The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-08-30


| to foreign trade and IA foreign market for
our own products. 1t is argued That ii we
| could lmprJ raw material from other
| countries free, and manufacture such raw
material into products for use, we could
export them at great profit. and thus
stcule IL standing in The markets of tue
| world This theoly is wholly, as | btlleve,
| illusOry. It. is without sub tame: e
| have All example OF Tree raw material in a
| Certain line OF manufactures that OF
| leather for boots, shoes, etc. In 1872 hides
and skins were made free so that our man
ufactureTs could import them without
custom house burdens. They have had
free trade i'll their raw material now for
sixteen years. This industry has been al
exceptionally successful one. and vet you
cannot avoid being surprised when | say
TO you that iii hose sixteen years we have
teen able To export but two per cent OF
the leather production OF this country.
| But if free raw material lie necessary to
secure an export trade and the foreign
markets, then 1 answer that our manutac
| tuitrs today have substantial free trade in
foreign raw materials which they make
into the flushed product in the United
States, provided they export it. Sections
Statutes provide for the remission OF duties
on all foreign materials used in manufact-
| uring for the export trade. The law is
| positive that all articles manufactured for
export from Imported materials upon
which duties have been paid, shall, when
exported, be entitled to a drawback of so
per cent of the duties paid on such raw
materials. Some nse has been made of
| these laws, The remission of duties in
| 1854 paid upon imported material manu-
| featured for foreign markets amounted to
1926 63S On some articles The drawback
| is equal 10 the duty paid. but in no Instance
where articles are imported 10 be manu-
! featured here and sent abroad is the duty
| to exceed Ia per cent
And YET We are gravtly told by the
| tariff retormerS that we cannot reach for
| eign markets on account OF he high tariff
on rdw material. when, in faci, for foreign
| trade foreign raw materials are pract ically
| free. This principle was recognized us
! early as the administration of George
! Washington and has been enlarged aud
made applicable tn all iiUport' Il mai Trials.
| the drawbacks Vary ing from 50 to 100 per
| cent " hal becomes. then, Of the cry for
| free W materials III the presence of this
| fact? The truth is. we are not so much con-
cerned about the foreign market AS we are
about The home MAJ rt The latter is
the best and we have not yet been able
to control it, and until W., do that should
| be our chief concern. But If any OF our
people are signing ter foreign market
| and value it more highly than our own.
| they can import iuieign raw material
| pract ieally free of duty. and after advanc-
| ing into Tile higher forms of ma! ufhcture
can 60 out and possess the WOE S mar
| ketS. Taxed raw materials do not stand
in their way. aud ii Is ypocrisy TO claim
otherwise
The markets of the world.' in our
present cundl ION are 4 snare and a delu-
| slOu. We Will reach them whenever we
| Can undtretl competing nations. and not
| sooner Tariffs DO not Keep las out and
| free trade " Ill not make IL easier to enter
| them
Upon what terms can we adopt reYe
| nue. tariff system III this country? LII one
way only, 10y accepting European coadl
| tons, and Submitting I o all the dlsconfoltS
and dlsadvant ages OF our cuuusIcla! rivals
| The chief o.,Sti uctlon in the way OF a
| revenue tariff is the wages paid Amer lean
| WuiklngIneI4. and any return To hat policy
| involves Il reduc ion of The cost OF labor.
| We cannot dffUld. Mir. PRESIDENT, TO have
cheap labor in the United STATES. Cheap
| labor means cheap men and dear money.
| l
| condition OF my fellow citlZeie than III
crease the value of money and the power
| OF "money bags. This is d republic of
| nee and equal citiZ-nshlp. The govern
ment is in the hands OF The masses, and
not of the few. This Is our roast. and it
| is a proud one. The condition of the
masses, their we'll being, heir init lllgence
their preparation toI the civil duties which
rest upon them. DEFEND largely upon the
scale OF industrial WAGES. 1t is essential.
therefore. chat The best possible wages at
| tainable shall he secured AMI maintained.
This is vital and fundamental. We can
not without grave danger and serious dis
turbance-we ought not under any circum
stances-adOpt policy which would scale
down the wages and diminish the comforts
of the American workingmen. Their
welfare and independence, their progress
and elevation, are closely related to the
welfare and Independence and progress of
the republic. We have got no pampered
class IN this country, ana we want none.
| We want the field KEEP open. No narrow
ing of the avenues: no lowering OF our
standard. We want no barriers raised
against higher and better civilization.
The gateway of opportunity must be open
to all. to the end that they may be first
who deserve to be first, whether born in
|
! want the masses excluded from competing
for the first rank among their countrymen
and for the naticns greatest honors, and
we do not mean they shall be.
| Free trade. or Il revenue tariff, Will OF
necessity shut them ont. 1t has no respect
| for labor. 1t holds it as the mere machin-
cry of canital 1t would have cheap men
that it might have cheap merchandise.
With all of its boosted love for the strugg-
! ling millions it is Infinitely more interest
I'd in cutting down the wages OF labor than
| in saving twenty five cents on a blanket ;
more iutent in reducing the purchasing
power of a mans labor than the cost or
his coat Things are not always dearest
when their price is nominaly the highest.
! The price is not the only measure, but the
where with to buy it is an essential factor
| Few men before me but have found III the
! course of their lives MOre than once that
| that which was cheapest when measured
! hy mere price was the dt Arrest when they
were without money and employ meDt, or
| when their products could find no marke5,
and. fudng it. commanded no price at all
| commensurate with the labor required to
produce them. Primarily, it is labor which
| is interested most in the question OF pro-
lection. The man with money can seek
other avenues of profit and Investment, Or
can wait for his dividends, but the lahorer
cannot wait for his dinner, and the United
| States do not want citizens who make
! Pi esidents and Senates and the House OF
Representatives to be in condition OF
dependence and restitution. That is not
the sort of citizenship we want.
We aTe different from any other nation,
and it is that difference WHICH makes US
the hest. Our political system rests upon
h principle different from that Of any
other 1t is founded upon'the consent of
the people. If we had wanted il otherwise
we would not have left home, but would
have remained the ohedlent child of an
imperious' parent. We would not have
turned away from the mother country'