The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-12-01
Tho xo,,ouni Thrift Convention.


NEW YonK, November 30.-Thc second
DAYS session Of the National Tariff Con-
yention was called to order at 10t A. NJ.
The subject for discussion was the "TariG
Commission The first speaker was John
Thompson. yice-prcsident Of the Chase
National Bank. He said that under the
influence of protective tariff the country
had prosperod beyond parallel and grown
beyond precedent. lie then perhnently
asked the question, "Why then expert
mentwith free tradc?" Free trade would,
he said, bankrupt thousands Of establish
mCnts and throw millions Of dependent,
deserving operatives ont OF employment.
This would bring with il panic, de-
stI1lction of credits-in short, q re-
vulsion which, like the Revision OF
1873. would cause depression and
despair everywhere. The good result. oil
protection are measured by our prosperity.
The lad results Of free trade may possibly
be measured by bringing the product OF
Euroucan and Asiatic labor in competition
with American labor. After showing by
statistics fhe popularitv Of silver coin Mr..
Thomson recommended the removal Of
all restrictions on silver coinage, and max
ING silver dollars not only for the United
States, but for al silver-using nations. lie
also suggested that the people have the
privilege Of taking grecnback' from the
Treasury i'm exchange for inieTest-bcar-
ing bonds, the bonds 10 be given
back on the return of the grcenbacks,
the Treasury saving the interest while The
currency is out. This measure would sure
" ward of panic, and II would also eiiet-
tually bar stock and grain gamblers from
locking up money. For This purpose
fhrpc-pcr-ccnt. bond would bear proper
rate Of interest; 50 that currency would
flow out when much needed and return
when not required for legitimate business.
The next speaker introduced Was Joseph
Wharton, who spoke at great length on the
cXpcdieucy OF basing om tariff legislation
upon the report OF the Commission APP
uantedfor the purpose OF investigating the
needs Of all industries. In hisremmks Mr..
Wharton said it was the settled viii OF the
American people that our tariff laws shall
protect Our industries rs well a. produce
revenue. The speaker recommended the
appoiltmcnt OF tariff commission, 10 be
composed OF prOtect.oni>is, lrec-tradcrs,
and representatives, % 10th political parties,
and hoped that any changes made in the
existing laws would turn out 10 be mainly
I'm the rcctiiying OF real mistakes ana
abuses.
4 nyc-minu;cs' rule for speeches was
adopted. John Jarrett, president OF the
Association Of Amalgmatcd ron- and
S,ecl-WorkCrs, q representative working
man. was, however. allowed the privilege
OF the floor for a longer period in order
that the views OF w0rkingmcn on the
tariff question might be made known.
Mr.. Jarrett in his remarks said he repre-
scntcd n body Of about 100000 working
men. which. he said, was a solid phalanN
OF protcctoni-ts. Fair wages made the
wcrkiugman a protectiOnSt. and the rca-
son that English and other wOrkinginen
preferred 10 live i'm this country is not
solely on account Of higher wages paid, but
also owing 10 the fact that in America the
workin0nan is recognized a. man and
freeman. The speaker WAS graiiicd to see
that the sentiment OF the Convention was
favorable 10 the Workingman. Tariff was
Tor theprotection OF capital rs well aS labor.
He admOnishcd the Convention TO keep The
Workingman free and untrammeled, ana
the country would always prosper. lie
advocated the education OF the working
man, and said that every means should be
used TO encourage them TO educate their
children. He had always contcnded that
the interests Of labor and capital were
identical.
Colonel SERVER. OF Georgia. rs a repre-
sentative OF the rice industry, said the rice
crop OF 1860 and 1861 was 1l,600,00O
pounds, and OF 1880 and 1881 1i,7GG,00O
pounds. Only 100000 pounds OF the Anne
rican crop were exported in the last year.
Take away the duty on foreign rice and it
will result in the same monopoly that
brought 100, 900. eco pounds OF foreign rice
into this country during the war. The
average price Of rice in the United States
is 53c. per pound. This he considered WAS
the result OF a protective tariff.
The general farming industry was treat
ed by Ex-Governor Grinnell, OF Iowa. In
Mr.. Grinncll offered a rcsolu-
ton inviting all public men to take into
the questions coming up be-
fore the Convention.