Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-07-26
The ONE GREAT ISSUE.
1t Is Protection of Our Industries and
Commercial Independence.


Commercial Independence.
$50 far as the campaign will be one of
principles what will be the chief issue or
issues:' was asked by New York Press
reporter of Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll
''Of course the great issue-that is, the
protection issue--is the protection Of
American industry The Democrats are
already frightened. They are denying
free trade with all their might, but the
logic of their position goes out, or rather
goes in, at that hole They do not be-
heve in tariff reform. No man reforms
that which lac would destroy Reforma-
ton is in the direction of preservation.
Only those wish to reform the tariff who
wish to preserve and retain the tariff.
The Democratic party wishes to destroy,
not to reform. The raw material raisers
of the south say free trade. The solid
South has dictated the policy of the party.
The solid South and New York expect to
control the country, and for the purpose
of carrying New York the party will
adopt free trade for Southern consump-
ton and deny it in New York; call it re-
form of the tariff simply for the purpose
of carrying the State by deceiving voters.
"The only way we can compete with
foreign labor is for father, mother and
children to become the victims Of per-
petual toll. The father could no longer
support family with the mother taking
care of the house and children. The chill
dren could not be spared for school; they
would have to work in factories and
fields, pale, deformed, miserable, life
joyless struggle and death a happy and
fortunate release.
= 10
stroy the prosperity of the Republic. We
use something like 1000 tons of ore a
month. Take the tariff from iron ore
and most Of it would come from Spain,
Africa and other countries. Our mines
would be closed. Railroads would pass
into the hands of the bondholders.
Stocks, for the most part would become
worthless. Hundreds of millions are in
vested in this one industry. The labos
in this country costs several times ar
much as in other countries. Then we
must take into consideration the effect
on the coal interests, coke, charcoal and
many others.
Common labor receives twice as much
in America as in England, skilled labor
more than three times as much in this
country. How is it possible for us to
compete in the markets of the world
with England with this difference in
wages % away with the tariff and the
Hindoo completes with the American
farmer in raising wheat and other cere-
ais.
Nothing is more absurd than that
free wool would give foreign markets to
American manufacturers. Give us the
wool at precisely the same price that the
| English obtain it, and there is still the
differences in wages, making it impos-
sible for us to compete with England If
we had no wooden manufactures Eng
land could combine against us, and the
result would be that we would pay far
more than we do now. We certainly
have free cotton, and we can not com
pete with countries where the wages are
so much lower. If the working people
are willing to have their wages reduced,
| if they are willing to work at European
prices, if the farmers are willing to take
their chances with the Asiatics, why
then free trade is the policy; otherwise
we must protect our own hands and our
own brains.
"How are we to contend with the
spmners and weavers and carders of
other countries, when Indian wages are
from 10 10 II cents day, in Russia 20
cents, in this country 81 a week?
cit is stated by the best authorities
that we pay more than double the wages
to paper-makers that they do in any
other country, and yet common paper is
less than cents pound, and it used to
be more than five times that. In max
ing glass, Mr.. DePauw, of Indiana, tells
us that our skilled workmen average
$1704 a week; in England they are paid
$705, in France 1854 and in Belgium
$500. He also informs us that before
plate-glass was made in this country it
cost us about IS cents a square foot,
while in 1887 the average was 30 cents,
reduction of 66 2-3 per cent. The
silvered plare-glass averaged, in 1915,
S1.26 a square foot; in 1887, $1.097-a
reduction of about ID cents. Now, the
unsilvered plate is made IN America, the
silyered plate is not; consequently
silver plate has only fallen II per cent,
while the plate made in America has
fallen G6 2-3 per cent.
THE figures prove, and not only these
figures, but hundreds and hundreds of
others, that the protection of American
industry gives us cheaper products than
we could get from foreign lands With
out the tariff, foreign lands would com
bne against US. They would in the
first place sell cheap enough 10 pay them
for all they lost while they were destroy
ing ours, with a good round sum as
interest.
ITO see which side you are on it is
only necessary to ask; Should America
be Independent, or suodid 1t be the serf,
the servant Of other nations