The Republican journal., 1888-10-11
Tom Reed Talks Oh Tariff.
TFrom His Chelsea Snr,rh.

From His Chelsea speech.
Why Is 1t that the two parties tni Them
selves arrayed on opposite sides Of the quc--
ton? Before the war the South found itself in
possession OF only coarse kind Of labor.
Therefore they said it was best for them to
produce only one kind of article which needed
only Drawn and muscle. But the North saIi
the true way for lis is to bring into play not
only Drawn and muscle. but intelligence and
skill. Now the great bulk Of the republican
party belongs to that belt which stretches from
Maine to Oregon, and which includes the re-
gion where diversified industries exist and are
cherished. The bulk of the democratic party
is drawn from south of Mason and DiNons
line. Applause. That is the reason why the
republicans and democrats are on opposite
sides Of that question.
Now, 1t is true that the democrats say they
have no tendencies toward free trade. But
tell me this What free trader is there, pro-
nounced and announced, who is not ranged on
the democratic side! Again. You can Judge
what man is going to make b. the tools he
| carries. Laughter. The Mills bill is largely
the work Of Mr.. Mills of Texas. Mr.. Mills Of
Texas four years ago, III il beautiful peroration.
declared for free men and free trade" In
| his recent New York speech he denied that he
| or his party was in favor Of free trade. In
| Congress lately read his speech of four years
| ago to him in order that, if he had repented,
| he might say Sc, and if he had the courage he
might reiterate it. You all remember what
| reply he made. lie said: Il don't care if the
gentleman has the last word; let Us have a
| vote Laughter and applause.
| ures. Why, if the President and Mr.. Thur
| man and Mr.. Townsend of Illinois are right in
| their assertions about how much we lose every
| year by the tariff, we have lost Since 1850 more
than $50 900 ,000 900 more than the whole United
| States were listed for in 1880. According to
| that, then, we have lost since 1860 our whole
| country. and we must be sitting outdoors to-
| night. Prolonged laughter.
| My friends. the wealth of this world is to he
| found in the home comforts. And there say
| the American citizen is richer today than he
ever was before. [Applause. Look at your
| own houses. Look at the comforts of railroad
| travel. All that means wealth for the happi-
| ness of the people.
| Mr.. Henry George, an ardent free trader
| shows in his paper, by analysis of Cleveland's
| letter Of acceptance. how it is a free-trade
| document IN principle and necessary conse-
quence. He then analyzes the Mills bill, show
| ing that in the case Of lumber, for instance, it
| takes the entire duty of. Then he considers
wool. But. said Mr.. Reed, | would like to
speak for about two minutes about that wool
| question. The democrats claimed that when
we took off 10 per cent. of the duty from wool
we were runously lowering the WOoi-EfoWers
profits. Now they say that when they take off
| the other 80 per cent. the sheep farmers will be
| just as well off as they were before. Laugh
| ter.
This question of protection is not so stirring
| a question as some others that you have been
called upon to decide. But there never has been
any question that came closer to your homes
| and dearest interests than this. 1t has now
come up squarcly for the first time to be settled
The preliminary manuuvring has been going
on in congress. Six years ago Mr. Randall
was ANONYMOUSLY defeated in the caucus for
the speakership because he was protectionist.
| Now the democratic President has thrown his
influence for the free-trade wing of the party.
| And all the democratic congressman, with four
exceptions, were driven into the Southern
| ranks.
The contest has been adjourned from the seat
of patronage and power in Washington to the
people Of the country. with whom rest the
sources of patronage and power. | have no
doubt how the country will decide And |
know that you in this district will vote by a
splendid majority to keep in congress the gen
tieman who has so ably represented you there
and whom congress listens to with just the
same interest that you yourselves feel in all
that he says. lGreat applause.