Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-10
Over Four Hundred Guests Present.
Among Them Many of the
Prominent Republicans.
Senator Sherman Makes the Principal Talk
Attacking Mr.. Lowell's Speech Be-
fore the Tariff Reform Club.
Mr.. Mckinley. of Ohio. Regales the Com
pany with Good. Sound, SenSl-
BILE Ideas Oh Protection.

the hall were thirteen gentlemen, one seat
being vacant. that assigned to Governor
Oliver Ames. They were the prominent
guests and their names were: President
Timothy Merrick, Senator John Sherman
Hon. Nathan Golf, Jr., Hon. VIM. N. Os
born. Gen. w F. Draper, Hon. Fred ID.
Ely. Hon. A w. Beard, Hon. w. w.
Grape. Hon. w. A. Russell, Hon. Theo-
dore c. Bates, Hon. Charles III. Grosvenor,
r. c. Search and Hon. William McKin-
ley, Jr.
From the ceilings depended many ban
ners, bearing inscriptions while bunting in
festoons hung from every corner After
the cloth had been removed, President
Merrick arose and briefly alluded to the
fame of the clubs guests, concluding by in
Producing Senator John Sherman.
Senator Sherman thanked these gentle
men for the reception accorded him. He
said:
Referring to the Home Market club, /
like the name, for it describes your princi-
pies When think of the contrast be
tween our home market and the foreign
market, in magnitude and pro
portions. the universal benefits
of one and the comparative I'M
unimportance of the other, l am led to
wonder why so. many gentlemen of edu-
cation and character are willing to endan-
ger the wonderful development of our
home industries To increase our foreign
competition. | believe the best we .can do
for mankind is TO do the best for..our coun
try"
Mr.. Sherman attacked Mr.. Lowell for
his speech at the Tariff Reform league
banquet He found but very little in his
remarks about the tariff, but good deal
about President Cleveland. Said Mr.
Sherman: MIR. Lowell, who has been
honored by the great party with its conf
dence and trust. places Cleveland
above Grant. the great soldier of Onr coun-
try: above Mr.. Hays, who certainly
gave to our country pure and
excellent administration, and Mr.
Lowell. himself. above Garfield. one of the
most accomplished of American states
men, and above Mr.. Arthur, in every
respect model gentleman and prudent
and able president" Speaking of Presi-
dent Cleveland's policy, the senator said
The inevitable effect is to increase impor-
tation at the expense and loss of our home
market, and especially to reduce the wages
of all engaged in industries competing
with foreign production. His message
creates alarm among the business men at
home and gives JOY and hope to every
market in Europe" Referring to the sur
plus, Mr.. Sherman remarked The sur
plus is great deal better than a deficit.
1t has been growing since the close of the
war. IL has enabled US to perform the
magnificent feat of rapidly reducing the
public debt, policy which has excited the
admiration OF the greatest statesmen of
Europe. This growing surplus was be-
queathed to Mr. Cleveland by his prede-
cessors and was applied by them to the
r 4 II. 4 l..
reduction of taxes. 1t is a rational and
steady result of our increase in wealth and
population growing out of the policy of
protection to home Industries. Onr friends
may be surprised that the surplus revenue
did not stop with the election of a Demo
cratic president, but perhaps it will be if
his advice is followed Certainly il will
ables US to import goods and pay taxes.
But why is not this surplus ap-
plid to the payment or purchase
ofs the public debt? Whose fault
is il that il accumulates in the treasury
Plainly the fault of Mr.. Cleveland whose
secretary of the treasury is authorized TO
apply this surplus at any time to the re
duction of the public debt. If he had
followed the example of his predecessors
he would, weekly or monthly. without
proclamation or notice, have purchased
and relieved the public debt under the
main provisions of the existing law. But
if the president preferred to reduce the
surplus by IA reduction of taxation, why
did he not apply to congress to reduce tax
alton without disturbing home pro-
auctions? | know that at any time in the
last congress the taxation could have been
reduced but for the desire of the speaker
of the honse and the president to strike
AT the home industries rather than
to reduce taxation. Hungry mouths of
i'm, Z he, rial
suits in every part of our country. furnish
the best market for their productions: and
you, in New England, even your professors
and free traders. will learn that the steady
demand made by millions of your coun-
trymen III the west and south for textile
and metallic fabrics furnishes you hun
dred fold better market than you can find
in the overstocked markets of Europe and
Asia. If you join in breaking down this
system in order to increase your foreign
market for manufacturers from , to even
10 per cent, You will destroy the goose that
lays the golden egg. You may ask me
what | have to say about tariff re
form. answer that am decidedly in favor
of tariff reform, always have been, and
always will be. How would | reduce tho
surplus, j answer frankly the tariff
ought To be carefully revised with view
to correct any inequalities or incongruities
that have grown ont of the change of
u
that every imported article which does
not compete with our domestic industry
and is essential TO the comfort and wants
of our people should be on the free list:
that every raw material of industry which
does not compete with our own pro-
auctions should be especially placed on the
free list; that whenever any industry
which can be conducted in this country
with reasonable success needs a moderate
increase of duty for its protection.
Hon. VIM. Mckinley, jr., of Ohio, being
introduced WAS received with repeated
applause He said: Massachusetts needs
rs much protection today as she ever did.
and needs it as much as any state in the
Union. The avenues in the state for in
viting capital and labor are limited and
Tor this you need protection Just as much
rs we do in Ohio. / am addressing the
men who started unaided by wealth left
tothem, the industries OF the state. Ii is
asserted by the revenue tariff retormers
that the money received by the govern
meut lie unnecessary. Why, Ii requires
more than s}oo.oo0.o00 every year TO
meet the obligations of the government,
and the only WAY ii gets il Is ny taxation,
and IL can he obtained in TWO ways-either
by taxing home goods and property. or 10y
levying tax on foreign goods. 1t has
been the settled policy 10 raise its money
from import duties. The president has
emphasized his issue and we tonight APP
peal from the president 10 the prophetic
onfy sovereign that We recognize One
line Of political thought is to let the manu-
factured goods of foreign countries come
in free. That is the tariff reformeIS. The
other principle is TO let goods that do no;
compete with ours, come in free. That is
the only way the tariff can be re
formed, and that is the stand
that the other party takes. If freedom
from taxation cheapens the products of
our country there is no reason why il