Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-12-17
DEMOCRATIC FREE TRADE,

] seeing an eQllorlal IN the beacon Of the
18th inst, entitled, 1--WE have tied ourselves"
said article being the ideas of the oracle Of
the Beacon on the tariff and free trade ques-
| ton. He boots at the Republicans for say
ing that the Democratic party will favor
free trade. Now one of the first points in
declaring the opinions of every Democratic
state or county convention, is to endorse the
time honored principles of the party.
Does the Beacon oracle know what those
time honored principles are? think not,
, and | will tell him that one of them was
in 1874 painted banners for this same old
party, with the notices, Stree trade and
| sailors rights also, ""Polk, Dalles, and down
with the tariff of 49," and others of like
meaning. They carried that election, and
carried out their principles by passing the
low tariff of As, and the result was that 3l4
of the iron works in Pennsylvania and Ohio
shut down. and many of them went TO ruin.
Wages went down until man could get
only fifty cents per day and
board himself in that country
and the young or old man that wanted suit
of ''store goods clothing had to pay about
three times AS much as | can get like goods
for in Wichita. Wheat was about as low as
il is here to-day and cotton or wooden goods
| from three To four times higher than they
are now. | bought a suit of broad-coth in
1913 that cost me when mede up. six weeks
bard work at carriage painting. | could
get as good in Wichita to-day for about one
weeks work But to come down to modern
Democratic principles, three-fourths of the
leaders of the party are in favor Of putting
all raw material on the free list Lead Iron
ore. link. coal, wool, etc.
Now how would suci. free trade effect our
miners? With Mexico full of the finest coal
lead end zinc. and Pcon labor that only
costs from eight and one-third TO twelve and
one-half cents per day? Could our Kansas
lead and zinc mines compete with such III
paid labor. | answer no. no sir. And the
thousand of miners that delve in the ground
for the zinc, lead, coal and iron would have
to starve or go TO producing the necessaries
of life and thus still further Cutting the
farmers market and his best one
too, for it does not cost all it
is worth TO sell it at home
Instead Of shipping i, to Europe or Mexico
now raw materials on the free list is only a
stepping stone to carrying out their slime
honored principle of free trade, and it is
free trade with vengeance for it hits right
on the poorest paid. and hardest worked labor
in the country, and if you want TO see the
banners, "Bloood or Bread, just pass such a
bill and in six months from that time they
will float from Maine to Florida, and from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. One of the
greatest causes for the present depression is
that the zinc, lead and iron masters are
afraid TO stock up and compete with those
that can get their stock mined with pauper
or peon labor, and as any one knows that all
such works have to carry stocks months
ahead TO be ready for All accidents and con-
tingencies You can see they have good
reason for going slow, but to return to the
oracle, he has in fact adopted the Republic |
can tariff principles and begs the question, |
for he says the nation has apparently demon
strated that protection. although a heresy, is |
a blessing and we could not possibly adopt
free trade if both Republican and Democratic |
parties were in favor of it. But | think he |
has only cryeu ns some wholesome doctrine |
TO cover up his free trade procliyities. Now
the tine-honored Democrats were not afraid |
to faun, their free trade banners but the |
modern Democrat puts it mild and soaps il |
over SO it viii slip easy by calling il "For
Revenue Only" while the same old wolf is |
watching at every corner 10 get in a few of
his best licks against labor in favor of cspi- |
tol and to sink the laborer down lower ill |
he is in the condition they had the black
man a few years since. And as the men |
who run the Democratic party have no new |
ideas only their time-honored principles as a
guide we can only look at their precedents /
and Judge of what they would do If they get |
Il chance. Therefore, | say. Mr.. Editor,
please keep it before the people and feel that
you are doing your duty to those that need
help. i know, although am old and some
what iniirm, that l can make better living /
at nv trade now than could under the old |
Den ocratic "for revenue only free trade /
times" Iours, OLD VETERAN.
WICHITA, Dec. 10th, 81.