Iron County register., 1888-09-06

1RONTON, Mo-, Aug. 30, 1SSS.-HOn. L. l..
Bridges, Republican candidate for attorney
general of Missouri, spoke here last night and
confined himself chiefly to the tariff issue and
upon that issue contented himself with de-
nouncing Cleyeand's Message as a free trade
screed, The Mills bill as free trade measure
and the Democratic party as the long time
advocate of the free trade policy. He cited
no facts and supported his position with no
reasoning, and contented himself with bare
assertion, as is usual with Republican cam
palgn orators.
But he dropped the tariff at once and soon
closed his speech when the undersigned
asked him the following question:
SIS it not fact that President Grant, in
his seventh annual message to Congress, ad-
vocated reduction of the tariff and the
placing of raw material upon the free list;
aud did not President Arthur in a message
advise reduction Of the tariff; and did not
Folger and McCulloch, when secretaries Of
the treasury, advise reduction Of the tariffs"
The gentleman lodged the question, Meth.
er admitting or denying the truth Of my as
sertion, and, as aboye indicated, soon closed.
Below are extracts from Folger's and Nc
Culloch's reports to Congress, the later being
Of date December 1st. 1884. Folger says:
''It seems, therefore, that a reduction
should be made in the revenue from customs,
and it is believed that the time has arrived
when a reduction of duties on nearly all the
articles in our tariff is demanded and is feas-
ible." And again in the same report, "a
careful revision of the tariff should be made
with view to placing upon the free list
many articles now paying duty"
Mr.. McCulloch in his report to Congress
on the day above named said that "the ex-
isting duties on raw materials should be re-
moved" and that ",cith the changes upon
the articles used and consumed by those aoho
are least able to bear the burdens, the taxa
ton should be reduced"
Arthur's two messages based upon these
reports advocated reduction of the tariff.
And Grant in his seventh message not only
advocated a reduction of the tariff, but also
advised "tbe placing upon the free list all
raw materials entering into our manufact-
ures." The following is his recommendation
in bis own words:
Many duties collected and which give but an
Insignificant for the of collection might be
remitted to the direct advantage of consumers at
home. ] would mention those articles which enter
into manufacturers of all sorts. All duty paid upon
such articles goes directly the of The srtcle
when manufactured here and is paid by the o1sumer
These duties not only come from The Consumers at
hcme, but protection to foreign manufacture
ers Of the completed articles in our own and
di.tant markets.
Not only is this SO, but the Republican
platform OF 1884, if it means anythings means
exactly what the Mills bill. .and our platform
of 1888 do.
They, the Republicans, believed in tariff
reduction as late as 1884, or at least they did
not denounce Grant and Arthur, and Folger
and McCulloch, nor their own party, as free
trade in tendency.
But now when the Democrats undertake
to do what the Republicans promised to do,
but failed to attempt to do, they hurl at US,
as though it were a thunderbolt of Great
JOve, the term "Free Traders!"
Then they denounce their own greatest
men and their own record and their own
promises. J. B. WALKER.