St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-28
TARIFF REFORM TALK.
A Notable Meeting in Phila-
delphia Of Tariff Reform
Advocates.
Strong Arguments Favoring
President Cleveland's De-
cided Stand.
Mr.. Breckenridge Receives an
Ovation. at the Close Of
His Speech.
Resolutions Adopted Demand
ing Immediate Reduction
of the Tariff.

| PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Jan. 27.-The
tariff meeting which was held at the
the Academy of Music this evening ''to
| enforce and indorse the recommends
| tons of President Arthur and President
| Cleveland for revenue REFORM" was one
| of the most successful demonstrations
of the character ever held in this city.
The academy was filled to the top gal
lery and most of those present were
business men. The meeting was called
to order by William w. Singerly, pro-
| prletOr of the Philadelphia Record.
Mr.. Singerly introduced Wilson Welsh,
or the Commercial Exchange, as the
| president of the meeting. Ex-Secretary
of State William S. Stenger, was elected
secretary, and the $50 business men
who signed the call for the meeting,
were constituted vice-presidents. Upon
| the stage were over 200 welI-knOwn
Philadelphia citizens of both parties,
among them eX-GOY. Henry III. HOyt
| and his successor, eX-GOY. Robert Pat
tison. The audience was
ATTENTIVE AND ENTHUSIASTIC
| throughout, but the feature of the even
ing was the splendid ovation given to
| Congressman Breckenridge, of Ken
lucky. Mr.. Breckenridge had left the
stage before the first burst of applause
which followed the conclusion of his
peroration, and was compelled to re-
| turn by the cheering audience, which
fairly cheered itself hoarSe until he
stepped again to the footlights. With
a voice full of emotion Mr.. Brecken-
| ridge thanked the audience for so I'M
| expected greeting to one who is almost
a stranger to Philadelphia audience.
| When Mr.. Welsh assumed the duties of
| the chair he said that the significance of
| this demonstration consisted not only in
an assertion of the necessity for tariff
revision and reform, but also in the
right and the necessity for a fair, manly
AND INTELLIGENT DISCUSSION
OF the questions appertaining to it. The
American people are entitled to Judge
and know, as result of this discussion,
whether those who believe in the mag
nlficent and unequaled resources of
their country, and in the ability of their
countrymen to develop and utilize those
| resources. are less wise and patriotic
than those who contend that we are I'M
| able to compete with the inferior re-
sources and inferior methods that exist
throughout Europe in almost every par
ticular.
Letters of regret from Hugh McCul-
lOch, S. S. Cox. Secretary FairchiId.
Speaker Carlisle and others were then
read. Mr.. McCullOch said that the uues-
ton of tariff reform was economic and
not political, and should be left out of
politics; that the present tariff was a
war measure, has served its
purpose, and should be care
fully revised; that the surplus
which it creates is but one of its evils.
that it is prejudicial to farm interests,
reducing the foreign demand for our
products; that it stands in the way of
restoring our shipping interests; that
it is anti-republican, fosters mOnopOlies
and violates the constitution, being i'm
posed on many articles, not for rev.
enue, but for protection; that what is
| now wanted is tariff for revenue
WITH INCIDENTAL PROTECTION
Hon. John G. Carlisle, after express
ing his regrets, added these few words:
''An early and substantial reduction of
taxation is what the country now most
needs, and l hope your meeting will
materially assist in bringing about
that result" A letter of regret
Wells offering congratulations ''that
the business men of PHILADELPHIA
are beginning to rec gnize the import
ance of indorsing tn recommendations
of Presidents Arthur and Cleveland, that
forced contributions of labor and prop
erty- commonly called taxes : not
necessary for the support of the govern
ment, should no longer be exacted of
the people by the government, and also
Of the vital necessity, if we would truly
protect and extend American industry,
of relieving those things which cannot
be made-cOmmOnly called raw mate
rials-from burdens to which the com
petive industries of other countries are
not subjected" The first speaker was
Congressman W. G. P. Breckenridge,
who impressed his audience, and was
frequently unable to proceed because of
the applause. Mr.. Breckenridge said
that the question of taxation was the
most important one with which a gov
eminent had to deal, and that that
question was now before the American
people in
AN IMPERATIVE MANNER.
A congress had but recently refused
the question consideration, but since
then great, brave president had de-
clared that the tariff is to-day the one
question the most worthy the attention
OF congress and of the attention of the
country. The surplus now accommodating
is so much Subtracted from the business
enterprises of the country; it fOstered
corruption, and was a perpetual menace
to honest government. But great as
these are" he continued, ''they are the
least of the evils which confront us
now, for this accommodating surplus
threatens business panicS and is edu-
eating the people to false ideas of their
relations to the government. This is
not paternal government. This gov
eminent is but trustee of the
people with powers limited by
the deed of trust which we call
the constitution. The money
in the treasury is not the money of the
government; it is the money of the
people, wrung from them by false and
wrong policy of taxation. Twenty-seven
years ago our flag was in every port;
now it is in scarcely any. The trade of
Canada of South America, of Mexico.
has been taken by other nations and
lost to us by this false system which
makes the rich richer, but
MAKES THE POOR POORER.
We can't carry cargOeS to other ports
because we can't bring back to our pro-
tection-cursed country cargo from the
foreign ports in return. To obtain some
idea of what we can do, look at the
leather trade of the country and how it
has thriven since we allowed hides
to come in free. Before that We
exported leather by the hundreds
of thousands of dollars worth per year.
now we export by the millions of dol
lars worth a year. We are getting
along, though, and L regard it as great
element of progress that Frank Hurd
and l are here in Philadelphia talking
tariff reform before such an audience of
Philadelphia BUSINESS men and manu-
facturerS as this. But there is some
thing wrong in Pennsylvania. The
people of this state have not been with
out labor strike for the past ten years.
When labor is discontinued the system
must be wrong. The surest guarantee