Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-24

which has brought them OUT nom The clay
bank and the quarry.
And why should not they Who did the first
work in the constructing of this building be
az we'll protected = he Who did the last
work, or the work At any Intervening stage
Of It's construction: This free raw material
proposition Of the free trader is deceptive
| one. 1t Is an attack upon protection which
gentlemen on the other side think will be
| the more effective because il is plausible
| and taking. There is no really raw material
upon which any duty exists
The PRIycIPAL ATTACK OF THE DEMOCRACY
Is uPox Wool.
But why the wolfish craving to get at the
throat of the American sheep which appears
| in the Mills bill : Why are all the the Dem
ocratic dogs set upon him Why the desire
| to destroy him He certainly has been re-
garded as an inoffensive, non-combative
creature: and yet our free-trade friends ap-
| pear to think him worthy of their steel. What
| has he done to so call down their yindictive
wrath upon him:
! Let US see what he has done. His numbers
have increased until in 1883 50,0OO,OO0 of
sheep could be counted in our American
Jocks. He has improved in quality until now
| be furnishes fine food for the people and the
| finest feeces upon the globe, amounting to
| $50 900 900 of pounds annually, and worth
more than s75, 00O, 900. The American sheep
| sold for mutton amount each year to nearly
| Is 600 600 for which the farmer and sheep
| raiser receive more than $50. 600, 600. There
are 700, 900 people engaged in wool growing.
| They employ 800 900 people in that industry
These men and their families, who depend
upon sheep-raising for their living number at
least 4 900, 600 persons, and the sheep are
often pastured upon poor, rough and billy
lands, which is fit for nothing else, and they
do more to restore to fertility old and worn
/ out lands than any other domestic animals.
In 1888 the duty on wool was reduced, and
the result was the loss of 6 1000, 900 of sheep
from our American focks. Now the plan of
the Mills bill is to entirely repeal the duty of
| from 10 to IL cents per pound on wool. Will
that not entirely destroy American sheep
raisingl And for whose benefit! The farmerI
| No; he wishes 10 continue to produce wool
and mutton at a fair profit. The people !
| No; they want the wool to wear and the
mutton to eat. Who, then? Why, the
foreign sheep-raiser in South America and
English colonies, who will rush his cheap
wool into our markets until he has caused the
slaughter of our fiocks, and then, having
stopped this great annual American supply
of $50 900, 900 pounds of wool and Is 900, 900
of sheep, and having complete control of
our markets, he will make us pay more for
wool and mutton than we pay now. So We
shall have destroyed great industry of i'm
mense benefit to our people, driven POO, 900
people out of employment to crowd other avo-
cations, only to pay higher prices for our
blankets and clothing.
Now what avocations need or desire these
| a I'll md
the farmer who complains of low prices for
his products, the coal and iron miner who
says his ranks are crowded, and that he gets
poor wages and can not work on full time,
the workers in factories and shops, at the
FORCES, and on railroads.&c. these or men of
any other employment wish this accretion to
their numbers and the consequent lower
prices of wages which would surely follow
Gentlemen talk of the protected industries,
and the President says that but2 l-2 millions
of our seventeen millions of labOrers enjoy
the fruits of protection; that is, they are
engaged in protected industries. What a
narrow and absurd view of the subject. The
protection and maintenance of one industry
helps all other industries. 1t not only in
creases the market for their products. but
every avocaton discontinued must send out
its employees to compete with workingmen ia
other avOcatiOns, or into idleness and poverty
Hence every industry is interested that every
other industry should live and flourish.
Why, suppose our manufacturing should
cease to exist, as the Mills bill provides
where would the millions of men employed
in it 60? Some other avocation would have
to be crowded with them or support them in
the poor houses of the country And yet thii
debate has developed the fact that our manu-
factories are the chief objects of attack in
this bill. The gentleman from Missouri
Mr.. Clardy) arraigned the six New England
States and New York, Pennsy lvania, and New
Jersey for having advanced under protection
beyond the other States.
If this be true, it has come from the fact
that these nine States have availed themselves
of the advantage which protective revenue
system has given to the whole country alike
that they have used their advantages like
good and faithful servants, while the com
planning States have, like the sluggish ser
want hidden their talents, that is their CD.
portunlties, in the ground and it is equally
true that these American manufactures have
furnished to our people goods at a price &c
per cent lower than they formerly got them
from foreign manufactures. A denial OF
this, and the claim that these American man.
ufactories have tiourished by making goods
cost more to the consumer than was paid tC
English manufacturers during the days OF
! low duties, is a denial of the potent facts OF
history; but our Democratic friends say they
have unduly prospcred under protection. and
the system must, therefore, be abolished.
The FREE TRADE DEMOCRACY SAY New
ENGLAND Is GETTING TOO RICH.
Yes, they say we are getting too rich and
hat ,f,rt r,,-.,,
markets to our farmers, who are getting toe
profitable returns for their products that oul
farm lands are becoming too valuable; that
our workingmen are receiving too great
wages that our manufactures are building
up too many beautiful and thrifty towns too
many comfortable and coy homes; erecting
too many public schoolhouses for poor and
rich alike; affording too many opportunities
| for industrious hands and busy brains to con-
vert the fertility of our soil, the power of our
| rivers. the treasures of our forests. and all
our manifold resources into that which gives
comfort and joy to mankind and that all this
thrift and happiness must be blasted by the
shifting Hand of free trade, because, forsooth.
the laggard, the slumberer, and the scoffer
have not entered into their enjoyment.
| What an indictment against pro-
lection to say that it has given so
great thrift and conferred so many blessings
upon the States which have made use of its
advantages; and what a reason for introduce
ing that policy of free trade which would
stop our mills, close our factories, drive our
fishermen from the ocean, and paralyze all
| our industries.
Oh, yes; you proclaim that you would rob
New England of her prosperity; that the
Mills bill is designed for that, because you
say the hands of her busy tolers under the
benign shield of protection have made her
streams to hum with turning spindles, her
quarries to resound with thousands of work
mems hammers, and focks and herds to
fatten upon her hilsdes.
| Would you not be more patriotic and
humane should you decide to avail yourselves
of the same advantages which are offered to
you as to us and build up industries and
gather wealth thereby, and SO raise yourselves
to our level of prosperity rather than attempt
as you do in this bill. to transport our ad-
vantages across the waters to the foreigner
and let him fatten by reducing us to
your own professedly poor condition? Your
policy is even worse than that of the dog in
the manger; for he sought to drive the cattle