Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-25
BLAINE ON THE STUMP.
A PROTECTIONJST. NEGRO HAIR
ANGUE IN MAINE.

Take n Firm stand Oh the Tarin cues
ton Pictured as the Cause OF hard
Times-AD Appeal to the Prejudice OF
Northern Workmen.
SEBAGo LAKE, Me-, Aug. M.-The
formal opening OF the Republican cam
paign IN Cumberland county took place
this morning, when James G. Blaine and
Congressman Reed, of Maine, and CID
son, OF Ohio, made addresses.
Discussing the tariff question Mr..
Blaine said: 1t is in the first place
especially worthy of observation that In
the history of the industrial question no
party in time of peace has ever been
more united in support of a policy than Is
the Republican In support of the protect
i've tariff to-day. The leading
facts indicate that the policy OF protection
versus free trade is an issue shaped and
determined no longer by sectional prefer
ence, but has become general and ma
tiOnal, affording distinct line OF division
between the Republican and Democratic
parties.
CHARGED WITH HIGH TREASON.
The hostility of the Democratic party
to protection has entailed upon the coun-
try vast loss, and has in many ways OBJ
structed the progress of certain sections.
Since the financial panic OF 1873, and con-
temporaneously solditication of the South
ern vote, the Democratic party has, with
the exception Of single Congress, held
control of the House OF Representatives
The power to originate revenue bills has
been exclusively in their hands, and they
have used it to the confusion and detr1-
ment, and In many instances to
the destruction OF new enterprises.
Confidence once shaken is hard to restore,
and the schemes of improvement which
have been abandoned within the past
ten years on account of the uncertainty
of our revenue laws, constantly menaced
by the Democratic party in Congress
would have caused prosperity in many
communities.
THE DULL TIMES.
The Democratic party is constantly
using the comparative dizziness in bust
ness, which their own course for twelve
years has largely developed, as an argu-
ment against the policy of protection.
But 1t is worth while to compare the con-
dition of the country In this year of grace
to its condition the year before the Repub-
licans succeeded in enactinR their first
protective bill. In 1891, after nearly an
entire generation of free trade, the saw
lngs banks deposits in six OF the New
England States and New York, New Jer-
sey and Pennsylvania aggregated less than
10000, 900. In the same States on Jan. l,
1885, these deposits aggregated 81, 020, 900.
THE PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE.
The increase Of population during this
time has been 30 per cent, while the in
crease in the bank deposit has been 800
per cent. Seventy-fve per cent. of the
aggregate deposits belong to wage
workers. With these Mr.. Blaine con-
Jrasted the United Kingdom working I'M
der free trade, where vastly the greater
mass of workingmen have less than
$500, 100000 in the aggregate in both
savings and postal banks. Upon the
labor question, Mr.. Blaine, after re-
viewing the political creed of various
labor organizations, says: Another
portentous tact mas been omitted, 80 far
as l have observed, from the considera-
ton and Judgment of labor organizations.
They seem to have taken little or no heed
of the existence OF more than million
and halt of able-b0died laborers in the
South with dark skins, but with expand
ing intellect, increasing intelligence and
growing ambition.
IN NEW FIELDS.
While those men were slaves in the rice
swamps and on the sugar plantations OF
the South the skilled labor of the North
ern States felt no competition from them,
but since they became free there has been
a great change in the skill of the labor
performed by colored men. The great
mass are, of course, still engaged in agri-
cultural work, but thousands-and, in
fact, hundreds of thousands-have entered
and are entering the mechanical and
semi-mechanical field. They are making
pig and bar iron in Tennessee and Ala
bama. They are manufacturing cotton
in Georgia and the Carolinas.
They are bricklayers everywhere.
They are carpenters, they are black
smiths. make wagons, cigars, tan leather
and make harness, are tiremen and pilots
on river boats, caulk vessels in Southern
ports, lay railroad tracks, are section
men and iiremen on engines, in fact, they
are generally entering all the avenues
and channels of skilled labor.
DECLARED UNDERPAID.
OF course they are underpaid. They re-
ceive far less than has been paid in years
past TO Northern mechanics for similar
work. They are able TO take no part in
making laws for their own protection
and they are consequently and inevitably
unable to maintain fair standard of
wages or to receive fair proper
ton of their proper earnings. / do not
propose to dwell on this subject at
length, though it could easily be pre-
| sented in aggravating details. The col
ored mechanic OF the South is not so
skillful workman, nor so intelligent as
you are, but il he will lay brick on q new
cotton factory in South Carolina at half
the price you are paid, If he will paint it
! at the same low rate, he is inevitably
! erecting an industry which the same rates
of wages maintained throughout will
| drive you out of business, or will lead
| you to the gates OF HIS own poverty.
TWO POINTS.
The situation is. therefore, plainly dis
cernible and demonstrable, viz: First,
| If Democrats shall succeed, as they have
| been annually attempting for twelve
] years past, in destroying the protective
| tariff, the artisans OF the United States
viii he thrown into direct competition
with the highly skilled and miserablv
paid labor OF Europe; second. if the
Democrats shall be able TO hold control of
| the government, the colOred labOrers in
| the Southern States will remain where
the Southern Democrats have placed
| them, subject to the will of the white
man, and unable to fix the price or COM
maud the value of his labor. The colored
man Will, therefore, under these condi-
lions, remain II constant quaptity in the
labor market, receiving inadequate COM
| pensation Tor his own toll, and steadily
| crowding down the compensation of
white labor, If not to his own level yet
far below its just and adequate
standard.
PROCLAIMED LABoR's ENEMY.