Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-03-03
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Augusta, Friday Morning, Mar. 8.
protection vs.. Free Trade.

argument in that body or elsewhere. As we
are unable to publish the speech, owing to its
great length. We shall present some extracts
from il. II will be recollected that Mr..
Frye's speech was made in answer to re-
marks Of Mr. Coke Of Texas. in which the
latter spoke Of protection a. ''~holesaie rob-
heyv and A a word that should be expung
ed from our vocabulary. Mr.. Frye opened at
once upon the question Of wages and the con
ditiou Of laborers a. contrasted between the
United States and Europe, citing facts OBJ
tanned from the most reliable authorities in
both countries. After presenting unrefutable
statistics he made the following
Startling and Significant Enquiries.
Let me ask the Senator from Texa. why is
il that IL 600 900 men and women have left
Europe, nearly all of them laborers, and have
sought our shores: Why il it that not 200
900 Of them have ever returned To Europe:
Why il it that last year 700, 900 labOrers from
Europe came to our country WHY is it that
1000 came from England the highest wage
having country in Europe. Why il IL that
Won cannot go into a cotton mill or WOODEN
mill in America to day and not find on the
payroll scores Of English mule-spinners and
card shippers and Overs; and why is it that
they never 90 home, but the moment they Law
aside from their high wages enough, they send
for their brothers, their fathers, their wives.
and their children TO come out too
Sir, Europe has 3l2, 900, 900 inhabitants.
Massachusetts has !. zoo, 900. Europe mas lS4
times as many inhabitants AZ Massachusetts
Both are laboring communities, both engaged
principally in manufactures. Why is 1t that
In Massachusetts the laborcrs have 1921 600
600 Of money in the savingsbanks, one
seventh n much a. the whole 3l2, 900, 900 in
Europe in their savings banks, postal and
other Why IL II that in the North alone
leaving out the South only because she has
few II any saw iDgsbanks-wby IL 1t in the
States excluding the South, having a popula-
ton Of about thirty millions or thirty five
millions, they have s2Oo,o0o,0oO more IN the
savings-banks than they have in all Europe
with its 3l2, 000, 900 of people!
at will not do SAID Mr.. Frye, Sin this
nineteenth century, when most men, thank
God. can read and write, to tell the American
people that the wages in Europe are as high
- the wages in America" Mr.. Frye then
asserted that free trade and tariff for reve-
nue. are one and the same; and passed to no.
tice the upbolders and defenders of free
trade.
who are the Advocates Of Free Trade!
The only prominent champions of free
trade to-day in the world are England and
the democratic party of the United States.
Amazing co partnership! For centuries Eng
land was the most earnest, vigorous and de
termned champion of protection the world
ever saw. enforced the EXTREMIST doctrines
by all the powers OF war and all the powers
n--t - al.
commerce of Ireland by one blow of her
navigation laws, repressed her cattle raising.
her wool growing. her manufactures. and
made her the waste of 20 day. She attempt
cd the same role in America; forbade the
expectation OF her products to any country
other than her own; forced all of the
ing trade into English bottoms; rcpressed
all manufactures of fabrics, and provided
by law "thst none of the American colonies
should manufacture iron of any kind; that
no smith should make bolt, spike. or nail,
bar or rod iron; that no mill or other engine
for rolling iron or furnace for making steel
should be permitted" finally drove us to
revolution and lost the brightest Jew
Ell from her diadem. This spirit
of repression in the interests of protection
controlled her conduct with all of her colon
les. Nor did England contine this pol
icy to them alone. but by every art and de
vice known to war and peace she protect
ed and encouraged her manufactures,
strengthened and extended her commerce at
the expense of every nation she could fright
en- or cajolc. by fraud, diplomacy and war,
by repression. protection and prohibition re
sorted to for centuries with a persisteucy and
determination which never wavered England
found herself ''mistress of the seas" and
manufacturer for the world. Then with an
late ttat har
sessed. with skilled artisans kept ut home by
laws forbidding emigration, with machinery
far in advance of any other nation. with a
merchant marine capable of doing the car
rying trade for the universe, with the key to
the whole situation in her own hands rs she
thought, England suddenly discovered the
charms of free trade opened her
own ports. and demanded reciprocity
Was this new light? Had she found
herself in the wrong during all these years
of wonderful growth. and To do works
meet for repentance, to repair the wrongs in
hicted upon the other nations of the earth.
did she determine upon this policy? BY
no manner OF means. She only counted her
self able, with the advantages she possessed.
to compete with the world successfully to
herself-to hold her own markets and
gain theirs. Well may she TODAY, with her
Golden Club, and with every device of " hich
che IL so cunning a manipulation, Join with
the democratic party in crusade against our
industries. With her overlooking population.
with production one quarter of which she
cannot consume at home, with a third Of her
spindles idle, with protection against her
manufactures in almost every country even in
her colonies of Australia and Canada. " ell
may she champion the cause of free trade
in this Republic with her fifty millions of
people. To succeed and to accomplish her
purpose would be the crowuing glory of her
great industrial career.
The Democratic Party.
Now, Mr.. President. as to this other cham
pion of ''iree trade'-the democratic party.
How does it happen that this party of capital
ut the South and labor at the North should
champion such a cause? IL claims sur
passing love for the poor man, deadly hatred
to the rich; it rolls its tongue as a sweet
morsel "blosted bondholders,' national
bank robbers" corrupt and corrupting cor
porations." In season and out of season i,
proclaims its devotion to 1.-THE poor. dow n
trodden people; and yet. singularly enough
its savage arimosity to protection and it,
intense love for free trade were born of its
unswerving devotion to slavery, its fixed de
termination to keep degraded labor still in