The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-01-06
THE TARIFF.

The RerieO of Tuesday, this week,
lengthy article entitled
Protective Tariff by "James Brown,
Esq" II begins by informing the peo-
pie that the great question of govern.
ment protection of American industries
and labor of all kinds, under which this
country has enjoyed prosperity unpara-
lelled in its own previous, or the past or
present history otany other country, is
to be the object OF furious and unre-
lenting assault along the whole line by |
the Cleveland Golden Club Free-Trade-
Democracy. or course it eulogizes
Cleveland for the noble stand he takes
in his free trade message, and calls up
on the intelligent people (the wrong
class certainly to rally TO ms support in
the coming campaign. The article is
mainly in the tone of the average Demo-
cratic stump orstor-bold in assertion
but utterly deficient in proof. The
writer may be correct in his estimate of
the peoples intelligenee-that they are
more easily swayed by high sounding
oratory and fine rhetoric than by home
ly facts and truthful figures-but we
don't believe he is. He gives no status
tics to prove single assertion and ig-
nores the fact so well known and so Of
ten proved, that every attempt of the
Democratic party to manage the finances
of the country or regulate the tariff has
been followed by the most disastrous
results to the commercial, agricultural,
manufacturing and laboring interests.
But the writer refers to Gen. Jackson,
a shining light in the Democratic party,
and his war against the United States
bank fifty years or more since, and pre-
diets as glorious results from Cleveland's
destruction of protection to our home
industries in the interests of the Eng
lish manufacturers. Whether "0ld
Hickory's" destruction of the U. S.
bank followed by the substitution OF a
multitude of small banks under some
sort of state constitution, whose con-
slant failures involved millions in
losses which fell very largely upon
those least able to bear it, was upon the
whole public benefit, is question up
on which there has been difference of
opinion among very able men. But
Mr.. Brown should read up on Jackson.
He was protectionist and we commend
to the Rerieag's correspondent the follow
ing sentiment expressed by Gen. Jack
son in one of his messages:
Heaven smiled upon, and gave us
liberty and independence. That same
Providence has blessed us with the
means of national independence and
national defense. If we omit or refuse
to use the gifts which He has extended
to us, We deserve not the confidence of
His blessings. He has filed our noun
talns and our plains with minerals-with
lead, iron and copper; and given us
climate and soil for the growing of hemp
and wool. These being the grand ma
} ought to have extended to them ade-
quate and fair protection. Take from
agriculture in the United States 600, 200
men, women, and children and you will
at once give home product for more
T breadstutfs than all Europe now fur
nishes US. In short, sir, We have been
too long subject to the policy of the
British merchants. 1t IS time we should
become little more Americanized, and
instead of feeding the paupers and la
borers of England feed our own, or else
in a short time, by continuing our pres
ent policy We shall all be rendered pau
pers ourselves"
The President makes the wool growers
the special object of his assault and pro-
poses to wipe them out of existence and
Mr.. Brown glorifies the great man for
thus striking at the industry Jackson
would protect. How easy we can change
our gods! though from Jackson down
to Cleveland is from the sublime to the
ridiculous. The following figures, il
carefully studied, would convey more
knowledge of the wool growing interest
to the correspondent than he ever be-
fore possessed. 1t is from the last mes
sage of Gov. Foraker, compiled from
statistics in the secretary ofstate's Office:
Ohio ranks first of all the states of the
Union in sheep husbandry. In 1888
1t had 5,l30, $50 sheep, valued at $I3 ,249. :
100. The reduction of tn tariff on wool
by the act of that year has already pro-
duced to the wool growers of the state
the disastrous consequences shown by
the following table: