The Portland daily press., 1888-08-23
Mr.. Emery's Alleged speech.

The Hon. William Emery's solicitude for
the poor farmer and the oppressed laboring
man. as manifested in his alleged speech at
Alfred, is quite touching. We hope it may
continue after he is defeated for Congress,
and manifest itself in more practical way
nuIhluE-
men who understood the extent of their op-
preston until it was revealed to them by
Mr.. Emery, and even under the spell of his
alleged eloquence it may be doubted
fany considerable number Of them will be
able to realize their melancholy condition.
But Mr. Emery cites figures to prove it and
figures are always entitled TO respect. There
Is serious trouble however with Mr.. Emery's
premise that tariff duties increase the price
Of the articles on which they are laid by
their precise amount. We know that he
can cite as authority for this premise that
great Democratic economic authority, Gro
yer Cleveland, by grace of the fraudulent
vote of the solid South now President of the
United States. But Mr. Cleveland is not in
fallible, and If Mr.. Emery will take pains to
examine the question for himself he will no
doubt quickly conclude that Mr.. Cleveland
Is far from right. that he is very much wrong
on this point. With this premise shown to
be false Mr.. Emery's figures are good for
nothing and all his melancholy conclusions
concerning the oppression of the poor work
ingman by the tariff become mere moon
shine. Let us quote some authority on this
point To Republican authority of course,
Mr. Emery would pay no attention, so we
won't trouble him with that. Lumber is one
Of the necessities There is duty of So per
thousand on lumber. If the duty increases
the price of lumber by the precise amount of
1t then removing the duty will cheaper lum-
Der 81 per Thousand. But what saws the
Hon. George Walker, eminent Democratic
authority. on this point. Mr.. Walker says
that removing the duty-or as Mr. Emery
styles it the tax-will make no difference in
the price of lumber. So according to this
eminent Democratic authority. the removal
OF the duty on lumber will do not penny's
worth of good towards relieving the op-
pressed farmer and man of small means.
The enormous tax poor people are paying on
woods and woolens is also troubling Mr..
Emery. And here he leaves it to be inferred
that the cost is enhanced by the precise
amount of the duty. What are the facts?
Take blankets. which are one of the favorite
bugbears of the free trade screamers. Here
is some Democratic experience. In 1887 the
present administration advertised for bids
for the purchase of blankets for the use of
the medical department of the army There
were foreign and American bids. The for
eign bid for four-pound blanket was
1925 2-10. The American bid for the same
was S2.56-30 $40 difference. The total
amount of the foreign bid was $4,5O and
the total amount of the American bid was
$5,120. In other words 1000 blankets of a
certain grade sold for $4,504 in Eng
land while the same number of the
same grade manufactured in the United
States sold for $500. But the total
duty on these foreign blankets was
S3o164O. Now if the duty increases
the price by its precise amount then these
American blankets ought to have cost ST.
20.4o whereas they did cost but little over
$4,000 Here the fallacy of Mr.. Emery's pre-
mise is shown as regards blankets. Now has
Mr.. Emery taken the trouble to compare the
price OF blankets in this country to- day with
their price under the free trade tariff of
1860? Probably not, for the result would
not tend to show that protection Expresses,
while free trade relieves the poor man. In
1860 the same blankets which to-day sell for
$1.02, $145, $1.31, $1.9O, $25S, $4.35, 1886
and $3.50 sold for So, $3.50, 1925, $3.50.
$40, $3.50, $40 and $13. Not much
oppression here. So we might go throush
the whole list of articles which Mr.. EN-
cry cites to show the oppression of the
man OF small means and we should find the
same state of facts in regard to every one of
them-namely, that their cost was not in
creased by the precise amount of the duty.
and that since 1860, when a tariff for revenue
was in existence, the price of each had de-
creased-with one exception. This excep-
tlon is sugar. Now the Republicans have
been anxious to remove the duty from sugar
entirely, but the Democrats have insisted on
maintaining upon itavery high tariff. Lum-
Der the Democrats have insisted on putting
on the free list, though so eminent an author
ity as Mr.. George Walker says,...to do so will
benefit nobody but the Canadian lumbermen
Wool also they have placed upon the free
list, though the result of that can at most he
but slight reduction in the price of wool
ems. But sugar, the removal of the duty
from which would undoubtedly enure greatly
to the benefit of the consumer, and bring
substantial relief to the workingman, has
been kept on the dutiable list at 6S per cent
to oblIge the Louisiana sugar planters and
The sugar trust. This is the way the De-
mocracy have brought relief to the laborine
man. 1t is for such benefits as these that the
Hon. William Emery bespeaks for them and
for himself as their representative the support
Of men of moderate means. Mr.. Emery SAYS
he is not to make many speeches in this cam
paign. II his Alfred speech represents the
best he can do it is altogether fortunate for
his party that be is to keep silent hereafter,