The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-28
A FREB TRADE SPEECH
By Ex-senator Joseph H. Nc.
Donald, of Indiana.
HE DEFENDS THE MILLS BILL
With its Free Wool and Free Raw
SIaterials-A Talk that VIII Not
Help Mr.. Cleveland Among
Protection Democrats.

INDIANAPOLIS, august ZI'-EN'SenatO
Joseph E. Mcdonald delivered an ad
dress here tonight in the criminal cour
room. The meeting was under tn
auspices OF the Hendricks club, and wa
very generally attended by citizens o
both parties. The Speech is regarded a
the key note OF the tariff reform cam
paign in this State.
Senator Mcdonald began by quoting
from President Cleveland's tariff reform
message to Congress. He touched upon
the surplus in the federal treasury and
quoted from the federal constitution tc
show that the, only power OF the GOV.
ernment to levy tax is for its legiti.
mate expenses, incurred for the general
good. He then took up and considered
the Mills bill ut length, promising that
he would speak to some extent from tho
Indiana standpoint. In reply to the
charges made by the Republicans that
the wool clause OF the bill was framed
in the interest OF the South, the speaker
said:
$50 far from this being true with refer
ence to the wool and wooden tariffs and
the changes proposed, il they disCrimi-
nate against any section OF the country,
it is against the southwest and the Pa
cltiC States. There have been changes
going on from the very foundation OF
our Government in regard to what may
be termed the wool centers, that are
irrespective OF tariff provisions. In the
early history OF our country, New Eng
land was the centre Of the wool produc-
ton; then it shifted to the Middle
States; then to the West, and finally it
passed the Mississippi river, and is To-
Gated in the Southeastern States and ter
ritories aud in the States OF the Pacific
slope" Senator Mcdonald quoted from
statistics to sustain this point in view.
The interest OF Indiana, he declared,
was in cheap wool in order to have
cheap clothing. Hereafter Indiana
would raise sheep for mutton rather
than for wool. The speaker declared
that free wool would injure neither the
sheep raiser or the laborcrs engaged in
wooden mills; that on the contrary,
they would be benefited. He dweIt
upon this point at length, and illus
trated it by citing the boot and shoe
leather trade, which is doing u large
export business, but still has spare man
ufHcturing capacity, being able TO fill
the orders with only eight months
work per year; and he declared that
with Il small reduction in the cost Of
raw, material would enable our manu-
,iacturers to build up foreign trade suf-
licient to keep their shops busy the
year through.
The Senator continued by saying that
the costly plants for the manufacture OF
cotton fabrics in New England and those
for the manufacture OF iron in Pennsyl-
vauia We're lar removed from the source
OF the raw material; depend upon the
tariff for their existence, and kept up
tie price OF their respective products.
1t may be safely asserted that the future
success OF the manu- ufacturing enterprises
in the United States will turn very great
ly upon the question OF cheap raw ma
terial, cheap plants and cheap machin-
cry. Our natural advantages in the pro-
duCtion OF cotton and our mineral re-
sources ought to furnish us with cheap
raw material in ut least the leading ar
ticles OF manufacture; but cheap plants
and cheap machinery can only be secur-
cd by relieving the articles necessary to
be used in the construction ,of the
burdensome taxation which they at
present are subject to.
He denounced the charges that the
Mills bill was drawn under the influences
of the Golden Club in British interests
as demagogy, and proceeded to show
what commercial results Great Britain
had achieved under her Free Trade pol
icy, and added: "From these facts, l
know very well that as long us Great
Britain can he permitted TO monOpOlize
the carrying trade OF the world and the
markets Of the world outside the United
States, she is perfectly willing that we
shall amuse ourselves by trading jackets
with each other inside OF our
lines; but that il some day, as
we undoubtedly shall, we break
through this crust Of protection and en-
ter into competition with hcrin the mar
kets Of the world, then we may expect
that she will throw every impediment
possible in our way. The opportunity
is. presented for our doing il now; if It
be allowed TO pass by it may be years be-
fore it is presented ngain in any form so
favorable"
He closed with an eulogy OF the Dem
ocratic National ticket, and charged that
General Harrison is not, us claimed, a
friend OF the workingman.