Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-29
FHE TARIFF.
A BATTLING" SPEECH IN FAVOR
OF PROTECTION.
One Of the Most Convincing and
Clinching Arguments Yet Made
Upon the Subject.

1he HOUSE cf Representatives being in
Committee of the Whole, and having the
Mills tariff bill under consideration. Hon.
William e. Mason of Illinois said:
Nr. CHAIRMAN: I was much pleased but
lot surprised at the knowledge of the gen
tleman from New York who Just took his
seat dr. CoXj of the wardrobe of the
devil. ILsughter.l
His scarlet pants and coat of blue.
And little hole for his tail to come through"
were very beautiful; but if the devil was
half as patriotic as | suspect him of being
he bought his garments, of whatever color.
hole aEd all, in the recesses of he'll. Laugh
ter. can imagine from the acquaintance
the gentleman shows with his satanic
majesty that when his earthly career is
closed be viii approach the gate, and, after
having been refused admittance by Peter.
he viii approach the other warmer spot
and give MS lame, Samuel Sullivan Cox.
late OF New York The devil will saw
Why Mr. Cox, could you not make it up
there?' No" The devil IF. T.?' yes:
ftree-trader; couldn't make it." Whereupon
his majesty saws Walk right in, Mr. Sam
uel sullivan Cox; we take everything
that comes 10 this shore; it is the only free
trade corner in the universe" 1Applause
and laughter
A farmer cnce having left home re-
ceived The following letter from fox:
Ny Dear Mf. Farmer: I am informed and be-
heye that your hen and chickens are not well
and desire to tender YOU my most earnest SO.
licitude and my attention as their physician
Please have your man leave the hen house
open nights that may treat them.
Your true friend, A. Fox.
To which the farmer modestly replied:
Hy DeoT Mr. For: Your kind and neighborly
letter has Just been received. Your relations
with me and my chickens in the past have not
been such as would warrant me in EMPLOYING
you as their physician. The doctor should be
the friend Of his patient. l expect to be at
home after the 4th of March next and l will
look out tor my own ceickens.
respectfully yours, A. FARMER
So you understand, after the manner of
A5op, we do not want him to doctor our
chickens. The tariff chicken belongs to the
Republican party, and your anxiety to
doctor It leads us to suspect your are more
interested as an undertaken than as o ply
stefan. lApplause.]
/ represent 4 Republican district. dis,
trict 4 favor of tariff reform, and | stand
ready to vote for any bill to reform the in
consistenc;es of the tariff consistent with
the best interests Of the industries of this
country.
I charge that the Democratic party. or a
majority OF that party, is in favor of free
trade. The Republican party is in favor of
protection and while many of Us believe
there should be reform of the tariff, as |
nave suggested, still the great underlying
difference between the two parties is there
to stay.
To prove that the Democrats are free.
traders, l make q very few extracts of the
many that could be cited to prove my po-
sition.
The gentleman from Texas [Nr. Harel
said
q fori for 10 IL,
foundation and principal cause of all the com.
plants and unrest that has either threatened or
actually disturbed the public peace and quiet
Tor years, because it fosters one industry at the
expense of another, it transfers the labor and
production OF one class and gives it to another,
thereby building up small class of great wealth
pie.
am opposed to any tariff whatever for pro-
lection simply
five did not require money to defray the ex-
penses of government, would be an absolute
and uncomprising free trader.
The argument of those who favor protection is
lamong other things) that such tariff is neces-
sary 70 protect labor and production, and, to
prove it, it is shown that the laborer is paid
on the globe.
Admitting the fact that in dollars and cents
the United States pays higher wages than Eng
land that England pays more than other coun-
tries in Europe, and that Europe pays higher
than India, yet it is also established fact that
the laborer in the United States cannot as a.
his toll at the end of each year; nor can he do
so in England, nor elsewhere in Europe, nor in
india IL is equally as well established that in
all those countries the labOrer does eat and wear
clothes adapted to his country and climate
Then what is the difference between earning 81
per day or 10 cents per day, if the result is the
same namely sufficient TO eat to preserve life
and sufficient to wear to protect the body.
Think OF II! Sufficient to eat to preserve
lie Is the average Democratic heart not
kind 10 the laborer? Life can be pre-.
served on % cents per day, or less. Is he
afraid "ur laborers if they get 81 80 per
day VIII die of the gout? Viii even
fTee-tradsr say the workingmen are to
have nothing but bare sufficiency for
the stomach and back Is there TO be no
home and no home-life for him? No food
and clothes and books for his children no
pictures to light his wall and no music or
ray Of refinement in his home? God pity
this nation when such despair shall settle
upon the hearts of those who labor.
The gentleman from Illinois Mr.. Lane1
says, the nations of the earth are striving
to draw near TO each other" Yes, every
nation IN the world employing pauper and
cheap labor is trying to draw near to us.
Every tramp he meets on the street will
try to draw near TO him. The filth and YER
min on the tramp will try and draw near
10 him IN order to indulge in free trade
But Why does my colleague draw back
from the festive tramp? Why erect Chi
nese wall between yourself and the tramp?
Oh be says, am on different plane of
life; do not need him. But my country
should get down and trade freely with any
other country in the world.
Do you not know and can you not see
that IL this country every citizen, however
humble his trade or calling, is his own
master, and that our country, therefore, as
compared with most others, was built
under the providence of God by brave an
csstors upon mere certain foundation and
higher plane?
Mr.. Mills, Chairman of the committee,
and the acknowledged leader of the Demo-
cratic party, says
We viii increase wealth if we lower the
duties and let importationS come in of those
things which can be produced cheaper IN other
countries than our own,
There is not a manufactured article on
this earth wherein the raw materials are
common and wherein labor creates part
that caG not be produced cheaper in any
other country in the world than in our own.
Why Simply because the labor is cheaper.
No man can live in this country on the
wsges paid in other countries not because
he cannot exist but he must clothe and
educate MS children, or violate the public
sentiment Of this country, which sentiment
is our chief honor and glory.
his proposition of Mir. Mills carried TO
its legitimate results, would do one of two
things. 1t would either close every manu-
featuring and labor-employing establish
meniiH this country or reduce those en-
ploye5 there to the cheap wages of other
countries. This would drive the children of
the laborer from the school-house 10 the
factories and mines, and may the Great
Father OF nations long delay the day when
the American youth (the foundation stones
c1.aI1 l. fol
mind and body by this free trade process.
Table showing rates of wages paid in free
trade England and in the United States under
protective laws
England. United States.