The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-08-30
conclusive on this point, and that is this, to
show that high protective tariff does not

increase
1t is conclusively shown by the fact that
laborers in unprotected industries are as well
paid as those in the so-called protective indus
tries Now how many laborers are there IN
what are called the protected industriesY That
is to say who are engaged in manufaetur,
ing articles which, when they are brought
from abroad, are charged with tariff
tax, and how many laborers are there in the
country engaged in industries which are IN no
wise protected by such tariff tax and cannot
in the nature of things, be protected by any
such thing? Why, my friends, it has been esti-
mated some place-I think the highest estimate
have seen placed upon the laborers in these
protected industries is at between 100000 and
9OO,COO men, women and children. But will
put it at million and say there are million
OF them. while there are eight times as many
other laborers whose industries and oceupa-
uons are in no wise protected by the tariff, and
therefore, If protection IS for the benefit of the
laboring men, the wages of this million of men
engaged in the protected industries ought to be
Higher than the Wages of Men Employed
in Unprotected Industries,
And yet such is not the fact In round num-
bers the laborers in unprotected industries re-
celVe as high wages as those in the protected
industries do not know what the wages of
farm hands are here in Michigan. In my own
state they are about 81 day for farm hands,
and you see that in the state of Massachusetts
according to the returns of our own board they
are Sl:O4 in these manufacturing industries. So
that there is practically no difference whatever
worth talking about between the wages that one
receives and the wages that the other receives
they are both substantially the same. If you
take comforts ana cost OF living and all that
into account the agricultural hand in the state
of Ohio receives quite as good wages as the la
borers In the protected industries of the eoun-
try:
My friends, nothing is more common-for
these men appeal to everybOdy-than to hear
the Protectionist orator say that the tariff is a
benefit TO the farmer. How it can benefit the
farmer have never been able to find out Let
us consider the subject in the light of expert
ence. We had low tariff from 1876 up to the
breaking out of the war. 1t was called the
Walker tariff, or the tarif of 1876. l remember
it very well, for was in the house of represen-
tatives at the time and voted for it. Now from
1851 take this from the census and therefore
l have TO take these years-from 1850 to 1860
while that tariff was in force farm lands in the
United States, according to the census report
increased in value 1U3 per cent. Then came the
high tariff of 1861 or 1862, whichever il was.
And from 1850 TO 1870 another period of ten
years the increase in the value of farm land in
the United States was only 40 per cent.
Under the Low Tariff it Had Been IO3
Per Cent. Increase of Value
in ten years. Under this high tariff it was only
30 per cent. But it may be said that includes
the period of war, and it doesn't make a fair
comparison. grant the force of that to some
extent, but the war ended in 1865 and we
can compare the next ten years, from 1870 to
1880, and by these same census reports it ap-
pears that in these ten years of profound peace,
from 1870 TO 1850, the value of the farming lands
of the whole United States has increased but
nine per cent. Under the highest protective
tariff that ever was inflicted upon this country
they have increased but nine per cent, while
under the low tariff of 1916 in ten years, from
1850 to 1860, period of profound peace, they in
creased in value 1O3 per cent [applausel, more
than ten times as fast as they have increased
now.
/ have somewhere here a statement of how it
was in this goodly state of Michigan. Yes, here
it is producing memoranduml. From 1850 to
1861, under the low tariff PERIOD the value of
farming land in Michigan increased 211 per
cent. From 1860 to 1870 under a high protective
tariff, il has increased l4S per cent, hut that in
cludes the time of the war. But from 1870 to
1870, during period of profound peace and un-
known, the value of farming land in the state
of Michigan has increased only twenty i've and
a third per cent.
1t Increased Under the Walker Tariff,
Which has been denounced since as a free trade
tariff. In ten years under the tariff it has in
creased at the rate of 211 per cent, while now,
under ten years of profound peace, it has in
creased hut twenty-five and third, and you
must remember that under the Walker tariff we
had great war, the Mexican war, and | do not
make any deduction for that. Had values con-
tinue1 TO increase from 1859 to 1880, as they did
during the low tariff period from $50 to 1860,
farm values in Michigan would have been in
1880 one billion and forty seven million dollars;
that is, one thousand and forty-seven million
dollars. instead of being they were by the
census of 1881 only four hundred and ninety
nine million dollars. And so, too, take farm
implements. They increased in value from
1850 to 1860 at the rate of one hundred and one
and oEe-fourth per cent; ana in 1880 only
forty-one and sixty one-hundredths per cent.
If they had increased in the same ratio under
low, they you'd have been S23,50O,OO0 instead of
S1a,50oOJ0. You see, then, by these figures that
it is quite impossible that this high tariff can
be of advantage to the agricultural communi-
ty; quite impossible.
But, my friends, l must draw my remarks to a
close. 1t is time that was giving way to other
gentlemen who to follow me in order to give
them a fair opportunity TO present their opin-
ioIs. want to call your attention, though, to
one thing. have spoken about this.
Surplus Revenue that Lies UseIessly in the
Vaults of the Treasury
NOJ I tn In 1rubo
Sherman says upon that subject only so late as
the 9th day of last month in a speech before
you remember lie was for four years, during
Hayes administration, secretary of the treasury
Now, nobody viii charge John Sherman with
and applause.l Nobody will charge him with
wanting to destroy American industry, but here
is what . chm saws:
81 would like to talk to YOU men of business
to-day on the matter of the great surplus of
money in the United States treasury. That
Il than deficiency. The government of the
United states has this surplus now, and it seems
as though some people were trying to get rid of
It, do not intend TO allude to politics. Every
man OF sense knows that the government
Should not Collect any More Money
than is absolutely necessary to carry on the
business with economy. Congress ought this
year to devise some mode to dispose of this sur
plus: yet, as said before, it is better to have
this surplus than deficiency"
Now, 1 agree with that entirely, that the gov
eminent should not collect more money from
the people than is necessary to carry on the
government economically administered and
every body does know that this great surplus
which is lying uselessy in the treasury and is
increasing from year to year is great in Jury to
the the country count and does nobody any good. It has
euniary effect of damaging the prosperity of
the country. 1t has very corruptlng effect.
Gov. Allen, of Ohio, once said in his forcible
way, speaking when he was excited, ''that you
might as well try to keepa
Powder House in Hell to Have an
Honest Government
with a surplus in the treasury" TGreat ap-
Piause and laughter Well that was pretty
strong statement of the case, but 1t was not ex-
travagant after all. Why, gentlemen, if YOU
would just look over the schemes for plunder-
ing the government owing to this great surplus
that is there, you would be amazed. There is
scarcely anything that somebody won't ask for,
they say: why, the government has money
which is lying idly in the treasury, and you
might as well give it to us TOR our little scheme
as to have it lying there" and so every scheme
which the people can be bled and high taxes
kept up is advocated by these men and grows
in great degree out of this fact of a surplus in
My friends, before I conclude, want to ask
your attention for n moment to another ques-
tion to what is called the Chinese question, the
question of importation of Chinese into this
country. Now, what think upon that subject
cannot he better expressed than by reading
what said TO my own constituents in Cincfn
natl in the year 1870, FIVE years before the legis
lature of California memorialized congress on
this subject of Chinese emigration.
The extract from Judge Thurman's speech
delivered September 10, 1870, at Cincinnati, o.,
was then read to the audience as follows
Il do not think that a large Chinese emigra-
tion to this country Is desirable. L do not think
it would be Il valuable acquisition. On the con-
trary, think 1t would be a seriously disturbing
element. In race, civilization, habits, educa
ton and religion the Chinese are widely differ
ent from our people, so different as to form a
very striking contrast. The European emf
grants are of the same race, religion and civili-
cation as ours, and while they add immensely
to the power and wealth of the republic they
do not seriously disturb the substantial hom-
ogeniety of our white population. Their
migration, therefore, benefits the country and
deserves encouragement. Not SO with the
Chinese.
They VIII Never Become Ono People
with Us.
Were they to dwell here for centuries they
would probably be as distinct from the white
race as are the gypsies in Spain from the pure
blUoded Spaniards. We are destined TO have a
great commerce with Asia, and the natural re-
suit will be the voluntary emigration from that