The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-09
ONE OF THE ISSUES.

Republicans who are inclined to be apa-
thetic because this is an off year should bear
in mind that in this campaign, notwithstand-
ing it is what is known as an off one, there
are some very important questions involved.
This election may not settle them, but it will
have very distinct bearing on their settle
ment
The one that stands out most conspicuous
is the tariff question. To be sure our Demo-
cratic brethren just now are denying that
they are in favor of free trade. So that un-
til they brace up little perhaps it will not
be worth while to discuss the dangers in
yolved in a general policy of that kind. The
Morrison tariff bill they are in favor of, how
ever. That they cannot deny, because the
great majority of the Democratic representa-
tives voted for it, and the minority who voted
against 1t have not found any favor in
Maine. The Democratic candidate for Con-
gress in the Second district has recently stig-
matized the leader of that minority as
traitor to his party, and there is no doubt
that he voices the opinion of the great ma
jority of the Democrats of his district and
State.
Now the Morrison bill, though defeated at
the last session of Congress, is by no means
dead. The purpose of its author is to pre-
sent it to Congress ..again If the elections go
right this fall, and by right he means Demo-
cratic. That bill, as is well known, strikes
killing blow to a number of the most impor-
tant industries of Maine. Its effect, if it
should become a law, would be to place our
farmers and laboring men in direct competi-
ton with the farmers and laboring men of
Canada, who contribute nothing to the sup
port of this government 1t would open our
markets to the Canadians as freely as to our
own citizens, Notwithstanding the fact that
their markets are shut against us by pro-
tective tariff. The bill puts potatoes, hay
and oats upon the free list. These are the
staple products of the farmers of this State.
What advantages does it offer them in return
for the withdrawal of protection from their
staple crops? None at all adequate to COM
pensate them for his inevitable loss.
The bill puts fish upon the free list. If it
were law today the Canadian fishermen
could send their catch into the markets Of
this country free of duty, and could abso-
lutely drive our own fishermen out of the
business. The fishermen know how that is
by bitter experience. They have had ten
years of Canadian competition, and they
know that a continuance of it means their
destruction.
The bill also puts lumber upon the free
list. Should it become law the raw prod
ucts of Canadian forests and the manufac-
tured products of Canadian saw mills would
be brought into direct competition with
those of our own. What free fish means to
the fishermen, free lumber means to the la
borer in the woods and the saw mills. 1t
means either cessation of work altogether,
or reduction of wages.
But it may be asked what has this election
to do with these things. This is not nation
al election. No, but there are four members
of Congress to be chosen, and if any one of
them should be Democrat would not Mr..
House construe it as showing that the peo-
pie of Maine are Indifferent to the assault
upon the industries which the House at
tempted at its last session? Certainly they
would, and with good reason. 1t would
stimulate every free trader in the House to
push his free trade schemes, and would tend
to paralyze the opposition. The friend of
the Morrison bill would say, ''The people
are in favor of this bill, even Maine,
whose industries are assaulted more than
those of any other State, has returneda Dem
ocratic Congressman in the face of it.
thing it has not done since 1862 This
would be an argument next to unanswerable.