Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-05
SWITCHED OFF IN DISGUST.
Car Builder Stephenson Quits TIA
Republican Party.

| HepuDI1cam Fartys
81 have been Republican ever sine Q
that party was organized" said John
Stephenson, the car builder, ''but 1 am
going to vote the Democratic National
ticket this time" John Stephenson is
one of the best known manufacturers in
America, and he does not believe that
Protection protects" His cars are to
found in every prominent city on the
| globe where street cars are known, and
this is his fifty-eighth year in the manu-
featuring business. His manufactory oc-
cupies eighteen city lots on Twenty
seventh street, between Madison and
fourth avenues, and he employees from
three hundred and fifty to four hundred
men the year round, large percentage
of them being skilled mechanics. Yet
Notwithstanding the vast amount of his
manufacturing interests he does not want
any more protection" To World re.
porter who called at his works yesterday
he said
"I was an original Free Soiler, and
when the Republican party was started
1 went into it. l was not what was then
known as an ADolitionist, but was in
favor of buying the freedom of the
slaves. have been Republican ever
since, but when I read President Cleve
lands message to Congress on the tariff
question I said: I am going to vote for
that man. l did not vote for him be-
fore,r but l am convinced that
he is right and the Republican
party is wrong. The fact is, the
Republican party has outlived its
usefulness. Its work is done, and it has
do longer any principle at strike. am
in favor of general reduction of the
tariff, but believe free trade is the beau
ideal of good government. When people
are directly taxed they are more careful
of the revenue, and the less patronage
the Government has the less incentive
there is for corruption. By getting the
expense of manufacturing down 80 we
can compete with foreign countries we
can give employment to all of our idle
men.
"Under the present system for four
months out OF each year one-third of our
workmen are idle. This is due to the
fact that our manufactures are so largely
confined to our home market that manu-
facturers are compelled to shut down or
force strikes. could cite many in
stances to emphasize this point. Colonel
La Croz, of Buenos Ayres, came to this
country to purchase material for building
and operating what is now the most ex-
tensive tramway in that city. He is
native-born South American, and, like
all others of that nativity, very friendly
to the United States, and he was anxious
to spend the money at his disposal here.
He contracted with me for the cars and
then went to Europe to look around, and
wrote me that he was very sorry, but he
L s, s1cn ofh h,,s1
material 80 much cheaper from Europe
that he felt compelled to deal there.
"The tariff is 20 per cent. higher than
it was during the war, and although
wages are somewhat higher, 80 is every
me long time, and some of my men
tury, say $40 before the war would buy
so much with them a question of how
many dollars they get for weeks work,
but how much comfort they will provide.
Workingmen live better now than they
used to, and am glad of it, and believe
that when tariff reform squeezes the
water out of our inflated currency they
can live still better, as dollar will buy
more. The tariff should certainly be
taken off of raw materials, and I think
that would tend to build up our marine
service, and with little temporary as
sistance from the surplus now in the
Treasury we could soon make respec
table showing on the seas. I am not II
} favor Of subsidies, but in this instance
! think q little fostering could be done tt
good advantage.
"The tariff was all right when We
were building up our infant industries
but that time has gone by, and if givel
, an equal chance now we can beat th'
world in manufactures. The nativ,
sharpness OF native American mechan
les is not equaled by that of any othe
nation, and this, as we'll as their intelli
gence and culture, gives US advantages
l think there should also be change Q
our naturalization laws. They were al
right at the beginning of the nation, bu
too many uneducated, ignorant peopl
are coming here and exerting an inflr
ence in our elections. Mayor Hewitt
fright on that point.
+ II was amused at the fuss the Reput
licans made over Blaine. Why, the
: made fools of themselves in their extra