The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-08-29
Talks on the Tariff.
From the New York Pres,

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From the New York Press
Our tariff talk to-day is with Mr.. James
W. Birkett of IS Myrtle avenue and 81
Smithstr Brooklyn wheis the iarges;
manufacturer of steam heating apparatus
and steam filters engineers supplies in
that city, and who has accumulated a
competency with his own head sni
hands.
"Of course shall vote for Harrison
and Morton, not because am Repub-
lican, but for the reason that aha for
protection to home indnstrie0, and they
stand on that platform, and so they will
get my vote. If they stood on the plat
form made for Grover Cleveland | would
cut my right hand off before ] should de-
posit ballot for them.
employ great many men, and their
wages average S2I a week. In Europe
they could no earn half oft. / would
be better off il the Democratic theory of
taking the duty off raw material was put
into practice, but am not so selfish as to
favor so pernicious doctrine because it
would benefit me and a few others. l
take ahigher view of it, and do not squint
at it FROM that point alone, A great deal
of arrant humbug finds its way into the
colums of the Democratic newspapers to
the effect that the manufacturers are the
greatest bene6eiaries from protective
tariff. OF course they are benefited.
If they were not they could not main
tain the high nate of wages which our
mechanics and working people receive,
1t is the latter who get the greater bene-
fit from the tariff, not the manufacturers.
Why, We pay on an average more than
twice as much to our working people as
they could get in any free trade country
on the face of the earth. If protection
doesn't enable us to do this, what does
There is no comparison between the
workingman's condition here and abroad.
In Italy, Belgium and Austria forty to
fifty cents day is big pay for skilled me-
chanics, and thousands of them live, sleep
and eat in the streets because they have
no homes only wish every working
man could take trip to Europe before
he votes, to see for himself the degrada-
ton and misery of the working people
there. He would come back for protee-
ton and for Harrison and Morton My
men are able to bring their families up
in good style. and to educate their chill
dren. If they lived in Europe they could
do neither. | tell you, the government
of the nited States is the greatest one
in the world. Whyf Because tie work
ing people, who are the main spring Of
any nation, are better housed, better fed
and better clothed, and better educated
than those of any other nation.
"Let Grover Cleveland and his free
trade lieutenants from the South have
their way and in ten years all this viii be
changed. Instead of building msnufaet-
ories, churches and schoolhouses our in
genuity and purses will be taxed to the
utmost to build almsbouses fast enough
to meet the demand for shelter from our
workingmen and women whose oceupa-
tion will be gone when the products of
the pauper labor of European countries
food our markets
"'Oh, no, says the Democrat, L am not
free trader, am only for the reduction
of war taxes What humbug. 1t is an
insult to a mans intelligence. Reducing
import duty will increase the revenue,
because of the increased demand for the
cheaper productions, and the only way
the revenue from imports can be reduc-
ed is to take the duty off altogether
"On many things we have prohibi-
tory duty now; reduce it and our work
shops will be closed, but the revenue will
be increased, not reduced. Competition
makes the price here as low as it can be
for the welfare of the Nation and the
people. Take off the duties and swamp
our manufacturers with pauper labor
produced goods and financial ruin will
stalk throughout til land. How careful
the Democrats are not TO hurt their fire.
eating brethren in Louisiana and the low
lands where sugar and rice are grown,
and yet these same fire eaters were abso-
lutte free traders when they had the pow
er to be, as one of the cardinal principles
embodied in the Constitution of the late
Confederate State was in these words,
Nor shall any duties or taxes on impor-
tations f ON foreign nations be laid to
promote or foster any branch of home
industry And now these hypocrites say
they do not mean free trade. ] wish they
could be induced TO stop lying just long
enough to tell me what in the name Of
heaven they do mean, if it is nca free
trade"