Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-02-14
Senator HaIe's Letter
L. s. SEyAIE-
WAsErxGIoy. Feb. 8, 1854.

Nv Dear Srr.-Your letter of February
has Just been received and, in compliance
with your request. / enclose a copy OF the
new tariff bill, introduced by Mr.. Morrison,
chairman Of the Committee on Ways and
Means. in the House.
II i. the result of long study and prepzra-
ton on the part Of Mr.. Morrison and his as
.ociates. who represent that large majority OF
the democratic party in the House of Repre-
sentatives which nominated and elected
Speaker Carlisle.
II il an additional piece Of evidence TO that
election showing that whatever controversies
NAV arise in the democratic party upon the
subject of the tariff, in the end the free trade
faction is sure 10 come out ahead.
Mr. Randall with his long experience and
acknowledged skill in managing personal
politics and with the undoubted support of
many Of the grea, leaders in the party out
side Of Congress, was unable to make stand
against this prevailing sentiment.
IL there il anything that the dem )cratic
party to-day believes in and is willing TO
make light for il Is free ira lie or, what is
the nearest approach to it possible, tariff for
revenue only. There are many individual
exceptions to this, of course, and there are
States, like Pennsylvania, where the local
sentiment is too strong Tor this natural bias
Of the party; but that bias controls the party
to-day and will shape its action wherever it
gains any lodgment in the National Govern
ment.
The indoctrination of the party before the
war. when the entire South was for free
trade, is influencing and controlling its SEN
timents to day. No matter what evasive and
double dealing resolutions Democratic State
Conventions may pass or Democratic Nation
~ - tIAsr Al 60
in order, az General Gordon, in his oft-quoted
letter in favor of Mr.. Randalfs nomination
as Speaker, puts it. .'to keep the real issue
out Of sight until after election" whenever
such election is over and the democratic
party has succeeded in getting power, as it
did in the elections of 1882, in the House of
Repres entatives. it will proceed to make nom-
nations, select leaders and legislate against
the republican doctrine of a tariff for the
protection Of American labor and in favor of
a tariff for revenue only. with the distinctive
feature of protection excluded.
1t is worth the while for the people of
Maine, both democratic and republican, to
examine this new tariff bill, IN order to see
how this inevitable drift of the democratic
party affects Maine industries.
If our people had been selected as an in
stance of discipline and punishment to be
administered because of their reputation of
the democratic party, no tariff bill could have
been more obn ,xious and dangerous to them.
Look at section 2, which provides THAT on
and after the first day of July eighteen hun
dred and eighty -four, the list of articles fol-
lowing shall be placed upon the free list. and
be exempt from duty" That list includes:
Timber. hewn and sawed and timber used
for spars and in building wharves.
Wood, unmanufsctured, not especially
enumerated or provided for in this act
Hay.
Lime
Dextrine. burnt starch, gum substitute, or
British gum.
Extract Of hemlock and other bark. used
for tanning, and not otherwise enumerated or
provided in this act.
Under this bill, the lumber camps and
mills of Maine, her lime quarrics along the
shore, the starch factories in Aroestook and
every farmer in his hay field are thrown into
unprotected competition with the products of
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia. Canada, and
indeed, of the world.
The product of the cheaper labor, outside
of our borders. is thrown, at once. upon our
markets to compete with our labor.
1t needs no argument or illustration, with
our Maine people, to show the effect of this.
last years legislation. in a republican Con
grsss, when the tariff bill, passed by that
congress for the purpose both of reducing
the revenues and of :, tting at res, that tariff
agitation which always disturbs basin, ss,
provided for the protection of Maine indus
tries, so that Maine interests were cared for
in common with other industrial interests
throughout the country.
Every one of these items. in which the
people of Hsine have such deep interest,
came up for discussion and controversy during
the consideration of the bill in the Senate,
and not one of them was struck at, when the
bill was passed.
The Morrison bill is a menace to large
part of the labor of Maine. and it is probably
better that the people of the State should
learn, at this eirly day, what they may
expect at the hand of the Democratic party.
should it ever be intrusted with the control of
the National Government.
About all that 10 needed further, to crush
out our industries in Maine, is the adoption
of the free ships" policy. urged by Mr.. Cox
and other Democratic leaders.
Yesterday. when Mr.. Frye reported the
bill for the relief of American shipping, Mr.
Vest, the Democratic Senator from Missouri.
antagonized it with q proposition for free
ships, and that question has got to be settled
when the bill comes up for action.
Yours very truly,
EUGENE HALE.