Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-02

MI. Frye on the IaHlA.
The following is an extract of the speech OF
Senator Frye on 1.-THE Tariff" delivered
Tuesday evening in the Brooklyn Academy
of Music:
There are some who place the Constitution
athwart the path of all progress for this Re
public. | have seen a rebel who said when
he left the Union that the Constitution
sustained him. Again and again has II been
opposed to the best interests OF the Republic
Some say it is opposed to the Tariff. VIII
not discuss that Enough for me that some
| of the 9sest patriots the country has ever
had have been firm supporters both of the
Tariff and the Constitution MANY college
theorists sustain free trade; good and cultI-
waited men many of them are, but they are
color-biind as to facts. These theorists have
lust one trouble-no common sense. You
NAV kick their theories to death with stub
born facts three times a day and they Will
still retail them. Many of our importers are
free traders 1t would seem that the hand
| ling of foreign goods causes them TO dissent
nate foreign ideas
But the great foe to protection is the demo-
cratic party because the head and body and
shoulders of the democratic party for nifty
wears has been in the South Slavery is dead,
but the poison of slavery still works. so
long as the democratic party had the courage
of its convictions it put in its platform free
trade plank. But when II began to grow
timid it asked for ga tariff for revenue only
in the next platform it wanted tariff alone
for revenue, and in the next tariff for reve-
nue. exclusively The democratic party has
proved itself the free trade party by is course
in Congress Whenever it has been in power
"a, has bod busipess all the country
by tinkering the tariff. Morrison is at the
head of the WAYS and Means Committee in
the House and wants to revise the tariff again.
But he won't. We have republican Senate,
and four committees of the Knights of Labor
have served solemn warning upon tine demo-
cratic party to let the tariff alone. They want
free ship bill. Again the Knights of Labor
warned them-in case of war what should
we do for ships if our shipyards had been de-
stroyed by admitting English ships free, and
we had TO depend on her for ships
Protection does not mean protection for
capital. Capital can very well take care of
itself. 1t can hide in the savings banks, or
even the stocking if need be. But capital is
timid 1t must be encouraged to leave the
bank and the stocking and go into the bowels
of the earth, the factory and the machine
shop, to men and women. and paw them good
wages that NAV properly educate their chill
dren. Bone and sinew and muscle need pro-
lection. 1t can't hide; it can't starve. it
can't shift at will from place to place. En-
courage capital but protect labor, that's my
doctrine Contrast the cost of manufacture
in England and America. What makes the
difference? Bone and muscle are cheap
in England Bone and muscle are dear here;
they are protected But what would become
of our bone and muscles if the goods that are
made so much cheaper in England were al
lowed 10 be sold here without tariff. 1t would
have to be sustained on bread and potatoes
instead of meat, and the children would have
to work in the mills instead of going to
school But when the Englshman steps in
to our Custom House he helps us to pay our
own workmen well and educate our children.
But the protection is met with the objpc-
ton that with the added cost of living here
our workmen with their higher wages are no
better off than the Englishman with his lower
wages. The facts have been ascertained
Carroll d Wright has made an investigation
and reported. The United States Consuls
have investigated and reported
Senator FRYE then read a lot of figures
cleaned from these reports, Showing the great
disparity between wages in England and
America in various branches of trade, inter
mlngtPu win l3ctS tXDlDltlnp the WTelcDPu
condition of large prop 'rtion of the work
ing people there. Among other things he
ssid that free trade England, with popula-
ton of 35,000,000, had 100000 paupers,
while the United States, with 5S,000,000, has
only $1,000 pauper. He cited other facts
and figures. showing the still greater dispari-
ty that existed between wages in the CONT
nent Of Europe and America and the condi-
tions of the working classes. He showed
also that the necessities Of life are cheaper
here than in Europe. lie quoted figures
showing that manufactured materials had
grown cheaper under protective tariff in
stead Of dearer, thus proving that the duty
was not added to the cost And wages were
still kept up. Worsted goods were 40 per
cent cheaper than formerly. He read the
tariff and internal revenue returns. showing
that the larger portion OF the taxes were paiG
on Injuries, and not necessities, except the
$780, 900 600 for sugar. This tax, he said,
was sustained bv tree trade democrats.
British free trade, he said, had starved Ire
land.