The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-09-21

people are not so dull as to miss or
neglect the grave interests that are involved
for them. The assault upon our protective
system is open and defiant. Protection is as
sailed as unconstitutional in law or as vicious
IN principle, and those who hold such views
sincerely, can not stop short of an absolute
elimination from tariff laws of theepFinci-
pie of protection. The Mills bill only step,
but it is toward an object that the leaders of
Democratic thought and legislation have clear
IL in mind. The important question is not so
much the length of the step rs the direction of
it. Judged by the Executive message of De-
cember last; by the Mills bill; by the debates
in Congress, and by the St. Louis platform, the
Democratic party will, If supported by the
country, place the tariff laws upon purely
revenue basis. This is practical fres--
trade-free-trade in the English sense.
The legend upon the banner may
not be Free Trade'-it may be the
more obscure motto, ~'"Tarif Reform," but
neither the banner nor the inscription is
conclusive, or, indeed, very important The
assault itself is the important fact. Those
who teach that the import duty upon foreign
goods sold in our market is paid by the con-
sumner, and that the price of the domestic
competing article is enhanced to the amount of
the duty on the imported article; that every
million OF dollars collected for customs duties
represents many millions more which do not
reach the treasury, but are paid by our citizens
as the increased cost of dom estic productions
resulting from the tariff laws, may not intend
to discredtt in the minds of others our system
Of levying duties competing for
eign products, but it is clearly al
ready discredited in their own. We
can not doubt, without impu gnfng their
integrity that II free to act upon their oonvic-
lions, they would so revise our laws as to lay
the burdens OF the customs revenue upon arti-
cles that not produced in this country, and
place upon the free list all competing foreign
products. I do not stop to retute this theory
as to the effect Of our tariff duties. Those who
advance it are students of maxims and not Of
the markets They may be safely allowed to
call their project Tariff Reform if the people
understand that in the end the argument com
pels free trade in all competing products.
This end may not be reached abruptly, and its
approach may be accompanied with some ex-
pressions OF sympathy for our protected indus
tries and our working people, but it will GER
tainly come, II these early steps do not arouse
the people to effective resistance.
The Republican party holds that protective
tariff is constitutional, wholesome and neces-
sary. We do not offer fixed schedule, but a
principle We will revise the schedule, modi-
fy rates, but always with an intelligent provi-
sion as to the effect upon domestic production
and the wages Of our working people. We be-
ieve it to be one of the worthy objects of tarih
legislation to preserve the American market
for American producers and to maintain the
American scale of wages by adequate discrim-
mating duties upon foreign competing prod
| ucts. The effect of lower rates and larger i'm
| portatiOns upon the public revenue is cOntin-
! gent and doubtful; but not so the effect upon
/ American production and American wages.
/ Less work and lower wages must be accepted
/ as the inevitable result Of the increased offer
| ing of foreign goods in our market. By way of
/ recompense for this reduction in his wages and
/ the loss of the American market, it is suggest
/ ed that the diminished wages of the working
! man will have undiminished purchasing
! power, and that he will be able to make up for
/ the loss Of the home market by an enlarged
/ foreign market.
! Our workingmen have the settlement Of the
question in their own hands They now OBJ
/ tain higher wages and live more comfortably
/ than those of any other country. They will
make choice between the substantial advan-
tages they have in hand and the deceptive
/ promises and forecasts of these theoriZing re-
| formers. They will decide for themselves and
| for the country whether the protective system
/ shall be continued or des troyed. The fact of a
/ treasury surplus, the amount of which is va
! riOusly stated, has directed public attention to
a consideration of the methods by which the
/ National income may best be reduced to the
/ level of a wise and necessary expenditure.
| This condition has been seized upon by those
/ who are hostile to protective customs duties as
| an advantageous base of attack upon our tariff
/ laws. They have magnified and nursed the
surplus, which they affect to deprecate, seem
/ fngly for the purpose OF exaggerating the evil,
4 in order to reconcile the people to the extreme
| remedy they propose. proper reduction OF
! the revenues does not neCessitate, and should
not suggest, the abandonment or impair
/ ment OF the protective system The methods
/ suggested by our convention will not need tc
be exhausted in order to effect the necessary
/ red uction. We are not likely to be called
upon, I think, 10 make present choice be
tween the surrender OF the protective system
and the entire repeal Of the internal taxes.
Such a contingency, in view Of the present re
lation OF expenditures to- revenues, is remote
/ The inspection and regulation OF the manu-
facture and sale Of oleemargarine is important
and the revenue derived from it is not so grea
that the repeal Of the law need enter into AM
! plan Of revenue reduction. The surplus now il
the treasury should be used in the purchase o
bonds. The law authorizes this use OF it, anC
II IL IS not needed for current or deficiency ap
! propriations. the people, and not the banks, i
| which il has been deposited, should have th'
advantage OF its use by stopping interest upoI
/ the public debt. At least those who needlessl!
hoard It should not be allowed TO use the fea
Of a monetary stringency. thus produced, 4
coerce public sentiment upon other questions
| Closely connected with the subject OF tn
tariff is that OF the importation Of foreign labor
ers under contracts OF service TO be performe'
here. The law now in force prob biting sucl
contracts received my cordial support in tn
Senate, and such amendments as may be fount
necessary effectively 70 deliver our working
men and women from this most inequitabl
form Of competition will have my sincere adve
/ cacy. Legislation prohibiting the importation
| of laborers under contracts to serve here viii
however, AFFORD very inadequate relief 10 on
working people, IL the system OF protectlv
duties is broken down. II the products
/ American shops must compete in the Amer
can market, without favoEng duties, with "A
] products Of cheap foreign labor, the erect vi
be different, II at all. only in degree, whethe
the cheap la0orer Is across the street. or owe
! the sea Such compe tftion will soon reduc
wages here TO the level OF those abroad. an
/ when thai condition is reached We viii nc
I need any laws forbidding the importation
laborers under cOntract-they viii have no II
| ducement to come, and the employer non
I to z=afff tort saFTa