own class
and style of goods. Now if we read
history Alright we find that whenever
the British manufacturer has succeeded
III destroying American competition
he invariably fixes his own prices not
only for his own wares, but he will fix
the price of transportation to our
markets, he has it all his own way,
for if we undertake to compete with
him even in the carrying trade, his
upaid pauper labor enables him to
drive US from the seas or reduce our
laborer to level with his own. Now
which had we better do? protect our
laborer and manufacture our own
goods create home market for our
agricultural products furnish profit
able employment for everybody, enabl-
Ing US to educate our children and
make Presidents and Editors of them
or shall we buy our goods of British
manufacturers and reduce our laboring
| people to the degradation of paupcrs.
W. +. KELSEY.
The argument of Mr K, is certainly
wonderful combination of suppo-
sitions and local illustrations. We
wonder he did not go back to the days
of the breaking up of the Central
National Bank and lay the hard times
that followed 80 free trade He sup
poses in the time Of free trade that
all the money lenders must be Eng
| liShmen, and never thinks that during
our present boosted high-tarif DAYS,
that British capital pcrmeats every
great enterprise. Let Us Offset his
profound argument of this country
during the Gays of the money lenders
of Jonesville, whom be calls ':the
agents Of British usurers,'' Gust as if
protection does not furnish thousands
of usurers born in Ameriea) and in