Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-10-17

high in this country because it is new.
rich, and comparatively undeyeloped;
that wages are also higher in Australia
than in England; that New South
Wales and Victoria, two provinces of
Australia, have about equal natural
advantages; and that New South
Wales, under free trade is outstrip-
ping in material development Victoria
under protection.
He said that we consumed ninety per
cent. of the food which we produce and
export only ten per cent. This state
ment he repeated several times in a
very positive manner. until Mr.. David
Jacko. an old time republican who has
become digusted with high tariff tax
alton, asked him where he got his fig
ures. And the distinguished speaker
had to acknowledge that he could not
subStantiate the statement. As near
as The Democrat can find out we con-
sumo about seyenty-one per cent. of
the food produced ia this country. But
he did not say that we exported last
S619, 269, 449 worth of agricultural pro-
ducts, while of all other products, in
Guiding manufacturing, mining, for
est, and the fisheries, only S1S4,954, 1S3
worth; or Il per cent of agricultural
products and % per cent. of ali other
products.
He read statistics which showed
that of the bread-stuffs purchased by
England only small portion is fur
nished by America; and that we fur
nish England with all the hams. and
a great portion of the butter and
cheese which she buys, and sold cot
| ton goods even in Manchester. But
he did not tell his audience that it
was because of our high tariff, that
England went to the uttermost parts
| of the earth for breadstuffs instead of
| buying of the American farmer; that
England buys our hams, aad butter
and cheese at comparatively low prices,
| as they are sold in open markets of
the world; and that selling Amer
lean cotton goods in Manchester is
like carrying Goals to Newcastle, and
therefore the goods must be sold for
little or nothing. That if the United
States had more shipping, and an en-
lightened policy was pursued, those
goods could be sent directly to the
markets where England re-sells many
of them at immense profits.
The report of Consul Smith, Of Car
| thagena, Colombia. s. A., dated No
yember 10, 1882, says that England
disposes of great quantities of hams,
and cheese in that market selling the
hams as high as Is cents per pound,
and cheese at so cents; and also cotton
| goods at very high prices; while none
of the articles are supplied directly
by the United States, where they are
produced.
| All his arguments on the tariff
| question were of the usual protection
sort, and all based on false notions of
political economy; but we have not
space to notice them further.
1t was pleasing to note that while
other portions of his speech was en-
Enthusiastically applauded the tariff ror-
ton seemed to tall quite fiat.
He had the audacity to challenge any
body in his audience to point him out a
single case under republican admins
tration where a dishonest official had
been shielded from punishment, when
a broad page of The Democrat would
hardly contain the names of the re-
publicans who have betrayed public
trust and have been allowed to &C
unpublished.
To answer the charge that the dem
ocrats acquired all the valuable terri
tory which has been added to the
union, and that the republicans have
given it nearly all away again to rail
road companies. he replied that the
! democratic party had also granted lane
} to aid in the construction of railways
But he did not say that the lane
granted by the democratic party was
given to the states, and the states
made their own terms with the com
panies and that the average amount Of
land given away under this old fash
} Toned democratic plan, to secure the
} construction of one mile of road, is
not half SO great as under the improved
} republican plan of giving it directly
to the corporations themselves. One
of these old fashioned grants was the
one to Illinois, for the construction oil
the |. c. +. II. The state through its
charter, required the company to pay
Eve TO seven per cent. of it's gross
) income to the state treasury, Under
this law the company had paid to the
state up to 1880 over SS,000,OO0; and
the future annual income to the state
is estimated at $35O,OOO.
He tried to clear the republican
senate of the responsibility of not
passing the house bills declaring un.
earned railroad grants forfeited. But
he did not tell that like bills were
before the last republican congre IS, and
that no action was taken upon them
that the committee which had them
under consideration, and of which
Hon. George c. HaZelton was chair
man. either reported adversely upon
them or not at all. The passage of
these bills by the house at the last
session is conclusive proof that at least
for once the railroad lobby was
powerless TO influence the action OF
congress. And if Mr.. Fairchild is toe
partisan to offer word of com
mendation for this piece of disinter.
ested legislation, be ought to at least
refrain from making any attempt to
disparage it.
The statements contained in the fore
going article can be substantiated by
official records on file in The Democrat
| o0Soo