The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-08-25


lican members that a single vote from New
York and two or three votes from Mime
sofa were all that broke the absolute unan-
unity of the party, and was rendered still
more striking by the fact that the organs
of Republican opinion in New York and
Minnesota declare that these exceptional
votes were adverse TO the wishes of large
majority of those who elected the dissenting
members. On the other hand, the vast ma.
lority of the Democratic members supported
the free trade side of the question but a
small minority uniting with the Republic
ans found themselves able to defeat the
measure :
The hostility of the Democratic party
to protection has entailed upon the country
a vast loss, and has in MANY WAYS OBJ
structed the progress and development of
| certain sections Confidence ouce shaken
is hard to restore, and the schemes of i'm
provement which have been abandoned
within the past ten years on account of the
| uncertainty Of our revenue laws constantly
| menacing by the Democratic majority in
congress, would have caused prosperity and
| happiness in many communities which have
| felt the discouraging influence of dull times
| The Democratic party Is constantly using
the comparative duilness in business which
| their own course III congress for twelve
years has largely developed, as an
argument against the policy of pro.
lection But it Is worth while
to compare the condition of the
| country in this year of grace with its con-
dition the year before the Republicans
| succeeded in enacting their first protective
| tariff. In the nine states which still do
the larger amount Of manufacturing for
| the country, and which did 1t nearly all a
| quarter of century ago, it is interesting
and instructive TO compare their financial
conditions at the beginning of 1851 and ut
| the beginning of 1850. The states referred
| to the SIX of New England with New
York, New Jersey and Fennsy lvania In
| 1861 the country presented a condition
brought about by nearly an entire genera
ton Of free trade, and the aggregate
amount which the people had accumulated
in the savings bank during that long period
was less than Sl6O,000,0'J. In the same
states on the lst day of January, 1856, the
| aggregate amount In the savings banks was
over 81 O20, 100000
| a nd yet another comparison may be
de still more embarrassing to the free
trade doctrinaires and more difficult for
them to answer While the American
workmen in nine states, working under a
protective tariff, have over 81 ,0JU 000, 900 in
savings banks, the vastly greater mass of
workingmen in England, ireland, Scotland
and Wales, the whole united kingdom, all
working under free trade have less thar
S400, co., 600 in the aggregate both in saw
ings banks and postal banks These figures
| and these dollars are The most persuasive of
arguments and the conclusion they teach is
| SO plain that the running man may read"
| Of the labor question, Mr. Blaine. after
reeiting the present condition of the work
| ingnan, says; II have no new nostrum5 to
| offers for the cure OF labor troubles. |
have no quack remedies to propose. am
b firm believer in the efficacy of the pro-
teetive tariff and | can look back with
| serene satisfaction to my record in congress
as never blotted by a single vote that was
not friendly to the interests or Ameri-
can labor. ! never promised anything
when | was "A candidate for public office,
and now as a private citizen l have no
temptation to fatter any man or state any
thing else than the simple truth as [ see the
| truth"
| Mr.. Blaine then made a comparison of
| the wages paid the laborers of the south
with those OF the northern workmen. "Do
| you suppose" he continued that you can
permanently maintain in the northern
states one scale of prices, when Just hey ond
an imaginary line on the south OF us a far
different scale of prices is paid for labor
The colored mechanic Of the south is not
30 skillful workman nor so intelligent
man as you are, but if he will lay brick in
a new cotton factory in South Carolina at
half the price you are paid, if he will
paint and plaster it at the same low rate
he is inevitably erecting an industry which,
if the same rate of wages De maintained
throughout, will drive You out of business
OF lead YOU to the gates Of his own pow
erty."
From this Mr.. Blaine draws the follow
ing conclusion: "If he Democratic party
shall be able to hold the national govern
| ment the colored laborer in the southern
states will remain where the southern DEM
ocrats have placed him politically, subject
| to the will of the white man and unable to
| fix the price or command the value of his
labor The colored man will, therefore,
under these conditions, remain a constant
Quantity in the labor market, receiving
| Inadequate compensation for his own toll
and steadily crowding down the compensa-
tion of white labor, if not to his own level,
yet far below its just and adequate
standard
OF the fishery question, Mr.. Blaine had
much to say. He contrasted at great
length tie attitude of Mr.. Bayard with
that of Secretary Webster in 1882 1.-THE
humiliation Of our situation" the speaker
declared, "hss been gratitously increased
by the vote of majority Of the Demo-
cratic party in the house of representatives
to throw open the markets Of the United
States TO the British and Canadian fisher
men without duty Or charge, and without
| securing to American fishermen the right to
fish in British and Canadian waters. This
is an act of such unaccountalile, rsncorous
hostility to the fishing interest of New Eng
land that it is difficult even to comprehend
| its motive. John Randolph SO hated the
wool tariff that he fsIt like walking mile to
| kick sheep Do the northern democrats
feel such determined hostility to the fisher
men of New England that they would sacri
flee great national interest In order to In
tiic, blow upoa them"
The Mexican difficulty was disposed OF
by the speaker very briefly. "For the
United States to attack Mexico, he said,
without giving her an opportunity to bs
heard before an impartial tribunal Of arbi
tration, would be for a organization of uu-
limited power To pitt herself to open shame
before the world LIZ recall
any part of my own participation in public
affairs with special satisfaction it is that
ehdeavored and almost succeeded in having
the American republic assemble id peace
congress in order that war between nation:
| On ttsis sentlpsrs sheula hs made trapezsibis