St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-11


for himself, but for us who are masters
and kings ourselves, not to know how
much we are giving our government, it
is amazing. But I WON'T discuss the
tariff for revenue. | will cOncede, for
the purposes of argument, not that the
tariff for revenue is perfectly defensi-
BILE, but it should be continued to raise
money for the necessary expenses Of the
government. But what shall l say of a
TARIFF FOR PROTECTION,
of tariff not levied to-. raise money for
the support OF our own government, but
levied to help one man in a business III
which he may have engaged. Now,
generally, will say two things. If the
business be a profitable one
it does not need the protec-
ton of the government; if it
be an improbable one. 1t is good
reason why the man who has put his
money into it shall take it out of it, and
it is no reason why he shall compel you
and me 10 pay two prices for the goods
which he manufactures in order to
make good the loss in a business in
which he has voluntarily engaged.
Applause
he selected, it may be, the business
Of manufacturing plows as | selected
my business of practicing law, and you
Of being merchant, and you of being
blacksmith, and when he made
his selection he threw himself into the
common life of US to work out his own
destiny and achieve his own fortune by
the merit and skill and industry which
he would exhibit. [Applause.l And he,
because he perchance may be called a
manufacturer, is no more entitled to
governmental consideration than we.
What purpose had all of US to give
power of taxing to the government
at Washington that MIR. A. B. should
start UP manufacturing establishment
in St. Paul and use it for his benefit?
The taxing power we gave to the Uni
ted States that it might be used for all
of us, not that it might be used for the
benefit of a manufacturer in New En-
gland, in Chicago or in st. Paul.
l will make second suggestion gen.
orally in connection with what l am
saying. A system of protection which
will protect all equally is unnecessary,
because if all are equally protected
they stand for the protection in pre-
cisely the same relation to each other
that they stood before, and if the
PROTECTION IS UNEQUAL,
and one man has the advantage of it at
the expense of another, the government
is guilty Of an injustice, which is pro-
hibited by the constitution OF the United
States. [Applause.l But how does
this protective tariff operate? 1t
operates, my. friends, upon the theory
of giving to the American producer a
manufacturing somewhere, and he says
after little while of business expert
ence,. 81 am disturbed by foreign COM
petition. If these goods from
other lands would not come into
the United States, would
make more profit. wonder If / can
make an appeal to the patriotism Of the
American people to stand by me. And
he goes to congress and asks congress
to pass law to put duty upon the prod
duct similar TO that which he manu-
features, in order that the competitor
may be less.
The speaker then explained the OPP
GRAFTON of tariff law, defining protec-
ton as means of developing American
industries by increasing the price of all
articles to those who have to buy. He
remarked that if he could spare time to
come here from Toledo to talk to the
people of st. Paul on the subject of free
trade, it was matter they would find
well worth considering.
1.-THE average wages of American
workingmen is, in round numbers, $500
each per anDum," he said. GA man of
family may consider himself lucky if,
at the end of the year, he has managed
to keep out of debt. Half of his in
come, or $500, is swallowed
up in the high prices he
is compelled to pay for all
articles of necessity Oh account of a
protective tariff. This implies that six
months of every year of his life are
owned by others than himself. Half of
his earnings is cOnfiSicated, half of his
time wasted, half of his labor misspent.
Suppose he could save this amount,
and will show to you that protection
does not give him l cent of the $500,
what would it imply? 1t would mean
better furniture in the house; carpets
dresses for his wife, and clothing
for his children, and medi-
cines in time of sickness. The
cruelest thing to my mind is
that in the days of the strength Of his
manhood, the law steals away the OPP
pOrtunities of saving. Year after year
passes and nothing has been saved.
The time comes when his arms
and body are weak and he is
a man no longer. Then the youth
must care for the old men and women,
unable longer to care for themselves.
Tens of thousands of these latter are to-
day living on charity because pro.
tective tariff
STOLE AWAY FROM THEM
in the days of their strength the oppor-
tunities of saving"
Mr.. Hurd illustrated his argument
that protective tariff operates to rob
the working men with an incident
which was readily comprehended by
his audience, and evoked prolonged ap-
plause. Gan American blacksmith y
he said, "earns 81 day. This money is
the incarnation of his sweat, and
represents the waste of his muscle.
1t is his by the highest title
and he thinks he ought to be. allowed to
spend it wherever he chooses. He wants
a hat, and on looking about, finds a
Frenchman who has one to sell. The
price of the hat is 81, and the bargain is
about to be consummated, when the
government steps in and says no. 1t
says to the blacksmith that in
stead of purchasing hat in
France he must buy in Providence. r. l.
He goes to Providence and there learns
that there are no dollar hats in the mar
ket. The lowest price at which one can
be bought is 81. Having but one-halt
that sum, the blacksmith tells the Amer
lean manufacturer that if he won't sell
a hat for 81 he will go back and buy
of the Frenchman. The manufacturer
reply is to the effect that as he and the
governm ent are i'll partnership, the
blacksmith must either pay 81 for his
hat or do without one.
"The important point" Mr.. Hurd
said, lis that while the government
gave the manufacturer power to
charge the extra dollar, it did
not give the blacksmith the dollar.
He cannot find it on the roadside OF on
bushes, and he must go and earn it.
Another day out of life goes to pay for
the hat he desires. Whose day was
that second day. According to the laws
of man 1t was the blacksmith's