The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-10-06

worth fitty cents, no, not thirty cents,
on the dollar. And stop they all will
unless the tariff laws are amended"
"As a manufacturer you believe
there is immediate relief In the Mills
bill?"
81 am sure there is relief in IT. II
would start up the idle mills, because
with free materials we could supply
the better, finer qualities of cloths
which are now imported. We have
skill and machinery TO make the best,
the very best goods. Just fling orders
for 500, 100000 worth of goods to our
manufacturers, after they have wool
without duty on it, and see how quick
ly the situation will change. AT pres
ent French and English mills and for
eign labor are taking the $50, ,000, 900
away from us and our wage earners.
For one, want to see that money re-
main here"
"But Mr.. Quay and Mr.. Blaine say
you mustn't disturb matters, and these
millions going out is all right and in
the interest of the worklngmas."
Then Mr.. Sandford laughed. "Oh,
yes" he said, "they, as mere impraoti-
cable politicians, know all about it.
We mill owners don't know anything
ebout. our business. How should we,
eh? We can remember, perhaps, W hat
Mr.. Blaine said when he came through
here on his 'triuInphal car' last election,
that revision and home manufactures
were two very essential features.
This reminds me of al impertinent in
dividual " no intimated in a Fishkill,
N. Y, journal in a letter-which was
copied in local sheet here-that he had
known us tor twenty-five years, and
when we said foreign woods were the
best suited to our business we didn't
know what we were talking about. OF
course one cannot teach the ass that 1t
is wrong TO kick'.tor tia his nature to-
neither can one attempt to correct all
the false and malicious statements of
the long cared bipeds who imagine
that fslsehood and misrepresentation
will aid the republicans in a canvass
which necessarily puts them on the
defensive. L can only repeat that if
we can have free foreign woods we can
make better and cheaper goods, all OF
which will inure to the benefit OF the
purchaser and consumer. The better
and cheaper the produc. the larger the
demand. The larger the demand the
more work and steadier wages for our
workmen. AS our republican cham
pions said four years ago, we are en-.
gagged in q battle for industrial free
dom. We shall secure it AS surely as
our fathers secured hzman freedom.
A mighty host is in the fight. Public
opiniOn is aroused, and that never
marches backward. Economic reforms
spring into life like the famous grain OF
wheat that had been enwrapped in the
shroud of the Egyptian mummy. A
very excess of wrong brings forth right,
Rancorous partisan cowardice, COVER
ing under the party lash, cannot retard
the inevitable (which is emancipation
from commercial fetters. We raise
265 100000 pounds of wool in this
country; we use nearly 600,000,00
pounds. Why should we pay a heavy
duty on the three hundred and odd
million pounds we don't rai-s2 If we
can't grow the extra quantity needed
and must have it, if we are to supply
our home demand even, why should we
not have it as cheaply as possible
, We use between 5000 and 6 900 pounds
, of wool day in our mill. But you
don't suppose anybody is benefited
, because we are compelled to use the
. material that is least suitable for oui
, product! 1t is q false theory and ,
> very serious national policy which
5 forces trade into channels in opposition
, to natural laws, and the tariff is doius
this to us and others
Judging from bridgeport republi
{ can journals, there is great confidence
Q that the present condition of things will
not be changed IN Connecticut, how
I ever" vontured TO say.
I "Well,' replied Mr. Sandford, "tha
I is mere partiSanship With that hav,
nothing TO do. But will not do IN,
g fellow citizens, as rule. the injustic,
: OF impeaching their Intelligence b,
t assuming that they do not know goot
Z from bad or Indifferent thug. If
a majority of the people OF this stat,
e insist that our present situation, coin
T. mercially, is desirable, and under what
/ ever circumstances vote to continue it
T. we must bow to the decision as Le.
: SUpremuS. OF course there are, or a
least there were, many workingmel
" who, never having studied the ecoIomi,
question, simply understood that higl
tariff was superb something whicl
l., protected them in their labor. 1t wa
: next to impossible to prove TO then
e that 1t did not and could not rails
e wages; that, on the contrary, 1t tendet
v to depress them, for the more highly al
a industry was protected, as in iron ant
+ woolens, the more miserable the pay
4 There are not SO many obtuse mind
= day. The tariff has become to b.
g pretty we'll understood, and | beiev,
e when my republican projections
a friends see the result of voting the,
G will think so too. This my opinion a
| a citizen, tor am not a politician, ,neve
e have held office, don't want it AIT
p wouldn't take it if offered"
I "What do you think of the protection
: afforded by the Mills bill?"
D 81 consider it sufficient. | can illus
+ trate this to you very readily in on
a business. The duty OH Scotch caps i
e about 81 20 dozen. That covers tn
+ full amount of our labor on them
! Hence, if the English had their labo
/ for nothing we could beat them il
| making these articles with our superior
methods and better machinery. Blu
T. you know labor will always cost then
: something and they therefore will
, be at disadvantage"
+ "Ilave you noticed the statement tha
! if we can beat the world i'll anything i
ought 10 be in cotton goods, but tina
we don't, and have only small shat,
of the tradeW
| eyes, have noticed it, and laughed
5 over it, too. The fact Is we are very
fast encroachinS upon the trade of the
! English i'll collons. Some southern
mills are exporting their entire pro
duct. Wherever our cOttons go they
hold the market. The U. S. treasury
reports show this. But the English
still have some advantages in that trade
Their mills aud machinery are con,
sIructed at cost less Than tWo-thirds
the cost OF similar plants in Fall River.
The interest on capital, therefore, is
less to begin with. Then there are no
presidents and ireasurers and seCreta-
rles and long list of underlings and
non-productive employees, drawing
from S25 900 to $4,000 year each.
The English pay moderate salaries and
reduce the cost of productions; hence
can sell cheaper. Put all American
mills on the same basis, and the English
cotton spinncrs will have to jump
around very lively TO keep their mills
open. All of (which should teach
us lessons in honest, efficient, ecOnomi-
cal management. And there need be
no starvation wages paid here either.
a great item with us is the tremendous
cost of machinery, with lis forty five
per cent. tariff added on. | maintain
this is one OF the most serious bars to