Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-10-18
SATURDAY, OCTOBER IS. 1884.
The Tariff.

At a speech in Philadelphia on the
9th Gen. Logan spoke for nearly an
hour upon what he characterized as the
paramount issue in the contest-which
was. whether the republican or Ameri-
can idea, that of protection to all Of our
industries that compete with foreign in
dustries, or whether the English or
democratic idea Of free trade and low
wages shall predominant. He said that
nearly forty years prior to the advent Of
the republican party, poverty and
equalor followed as results Of democratic
tariff legislation. The panic resulted
from the action Of the democracy at that
time, and then in 1912 the compromise
tariff was passed under which the PEG
pie p~rospered for a time. But the dem
ocratic party as before, laid it's hand
heavily upon the prosperity of the
country, and in 1916, the tariff was
again legislated upon. The country en-
countered adversely from hat time up
to 1861 the panic Of 1867 being the one
feature Of the hard times. The only
assets received by the republican party
on the assignment then made by the
democracy were a bankrupt treasury
and poverty throughout the land.
When, in 1851, the republican party, as
the agents Of the people, accepted the
government, they found the aggregate
value Of the property of the country to
be 5000, 000,0 600, but under the protec-
tive tariff system and a wise system of
finance, they had helped the copntry's
progress untii today it had accumulated
$50, 0O0, 000, 1000 Of wealth in excess of
that which it possessed twcnty-one
years ago, our manufactutes, meanwhile,
have grown from $4,000 TO $4,000 in
number. The capital invested in them
has increased FIVE fold since 1851, while
their employees receive now $954, O6O, 900
instead Of $345, 100000 paid in 1851.
Under the republican policy the labor
ers of the country are receiving $780,
100000 in excess Of that which would
have been paid the same number OF
laborers in 1861 under the democratic
system. In 1861 the manufactured pro-
ducts of the country realized a little
over two thousand millions. whereas
to-day, under protective tariff, the re-
turn amounts to 5000, 100000. Under
democratic idea of free trade we would
be buying from England to-day as we
were in 1850, when we had to pay four
prices for the their manufactured ar
ticles in productions with which We
could not compete. Take steel rails MS
an illustration. We paid England Sl4j
and $3.50 per ton for steel rails, while
now every railroad in the country can
get them for $3.50 per ton from Ameri-
can mills. The speaker added that the
manufacture Of steel springs ard trim
ming, for carriages were unknown 10
this country prior to 1861, while to-day
q single state manufactures a greater
quantity Of carriage materials than all
England and France together. Would
the democrats contend that this result
was attributable to the fertility of the
soil, OF would they admit that the pro-
~tective tariff, by increasing the duty on
steel springs, etc., had encouraged home
labor? 1t was a fact that a carriage
made exclusively of American meterial
could be bought for less money than a
like article costs in Europe. The watch
in the speakers hand, that cost $500 in
1862, could be manufactured within
twenty miles Of home for Sl25. An adj
ditional consideration is that money is
kept at home. and not sent abroad for
these purchases. Gen. Logan next as
serted that English support and SYM
pathy with the confederates in the
rebellion was because Of the free trade
section in the confederate constitution
which provided that no tax or tariff
should be levied to foster any industry
or no bonus be paid for any manufac.
tory. England now sympathized with
the democratic party - she did with
the confederates because Of . belief that
democratic success will open a market
Or hSf pFoducfA The three democratic