The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-09
THE STATE CAMPAIGN.
An Audience of 5000 People creets
MIR, Blaine at Pennington.
The Benefits of Protective Tariff
Discussed in an Interesting
Manner.

Manner.
How the United States Has Prosper
ed Under the Republican Party.
FARMINGToN, Sept. 9.-Fully 5000 people
gathered ON the common this afternoon to
listen to speeches by Hon. James G. Blaine,
Gen. VIM. Gibson of Ohio and United States
Senator Fl. W. Blair of New Hampshire.
Special trains brought large numbers of
people from adjoining towns. The speakers
arrived on a special train. They took dinner
at the Stoddard House, then later went to
the common in carriage. Fl. FL. Richards
presided, and in brief remarks introduced
Mr., Blaine who said:
The principle issue is whether we will vote
to sustain the protective tariff now in force,
or vote to reduce it and put it in the direction
of ultimate free trade in this country. The
Morrison bill is a direct attack on the pres
ent tariff system, and as far as Maine is
directly interested it is free trade bill, for
it strikes almost every interest of Maine by
putting them ON the free list. 1t strikes at
farming interests, the fishing interests, and a
large part of the manufacturing interests.
That bill was defeated by very small ma
iority, and the author of it, a vely distin-
guished Democratic leader, gave notice be-
fore adjournment of Congress that he would
call the bill up whenC congress assemblies next
December. 1t, therefore, cannot be disguised
that people of every State in their election of
representatives to congress, and in the cleo
tion of such legislators as are charged with
the election of a senator of the United States
vote directly on that issue. The support Of
that bill is being made the test of fealty to
the Democratic party. Ii the Republican
delegation in congress from Maine shall be
reelected it will be decisive expression on
the part of Maine that it is in favor of pro-
lection. If that delegation should be defeat
ed it would be an equally decisive declara-
tioh in the opposite direction. The defeat
of any member of the delegation would be
construed as evidence that Maine is giving
away on thatissue
There are few things less interesting than
to go through the entire tariff discussion
item by item; therefore, l shall ask your
attention to single article. will take one
upon which the Democratic party and free
traders generally have pointed out as deserv-
ing of special and marked reprobation, and
one to which l have referred during the can
yass already. The one thing upon which
they have made this assault is the duty
which was placed in 1870 on steel rails which
have built the railroads of the United States
In 1869 there were about 81, 600 to 5000 miles
of railroad in the whole OF the, United
States. Not long before that time there had
come across the water the Intelligence that
England was beginning to use steel rails,
and that they were very much more durable
aud better in every way than the iron ones.
Some of our people, anxious to get them,
paid at the factory in England 922 sterling
per ton in gold coin-$110 per ton when they
added duties and transferred it into green
backs. The first steel rails were laid in this
country at an average cost of about $160 to
$40 per ton. This went on until 1870. The
manufacturers of the country controlling the
iron interests-there was practically no steel
=. r0t1 xui1l n q
tective duty, we can make steel rails in this
country" Against the united protest of the
free traders, and with the apprehension and
timidity of many of the protective element OF
the country, Congress imposed duty & OF S2S
traders complained bitterly that this would
make the price so enormous that steel rails
couldn't be used in this country, Neverthe..
less we imposed duty. had the honor OF
sharing in the legislation up to that time
July 1870 There never had been made 50.-
600 tons of steel rails in this country. There
never had been made in old or other form OF
steel over 10000 tons; for Bessemer steel
we depended entirely on Europe. That was
fifteen years from that time the manufac-
turers Of the United States had turned out
10000. 600 tons of steel rails, enough Tor TO-
600 miles of railway. That so rapidly re-
duced the price that in this very last year
steel rails sold down to within 80 cents OF
the duty alone of 1870 SO that rails were
furnished at the shop at $3.50 ton where
they had originally cost $3.50 to S17O ton,
and while we iwere doing this we increased
steel product of other kinds. Every form of
steel that was needed, until within some
time we produced in this country 100000
tons of ingot, and other steel as shown by
official statistics. In ten million tons of steel
rails and 5000, 900 tons of ingot and other
steels. If the cost of that ever be averaged
it will be found to be about $50 ton. We
started at very high price and kept de-
creasing so that the average was about $50
Therefore that product should III this coun-
try be $50 O0O 900, and 100000 tons of ingot,
and other steel at the same price sold for
$7500O0, so that the steel product from July,
1870, to July, 1885, amounted, at the selling
price in this country, to 81, ,250 000, 900. want
to say word to the laboring men as to the
cost of that steel. When labor put its hands
to it it was nothing except iron ore in the
mine. Labor met it there where it was worth
Just ten cents tons royalty. With the eX-
ception of that ten cents ton every dollar
of that $1,250,0O0,006 was the produce of
labor. What did labor get out of that?
They say these steel manufacturers made a
great sum No doubt they did They went
into an experiment which took enormous
capital and that they had to make a great
made for themselves $3.50, ,OOO. 900, putting it
at its extreme l don't think they actually
made anything like that amount. But for
argument sake it is admitted they left there
fore S1,OOO,OUO,OOO TO De ulSlrlDuIeu W Tue
strong arms and Drowned hands of skilled
labor which made that steel. CTremendous
applause.) Was it not better to have that
steel made here and kept that 81, 900, 1000
at home Voices ''Yes! yesP' and applause,)
and other millionstoo. We never would have
bought that 25, COO, 900 tons of steel at $50 if
England had been left with monopoly .of
this market as she had when that high duty
was put on. She would never have reduced
the price. 1t was protection In this country
Il. 4 CO hat not Nf1lx rxuac n
OOopaid out to the labor of the country, but
the railroads of the country got their steel
vastly cheaper than they ever could have got
them If they had been left dependent on
England. If that policy. does not yindieate
itself then it is impossible that. any indus
| trial policy can vindicate itself. Not only
| would we have failed to get that steel at
| that price, but can say with absolute con-
| fidence, as every business man will join In
| saying, except for the protection policy
which kept that 81, ,250. 100000 at home we
| should not have had a vast extent OF rail-
road. 1t was not within the financial abil-
| ity Of this country to stand drafts which
| the war made on us-outgo to foreign
| have been done 1t would have stood in the
| way of the development of the country. Now
| that is the worst case they bring against US.
| daughter and applause)
1t has enabled the United States to have
| larger mileage of railway today than all the
| rest of the world put together. 1t has bound
the extremeN northwest to the extreme South
west, so that you can take car here from
under the shadow of Mount Blue, aud go to
the utmost bounds of the Republic. 1t could
not been done except for protective tariff.
| The ultimate cause lay in that $2S OF duty
that brought money from the pockets OF cap,
| italists, that started energy and enterprise OF
| invention quickened the arm of labor, and led
| to the results that have been the surprise and
the admiration of the world. (Cheers:)
Mr.. Blaine then referred to Prohibition.
Mr.. Gibson followed comparing the records
of the two great parties and Mr.. Blair con-
cluded by an able argument in opposition to
the Third Party. Music was furnished by