Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-04-07
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. APRIL Z. 1883.
The question Of the Future.


Gath, in his interview with Hastings,
of New York, who is one of the quietest
andmost careful political observers in
this country, furnishes the following:
"Mr. Hastings, what do you think
l think the tariff question Is going to
play a part in the next Presidential
election so much greater than ever here
expect it to decide the next Presiden-
tial election in favor of the Republican
party. The tariff issue has never been
really worked with political shrewdness.
In the election of Garfield it came up
accidentally, and even then determined
the result; but there is now an OrganiZa-
tiOn right in this city of New York 60
ing to work wherever there are manu-
tories in large cities, and / think you
will see remarkable change it is going
to make by 1884. You see the tariff
issue was emphatically the issue of the
labOring masses. Here are Legrang
Cannon and a number of others who
have at last got to work. The Irish ele-
ment in the Democratic party has been
for years voting the Democratic ticket
merely from tradition, without really
having much interest in what have be-
come Democratic ideas. lrishmen, for
instance, have no particular interest in
the doctrine of State rights, or any of
those old shibbOleths of the Bourbon
party. Irishmen in America are essen
TALLY natiOnalists, and same may be
said of the Germans. Indeed. our for
eign population has none OF the qualms
and absurdities of the native people
about those state lines. They swallow
the whole country when they come into
it, and call themselves Americans.
snow, the tariff appeals to the stOm-
aChs, pocket and general condition of
both these foreign classeS--indeed of the
whole foreign class, which has hereto
fore been misled by prejudice on the
negro and other subjects to vote with
the Democracy. Free trade, or any ap-
preach to il, means the degradation OF
this foreign labor, and the opening of
cur marts and shops to the innumerable
manufactures of England and other
countries where labor Is Systematically
underpaid, and where the prosperity of
the manufactures has nothing whatever
to do with change of condition in the
operatives. The attempt in the present
Congress TO force reduced tariff rates
and free trade sentiments upon the law
making powers has at last startled our
manufacturers, and they are going into
organization, and propose to address
labor through its prints and organs. The
Democratic party has already gone more
than halfway toward free trade. In the
late Congress they cast only about
twenty votes out of their large number
OF Congressman in favor of the tariff
bill, because they wanted more reduc-
tiOns and greater cutting down of the
protection afforded to our labor and our
shops.
80 consider that in the next Presi-
Dental election the tariff, instead of be-
ing put out of the road, is going for the
first time to appear in its dignity, and
it is really the question of questions to
us. We have made great state here by
adhesion to the protective theory. Our
manufacturers are getting to be almost
universal. New York City, though a
Democratic stronghold, has become the
largest manufacturing city in America,
surprising Philadelphia, Pittsburg, BOs-
ton. Providence or any other mart in
the country. The manufacturers here
in this city and Brooklyn and in all the
surrounding parts constitute an employ
ing power which Henry Clay could have
dreamed of. Do you suppose that these
tens of thousands of Industries are 60
ing to give up this magnificent market
of America to the pauperized labor of
Germany and England? No. The man
ufacturing interests has become the
chief glory Of the United States, and
whereas it was once a small and local
interest, it Is now stepping from state
to state with princely strides, and
throughout the south the manufac-
turing genius is at last come to light"
THE BARRIERS ASSISTANT IDLE.