The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-11
WHAT THEY WANT.
Frank Hurd Defines the Desires of
the Revenue Reformers.
They Want Free salt, sugar Lumber,
Barbed Wire and Copper
Donald on Cest of Manu-
faeUuFe.

their views. Frank Hurd, 1t Is SAID could
have the craftsmanship of the judiciary. He
does not want it. He prefers the ways and
means. This is the programme:
Il do not think any general tariff viii be
brought forward, but we will ask for free salt
free sugar, free humber, free barbeI wire, free
copper"
''Do you propose to include all these items
in one bill, or to present separate bills cover
ing single subjectp Mr.. Hurd was asked.
my preference is for single bills, but do
not know how the matter will be arranged.
shall introduce bill for free wool at the
earliest opportunity. l do not think that
any of my Democratic colleagues from Ohio
will vote for such measure but intend
to push 1T | rerud..ed that section of
our state platform which condemned
the action of the last congress for re.
ducing the duty on WOOL and | was
elected by majority of l,40O, my con
stituents understanding that | favored free
wool Our Michigan men were elected on the
free lumber and salt issue. There are many
protectionists who will vote to make these
articles free. Seven tenths of the people of
Louisiana want free sugar The sugar indus
try in the south has been waning for several
years past, and do not believe it is right to
longer continue the tariff on that article to
the great injury of the people of the whole
country
DO you favor giving bounty to sugar
growels1"
mo" Mr.. Hurd replied, Il do not approve
giving bounties. Il is not necessary"
Ex-senator McDOnaId's Views
CINCINNATI, Dec. 1.-THE Enquirer's In
dianapolis correspondent gives the following
remarks of ex-senator Mcdonald in reference
to comparative cost of labor and manufacture
in the United States and Great Britain; at
is charged that labor in the United States
costs too much, when, in fact, the compensa
ton TO skilled labor is now so low that
il cannot stand a further average
reduction while the prices of living are st
high. If manufacturers paid for their Labor
on a sliding scale, as the pig-iron manufac
turers pay freights-a high price when the
profits are large and low price when they
are down-there might be degree of justice
in this claim. But labor is the last thing t.
advance in good times and the first thing to
be reduced when the dull times come on. The
cost of manufacturing is too great in this
country to ALLOW us to compete with England
and Europe, but it can not be charged to tbs
cost of labor. 1t takes as many hours tC
make ton of iron at Swansea as it does a
Pittsburgh, but the laborerS Work only fifty
two hours per week in England as agains
fifty-eight hours in this country. Il
measured by the hours of work and the cos
of living, the compensation of the Englist
workman is not so much below that pait
ours as the difference in the price per day
would Indicate And yet in the face of thest
facts, England can sell her manufactured
articles cheaper than we can. In the con
struction of the railroads into Mexico, tn
rails used on this side of the Rio Grande COS
$42 per ton, but the moment the work har
crossed the boundary line English rails o
the same quality cost only $50 per ton. Eng
land supplies Mexico with most of her cottol
goods and machinery much of which i
landed at our ports and slipped across tn
country inland, and sold at prices so low tina
our manufacturers cannot compete witt
those of England"