Morning journal and courier., 1888-10-05

clothed cheaper, and also get aceess to for. eign markets where things could be got cheaper. In this way the South wanted to
 provide cotton so that 1t could go into the
 markets of the world and undersell everyone
 else, even if every other home industry was
 ruined.
 At the time of the war the Republicans
 forced the matter to legislation by electing
 that grandest of statesmen, Abraham Lin-
 coin. (Applause.) In 8 short time slavery
 and nullifcation were dead, and we supposed
 free trade was. The Republicans levied &
 protective system and we have pIospered.
 The speaker went on to tell of Cleveland,
 in his message, defining the cali for free
 trade. "Whyq Because it was the preju-
 dice that was left of slavery. It is Demo-
 cratic policy in the interest of slavery"
 He said the solid South was behind Presi- Clevelands free trade message. He spoke of the ways and means committee being com posed of five Republicans and eight Demo crats, six of the latter being from the South. s'The five Republican members were not per- mitted to know what sort of tariff bill was being framed.
 The districts represented by these six southern members contained only 2, ,55O man ufacturing establishments, employing 315 hands apiece. These hands averaged about $250 8 year wages. Mills' district had only 78 manufacturing establishments, employing | 58 hands, who earned an average of $121 8
 
 dustries of the country, aggregating billions. were at the mercy of these six men. They were trying to force upon the country the the free trade ideas embodied in the confed- crate constitution, for which all six had fought on the battlefield.
 President Clevelands assertion that the cost of an article is enhanced to the consumer by just the amount of the duty was vigorous l ly combatted. Article after article was men tioned which had cheapened enormously in price after protective tariff had afforded g chance to make it in this country. Stes1 home competition. Soda ash came down from $48 to $28 per ton. Corn starch fell from 10 cents to cents & pound. Floor til- l ing settled from $1. .25 per foot to 33 cents in four years. In no case did the tariff increase the price. According to President Cleve- lands idea the price of the articles should have gone up under protective tariff. In the past twenty-four years the RepubG cans have controlled the House of Repre- sentatives in Congress twelve years and the Democrats twelve. Here is where all tariff legislation must originate. In their twelve years the Republicans passed ten tariff bills, reducing the governments income about $35j, 900, 900 year. The Democrats passed one, making yearly reduction of about $5,- COG, 900. This proves that the Republican party has business sense enough to reduce the income as well as to increase 1t when made necessary by war. The Democrats never had any business sense at all.
 Governor Foraker condemned the Presi- dent for his pension vetoes, and said that free trade England is behind the Democratic party as she was behind the South. "Sup- pose," he said, 'that 8 man opened store On one side of the street and another man opened one on the other side. The one paid $2 day for labor and the other $1. Competition wouldn't last long. The man who was pay ing g would be driven to the wall. With individuals so with nations. It is the same case between England and the United States. If we have free trade we must pay the cheap wages that England is paying. We must do one of three things, quit, break or protest We don't intend to quit or break, but we do intend to protest. (ApDlause.V
 Before the meeting adjourned three cheers were given for the speaker, three for the State ticket and three for the national.