Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-06-22
Judge Agnew on the Tariff.

gathered in the handsome flower be
decked assembly room of the Young
Mems Republican Tariff club, OIL
Smithield street, Pittsburgh, p lister
to an address delivered by Hon. Dan
lei Agnew, ex chief justice of the Su
preme court of Pennsylvania. on the
subject Of Protection of American
Labor and Industry" Not the least
noticeable feature of the gathering
was the number of ladies present, who
patiently waited until nearly nine
o'clock, when the meeting was called
to order by President Mcfarland
who with few well-chosen words OF
introduction presented the speaker OF
the evening. Mr.. Agnew, in begin
ming his address, said:
"The address was written to eAhib
it the absolute dependence of the far.
mer upon protection. Order is said
to be Heavens first law. Men are
found under separate governments
Nations being separate they have by
natural necessity rights and privileS-
es. These are determined by the
countries they inhabit Nature con
fines to some only few of her prod
ucts, while to others she has opened
the storeh0use OF her wealth. Such
being the order of Providence, nations
own by right, and none except by
force. If any nation tries to rob Us OF
our land or industries, we fight the
first with arms and the other with
counter legislation. In applying
these principles to our own country,
we must consider our own abilities.
Our country is continental, and its
boundaries embrace the products OF
every zone. 1t possesses all of the
arts, and by it's wealth carries for
tunes to the pinnacle Of prosperity.
Our country needs to be protected to
make the people happy. Therefore
self protection is our bounden duty.
But how is protection to be obtained?
The products of the earth being man
fold the first to be considered is tie
farmer. He must be the first protect
ed. How is he to be protected? To
produce abundantly he must live
comfortably; he must have. the imple-
ments which cheaper labor and in
crease production; he must have me-
chanics and manufacturers to make
these implements for him, so that he
may enjoy the comforts of life. Pro-
lection consists in protecting all the
arts and industries which furnish him
with the necessaries of life. The far
mer is dependent on his countrymen,
aud they on him. When they suffer
he suffers also. But there is another
way of stating proofs; that is the mar
ket. Where is it? All around him
Who consumes his products? With
ont all the calling5 of life what be-
comes Of all his work? Without his
countrymen around him he receives
no market. Let them become poor
and SO does he, for he sells less. Now
what composcs ton of iron! The
materials in it do not consist of one
tenth of it. The rest is labor. There
are first the men who dig the coal
and the ore, then, are the men and
teams that haul them to the furnace,
and then the laborers at the furnace
who make the iron. Who furnishes
the supplies to aid the laborer? The
farmer His butter, eggs, meat, etc +,
are all bought by the laborer for his
subsistence. All these are found in
that ton of iron. Now change the
scene to EngIand. The labor and
material produced there are imported
here in the shape of iron. What of
the farmer? His place is supplied by
England. To him the ton is lost; it
is lost to home labor and its products
Tie free trader looks at the ton lying
upon the wharf, and thinks how nice
and free from duty. He does not sec
that the ton is lost to the farmer, me-
chanic and laborer. Then lay the
Eaglish ton beside the American ton.
Then yoa see that it reduces the
American ton, and deprives it of Civ
ing n comfortable living TO the farmer
and mechanic. When the home mar
ket is protected the importer must pay
duty in order to take part in the sales.
Free trade has no right to take from
us the bounteous gifts showered upon
Us blythe providence Of God The iron is
an example only. The same is true
of everything else Take a ton of wool
and follow it through all the processes
until it again reaches the farmer who
produced it. His market is still
among his countrymen, and if they
arewithout protection their loss is .bar
ed by him. The farmer may well say:
Il 1--we by my countrymen, and If they
are injured / am hurt Clearly the
Am erican manufacturer has no right
to aid his business at the expense of
his workmen. They, the capitalists,
furnish the market for mechanical la
Dor, and il they are protected they
can employ. But what would me-
chanic think of protection which
would wreck the man who employs
him? The only true policy is to pro
tect both. The Golden club and the
importer use the same reasons for ad-
vocating free trade, and both send cut
false statements to deceive the Amer
lean. What American would re.
nounce the blessings be has had be-
slowed? What man would sacrifice
his country to enrich foreign coun-
try? Let them drive out this British
monster, free trade"
Blaine Gathering Flowers.