Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-06-14

| TOLEDO, June l4.-Frank Hurd, the dis
| tinguished advocate of tariff reform, in an
interview concerning the st, Louis platform,
laid: Upon that platform the fight will
De against the protective ideas The issue
will not be free trade bat protection. To
| me the idea of protection is not in keeping
| with the spirit of independence claimed
for the American people. Before the war
the Democratic party was handicapped
by the influence of the large class of slave
holders who wanted TO be protected in
their slave property. Now the Republican
party is held down by the manufacturers
| who are protected" The Republican
platform will claim, substantially, the
| same thing for labor that the Democratic
platform does, and thereby l think the
platform is uncongruous. Msnufactur-
ingsc be done cheaper in the United
States than in any country and if laborer
can produce suit of clothes in our country
Tor $20, where the same suit produced in
England would cost $40, there is no pro-
lection TO the American laborer in levying
tax on the English article will illus
trate. Say an English shoemaker makes
two pairs of shoes per day for 20 cents per
pair. With the aid of machinery and su-
perior skill the American maker produces
ten pair of shoes at IS cents per pair as
good as the English shoes, which cost twice
as much to produce. Where is the help to
the American laborer in protecting him
by tariff on the English article and de-
priving him of selling his handiwork in the
neutral market of the of the world?
There is no protection In placing a
tariff on the products of labor Were it
necessary to protect labor in our country
the only way to reach such an end would
be to place tariff on labor itself. This
talk OF foreign cheap labor is the result of
ignorance or duplicity in the reasoner.
The skill OF the American laborer in con-
nection with the wonderful mechanical
assistance be is given by the inventive
genius of our people enables him to
produce manufactured articles cheaper
than the foreign laborer, and the
alleged protection, instead of helping
hlm, protects the manufacturer and
aids monopoly, by prevent ting competition
In the neutral markets of the world where
the American goods would shut out those
OF other countries. Hence. l say the tariff
y no protection to the American laborer,
but enables the manufacturer to create mo-
nopoly to the detriment of the consumer.
When the same pair of shoes can be pro-
duced in the United States for IS cents that
it cost the English laborer to produce, there
is no protection in laying a tariff against
the English article when fair competition
and free trade would place the home article
Is successful competition against the foreign
in the neutral markets.
AS an entirety the Democratic platform
is q victory for that element of the party
that favors progress and tariff reform.
While i am ready for free trade at any
time, there are some in the party who are
not, and the free trade element is making
its point step by step as best it can. And
they are fighting for principle which, I
hope, for the best interests OF our country,
will ultimately triumph. had conyer-
sation with Sir John Chamberlain when he
was in this country. and he remarked:
As student of political economy am
. free trader, but as an Englishman look
with apprehension on the day when the
great productive power of America shall
enter into competition with the merchants
of Great Britain in the markets of the
world.
No man. unless fighting for principle
and not PeFeonal aggrandizement, would
has been heaped upon me. And while the
Democratic platform is to me slightly con-
servative 1t Is a step in the right direction,
and on 1t am confident we will win Tie
free trade idea of political economy is grow
ing rapidly in this country Even in Mas
sachusetts the Republican party is honey
combed with it and the so-called Mug
wumps are men of intelligence who are
willing to throw aside political prejudice
and party affiliations for the sake of prin-
ciple.
while ! indorse the platform in general
| do not wish TO be understood as approx
ing OF its utterance on the question OF the |
of American wages by tariff, |
for the reasons that have already sug-
,ested. 1t ought to have been stricken |
from the platform, as proposed by Mr.. |
Yaple, of Michigan, who understands the
question thoroughly and who made a mo-
tion in the committee to that effect"