The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-01-05
THE REAL TARIFF ISSUE.

Whatever may he the Disagreement
among the democrats rs to details III n;
.oriT reforms The present congress Is eS-
pec.ed 70 bring about, there Is nj least thi'
broad Inc OF distinction between the Dem
ocratic and Republican parties on ma
question, that the latter insist on leaving
the crude tariff legislation OF the last con
gress und;surbed. though 1t Overburdeps
the treasury with surplus of 1884 100000
A ves,. willis the democrats are perfectly
united In insisting that there shall be snch
reduction Of tariff duties as shall bring
the revenue down 10 the actual needs OF
the government, economically sdminis
tered,
Such a tariff will necessarily still require
duties ranging from - 10 40 per cent. on
our imports TO meet the actual needs Of the
government, and such duties cannot help
but be largely protective; but when it Is
further proposed to remove all the duties
on raw materials, the present tariff on ar
ticles really needing protection will not
need TO be and perforce will not be, ma.
terially disturbed.
The great point 10 be gained, and on this
there is no disagreement among Demo-
Gratis, Is the removal OF the tax on raw ma
terial. 1t is this TAX which now most OPP
presses our manufacturers and Is bringing
all the distress, now SO keenly realized,
upoh The laborlng classes. Without a
shred oil this tax" says Mr.. William d.
Mann, leading Philadelphia manutaatu-
rer, "our country would be decidedly bet
ter off. It would enable us To manufacture
at such rates that we could compete with
all the world in the foreign markets, and
thus keep all our operatives employed.
Now the poor fellows are compelled To
submit to wage reductions, ana are organ.
izing strikes, while they have no prOtec-
ton against the importation of foreign
labOrers who come in to compete with
them. Manufacturers never grumbie when
they see shiplOan after shiplOad Of immi-
grants landed at Castle Garden TO swell
the great crowd of laborers who are com.
peting one with the other for chance to
make living. All our manufacturers are
very glad to SEE this sort of free trade 20
on. But II II is suggested that the Amer
Ia kAy hn al m, hrt ;,,
en- blanket, free of duty. Congress is be-
seiged Immediately with ALMOST OF patriotic
WOODEN manufacturers who insist that the
Interests of American industry demand
high tariff on woollen blankets. The re-
suit is that while every man. woman and
child has to pay double the value of a
wooilen blanket In this country in order
70 protect some man who pockets the DIFF
terence. wages are In no way protected
against the competition from other coun-
tries. II workingmen could once get this
matter straight IN their minds they would
sweep this whole protection idea clean out
of the country"
1t is this foreign labor competition that
is grinding our working people TO the dust,
and 1t 10 this tax on raw materials that is
coping US up and barring US out of the
markets of the world like Chinese wall.
Says Mr.. Mann, II can demonstrate that
our high priced American laborcr can,
other things being equal, do better work
than any laborer more poorly ps,d. But
we cannot compete against Europe II the
material we use IN our manufactures Is
taxed. What we want to-day is to eXpor,
our goods. We are manufacturing more
than our people can consume Unless we
ship it abroad it will lie on our hands and
make all our mills close up unt!lih coun.
try catches up with us again"
While there is undoubtedly divisions
among the democrats, some contcnd,ng
for absolute free trade and others Tor ,a,if
for revenue only regardless of protection,
all are agreed IN fighting the republicans
on the only really practical issues, Icsric.
ton of the importation Of foreign labor
and tree importation Of the raw material.
=---------------------------------