The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-08-16
BLAINE AND HIS sO-CALLED PRO
LECTION THEORY.

6lIAlI AMI AO 0O-S6AL11
LECTION THEORY.
1t seems that MI. A. L. johnson, of
Cleveland, gave Mr.. Blaine some valua-
BILE pointers on the tariff, while the
Plumed Knight was in New York.
You will remember that MIR. Blaine
came over from Her Maiesty's domin-
ions in a vessel called the City of New
York. This vessel was built by Ameri-
can money, but every atom of its
machinery was made i'll a foreign couI-
try. A Scotchman drew the plans of
the great vessel. English manufac-
turers furnished every part of the
machinery, and Scotch mechanics did
the work, and in case of war the com
pany that built the steamer is sub
sidized to turn it over to England at a
fixed value.
Mr.. Johnson lives in Cleveland, but
is largely interested in the steel rail
mills at Johnst0wn, Penn. Heis a sup
porter of the Mills tariff bill, in the in
terest Of the American manufacturer
and the American labOrer. He at
tempted to discuss some points with
Blaine, on the tariff, but Blaine, Seeing
that Johnson was well informed on all
the points,, declined to discuss with him.
Mr.. johnson was anxious to give MI.
Blaine some valuable information, OBJ
tanned by a long experience, that Mr..
Blaine did not appear to want to now
Mr.. Johnson was loaded for bear,
however, and he did not escape the
omnipresent newspaper a In an
interview he said:
"Just think of it! A great vessel like
the city of New York, built by Amerl-
can money and yet a be had should
the occasion arise to prey upon us.
England, a country little larger than
the State of Ohio, controlling the ports
of the world in this way, and here we
are, trading only with ourselves"
Interfering to the statement of Mr..
Blaine that a protective tariff was nee
essary to protect the American labor
ers, Mr.. johnson said:
Being in the steel and iron business
myself I took exceptions to this, and
said that while the manufacturers were
protected the working men had 10 meet
III competition, the dregs of foreign
laborers. l said: How is the worker
protected from the foreigners? 2 You
may say there is a law against the inn
pOrtatiOn of contract labor. But 1t Is
the easiest thing in the world to defeat
its purpose, Another thing: To hear
some people talk you would think that
the English people We're not among our
best patrons in certain ways. Why, l
sailed down from Glasgow to Dublin on
one line of steamers whose sole bust
ness is confined to the transportation
of American flour, meats, ETC., to Ire
land"
On the question of Protection, MIR.
Johnson called attention to the fact
that when a strike took place in a Cleye-
land mill about two years ago, some
fifteen hundred Polocks were found and
put into the places of the striking
American artisans. The Americans
were dissatisfied with the scale Of wages
paid and struck. The company refused
their demand and employed the Poles
at even a greater discount. The aliens
had been connected with the company
only a year when they struck against a
further cut. They paraded the streets
with clubs and red flags and were only
dispersed by a strong application Of
locust in the hands OF the police. None
of them could speak the English Ian
guage.
The effect of the Blaine reception in
New York and New England is not up
to Republican expectations. Blaine's
speech for Protection and nothing else
gives no vitality to the canvass, inspires
no confidence, enthusiasm, or hope OF
victory.
All that Blaine says now he said in
1884, with only this difference: In 1884
he predicted that the country would
experience a panic in case the Demo
cratic party should assume control of
the Government, and that the man
facturers would be swamped, and the
laboring men be turned out to starye.
Well, the people did not take much
stock in Blaine's predictions. They
elected Grover Cleveland President,
and the country has prospered under
his benign and conservative rule, and
all we need now IS to have men like
Blaine kept out of control, and have the
excessive war taxes taken off the
shoulders of industry, and the dead
money in the United States Treasury
distributed to the people who own it,
and this country will go bounding on
ward in the march of Empire with
gigantic strides.