The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-09-12
BUTLER TALKS TARIFF.
A Logical Address Full of Sta
tistics. Demonstrating the
Virtue OF Protection.

( fremont Temple, Boston, was crowded
TO the doors on Friday evening OF last
week, by persons who wanted to hear
Gen B. F. Butler again make q political
address. The General has aged visibly
since the last Presidential campaign. He
confined himself almost entirely to his
manuscript. Occasionally he stopped to
rest, and the band played zig irously
while the veteran slipped 4 glass Of water
The audience was enthusiastic, and his
telling points were cheered repeatedly
and heartily
Gen. Butler, in opening, referred 70 the
thriving city OF Lowell as the resultant
and exemplar of tariff for protection to
American industry. Her wonderful man.
nfactaring growth from lseO was directly
due 10 the protective tariff. He review
ed the history of the tariff in this coun-
try, and showed that the fathers Of the
republic made encouragement Of manu-
factures as much Of q necessity as the
f support Of the government and the dis
charge Of public debts. The present pro
tective tariff laws as far as they protect
American industries are in consonance
with the principles established by the "a
thers.
he then defined free trade, tariff for
/ revenue, tariff with incidental protection
and tariff for protection only, ali of (which
save the last, would mise 4 revenue and
the latter would not, as the tariff would
be % high it would prohibit importa-
tons. Soci tariff, he believed, was not
favored by any party. II any industry
required such protection il would be pref
/ cradle TO encourage it by direct body.
lie dismissed the subject Of free trade,
as be had not met business man who
knows anything Of the subject who is a
free trader. He finds the President to be
an Incidental protectionist, while the
Mills bill puts on the free list many arti-
cies which would be disastrous TO Amer
lean productions
He gave the history of the agitation in
Lowell from lS3s for reducing the hours
Of laborers and the amelioration Of the
condition Of the working classes Of the
city. II follows that in every instance
where tariff legislation was enacted by
Congress the wages ofthe employees were
increased. while the hours of labor were
reduced.
Continuing, be said
Certainly the President cannot agree
TO that provision OF the Mills bill which
puts duty of offour-tenihs its cost on eve
~ poor mans shirt, as the manufacturer
has only to card, spin and weave the cot
ton, and the pay Of the laboFer doing that
: scarcely ten per cent CT the cost, and
much less if he is niger 50 that if
his shirt should cost six cents yard, one
quarter Of the whole cost would be tariff
addition, # the Presidents statements
are correct as regards other dutiable arti-
7 eiass for nobody needs tariff protection in
raising cotton, because neither India nor
Egypt can compete with our Southern
States as to their . 7y0O0,0Oe bales of that
which they once believed to be king.
( We viii call attention hereafter to the
fact that It IS deemed necessary in the
Mills bill to protect cotton against home
competition, as the niger now raises
{ the larger part and sells for direct export
{ the least. Here, theE, during more than
( sixty years Of protection to American in
( dustries by tariff imposts has been the
I great prosperity Of our country, and the
+ one source Of It's high glory as nation
( because protection had 50 stimulated our
industries that almost everything we
/ needed could be made at home. In all
that went to make up the support of life
We were independent
He spoke Of the wonderful transforrna-
ton at the time Of the war, by which the
factories Of this country in an incredibly
short space Of time supplied the one great
Necessity for the war-arms
- that solemnly declare my opiu-
ion that to the effects Of protective tar
1T We owe the means which upheld the
unity Of our people, the consolidation Of
our government, the glory of our achiev-
ments and the military power of our
country. Is it not matter Of remark that
attempted destruction Of our protective
system comes from those who did not ie-
fend the life Of the country in that war
and majority Of whom NOUN the
cause which q protective tariff caused to
be lost to them
He quoted Andrew jackson and Gen.
Dick Taylor as high Democratic authori-
ties in favor Of a protective tariff. He
then severely criticised the Presidents
message. and wanted to know how for
three years he failed to find that the tar
III laws we're Illogical, inequitable and
vicious" He denounced him for attack
ing for the first time in the history ofthe
country an agricultural industry, the wool
interests.
He gave statistics showing that tie
wool product in 1860 was 100000 I
pounds, while under the Morrill, tariff
the production increased to 205,GO0OO0
pounds year and by some calculations
as high as 2s0.OoO.0oo pounds.
Upon this great industry, showing such
magnificent development in single gen
Grafton the Mills hill dfrecfs What the
committee admits will be substantially a
deadly blow, because they foresee and ex- I
pect heavy importations, From the be-
ginning a tariff on wool and wooien
goods las been the subject Of most fire. 4
quent examination in Congress, an / the I
most severe criticisms The South has in
later years been opposed to it. Northern
Presidents with Southern principles hare 1
not infrequently aided them John Ran
dolph, Of Roanoke, vas so fierce against /
It that he said he would 20 out Of his /.
way twenty miles TO kick a sheep; and /
he apparently has transmitted his venom
in that regard, if in nothing else"
How important the reduction on wool /
by tie Mills bill appears by these state
ments
The revenue derived from wool dur
ing the last fiscal year amounted to So
$4,000. The repezl of all duties on wool
enables Us TO reduce the duties on the
rssur,faets,rss Of WOOL so g.s9 O00 The (