St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-01
WHAT DAVIS DID SAY"
His Tariff Record as Made During the
Late Campaign.
Something for Our state Legislators
to Consider.
Some Points From a Farmers Jour
nal on the Wheat Tariff.
IN the Editor Of the Globe.

To the Editor of the Globe.
The efforts of the friends of Gov. Davis
TO remove the prejudice against him. which
he himself created by his strong advocacy
of a protective tariff, VII not succeed LII
wonid he much more creditable to them if
they would boldly declare that his protec-
five utterances were but an expression OF
the principles of the Republican party of
the nation-outside of Minnesota. at least
and defend them as Blaine Il CO. do. The
recent editorial of the Pioneer Press under
the caption, what Did Davis Say?" is an
illustration of how absurd it is to attempt
10 DENY that Davis advocated a high pro-
tectiye tariff in his speeches. Without
further prelude let us see what your Re-
publican contemporaries then reported him
as saving upon the tariff. In its report of
his speech at Litchfeld. the Minneapolis
Tribune (Oct. 26. 1861 reported him as
follows:
He entered into brief but pointed discus
sion of the tariff question, asserting that no
classes are better protected under our pres
ent tariff laws than the Northwestern pro-
6uea-s and cited, among other things, the
tax of cent per pound on beef and pork, z
cents on hams and bacon, cents on butter
and lard. 10 cents on corn and oats, 10 cents
on potatoes and 20 cents on barley. The old
lie that the present tariff is the war tariff was
exposed.
That is certainly trying to defend our
present Ubiquitous high tariff. even TO the
extent IF talking as if he supposed our
farmers We're such ignoramuSeS as not to
know that a tariff upon what they produced
a surplus of was no benefit to them. But.
as the Tribune is a Republican paper that
comes ont boldly in favor of protective
tariff. and insists that 1.-The Republican
party is fully committed to the principle of
protection" | will quote from the Pioneer
Press. which is not. In its report of his
speech at Saltwater. that paper (Oct. %,
1866 reported him as follows:
The speaker next took the tariff question.
He said Rice. the Democratic candidate for
congress, had in a letter committed himself
to the infamous Democratic arraignment OF
the Republican party for its tariff laws. The
Republican party is charged with tariff
policy which has Impoverished the farmers
aud enriched the manufacturers. The Re-
publican party has been in power for twenty
I've years during which time the prosperity
IF this country has been almost without par
lllel in the history of the world The speaker
poke of the growth of population, increase
If wealth, railroad facilities, ETC., during
hose wears He then showed that the pro-
luct CT the farmer was protected by tariff
Butter and cheese were protected by tariff
If 4 cents pound, wheat 10 cents buShe
tic When one comes with the clamor for
reats the American people as a class designed
merely to raise wheat for export; that he
Ioes not consider the advantages and capa-
,ilities of diversified industries. The Demo
cratic Morrison bill introduced into congress
vas designed by its terms to admit free
lmong other things wheat ana barley, the
dea being to break down he protective wall
reared to shield the farmers of the North
vest
The above two reports are enough. Will
any one dare say. in the face of these re-
ports. that Mr.. Davis did not speak in favor
Of the protective tariff? l have quoted all
stated in these reports upon that subject.
and not word is said about favOring re-
duction Of the tariff tax or reform of any
kind
Even the Pioneer Press was disguised
with Gov. Davis tariff views, as expressed
in his speeches. and gave vent to that dis
gust in its issue of Oct q last, In the fol
lowing fOrcible language:
In all the history of campaign argumenta-
ton there is nothing more stupendOusly
ludicrous than the pretense, now being put
forward in Minnesota, that the farmer is ben
eff ed by q tariff on wheat. We have passed
it 10y in contemptuous silence, because IL can
be advanced only on the suppositiOn that the
farmer is entirely without intelligence. That
it should now come TO the front is strong
proof that the opponents of tariff reform are
on their last legs. 1t is difficult to approach,
without Ievity. the precious doctrine OF pro-
lection to the farmer There are great
many mysteries and subtleties about the
tariff theory. There is none whatever about
the tariff as applied to wheat. The simplest
man can understand that tariff duty is abso-
Iutey inapplicable to any commodity OF
which we produce moi e than we consume,
and of which we are, therefore, exporters in
stead of importers.
1t will be seen that in addition to its
scathing ridicule of his tariff views the
Pioneer Press then claSSed him among 1.-THE
opponents of the tariff REFORM"
The Minneapolis Tribune in its issue of
Oct. % noted with pleasure that Gov. Davis
and his associates upon the stump. were
making protective tariff speeches, and said:
The Republican partr has aiwaTs been the
great champion of protection both to Ameri-
can citizens and TO American ind ustres. The
Democr attic party is somewhat Indifferent to
both doctrines, but what interest they do mani
fest is always thrown in favor OF free trade.
and against foreign intervention for any
purpose.
In spite of the contemplate conduct of the
late Republican convention. with reference
10 the tariff plank, we are glad to STE that the
bold stand which the Tribune took, at the out
set has received a practical Endorsement by
almost every Republican speaker on the
stump. Hon. c. X. Davis. Hon. William
Windo IN ard Hen. J. 3. Gillian have made
most admirable tarif speeches everywhere.
AS the above quoted comments. of both
the Pioneer Press and Tribune, appeared
before Mr.. Davis delivered his Saltwater
speech | have selected ii, from number of
similar reports. to prove that he accepted
the construction which these newspapers
gave his speeches as correct, and repeated
his arguments (if they can be called such)
in favor of high protective tariff. Ii he
I
he read the above comments upon his
speeches-have corrected them and placed
himself right before the people of the state.
And, might ask, what authority have the
present apOOgiSts of Mr.. Davis and his
tariff views from that gentleman for now
declaring that he did not mean what he
said when he spoke as above quoted? Gov.
Davis is not prepared to stultify himself by
now saying he only spoke lin Pckwick-
ian sense"
It wont do for the Pioneer Press, in its
apology for him. and attempt in the article
first above mentioned, to tell ''what Davis
did say" to select few sentences from his
Rochester speech. He there did say: II
believe in going slowly in changing the tar
if laws under which the nation has -four
ished SO long" This is certainly the Ian
guage of a man who is in favor of the pres
ent Ubiquitous high protective tariff. Admit
that he did say that he was in favor of a
revision of the tariff. that proves nothing.
Seven days later Mr.. Blaine, at Pttsburg,
said the same thing; but the revision that
he would make Is not what the people of
Minnesota are clamoriDg for The revision
that our people desire would not be salts
factory to Mr.. Blaine and the other coal
and iron monOpolists of the East. If. as the
Pioneer Press in that apology reluctantly
saws he couldn't resist the termination TO