The Butler weekly times., 1888-09-19

In the Muscatlne Daily News we
find long letter from Hon. Ed. !
Russell, dated at Minneapolis, Aug.
18th. Mr.. Russell. as we have be-
fore stated, and as all old Iowans
know, WAS for years a republican
editor and leader in Iowa. We give
the latter ard moe important part
of his liter:
My conversion to
q radical antagonism to so-called
''protection' then resulted, largely |
from accidental circumstances. On |
trip to Euroo', rendered necessary |
by failing health, the penalty of ex-
cessive labor as editor of the Daven-
port Gazette, led to an acquaintance
with a large woolen manufacturer
of Huddersfeld, England. Wewere
fellow passengers on the outbound
VOYAGE. He had been astonished by
my assurance that a suit of clothes
worn by me were wholly the product
of Iowa-nade from an Iowa loom,
from Iowa wool. "Well, WE'LL" he
had said, ''you Americans are beating
the world with your superior intel
ligence and skilled labor, inventive
genius and improved machinery
The fact is, that were it not for your
tariffs we could not sell a yard of
cloth in the United States, and five
times a year do I visit New York to
push our goods on the market
This was to me revelation. Expla-
nation was pressed for from my
English wooden manufacturing &C
uuaintance. It came 10 his assurance
and evidence that the taxed woods,
taxed dye stuffs, and other tariff
burdened materials of the American
manufacturer, as against the entirely
free material of the Englishman,
under free trade. continuously handi-
capped the former in his race with
the latter, in all efforts to compete
in the markets not alone of the outer
world but those of the United States.
This revelation invited me to a
new field of inquiry and investiga,
ton. In England itself I pursued
carefully the studies thus pressed
upon my attention. My return
home was an absolute conviction
that the United States ought to be
and could be, the manufacturing ma
ton of the world, and would becom,
so speedily were it not for the main
tenance of high tariffs. Passing
: years, added investigation ant
study, have steadily deepened and
intensified the conviction to which
was thus compelled.
, On returning to Davenport l re
, lated to MIR. Shields, the owner Q
2 the Davenport woolen mills, the e,
perience had with the Huddersfel'
manufacturer, and the awakening a
/ to the tariff occasioned to my min'
a by that and the resulting study G
g the tariff question: ''The Englishma
n stated the exact truth. Could "
4 have absolute freedom from all ia
O iff, we American manufacturers coul
: defy the world"
So, in the interests of America
manufacturers, of American indu
" try, and therefore. Of American labt
g I ceased not from that day forwar
,s to advocate and plead for an ''und
ing of burdens that the oppresse
n might go free" Yet not for an a.
h clifton of all tariff levied for tt
:, purpose of obtaining the revenr
,e necessary for the expenses of Il
a government. That much and ,
y, more. Millions for defense; not
- dollar for tribute TO either til
u special interest of private or corp
10 rate money-making OR that. Their
no fore it is, the republican party ha
ing declared the tariff question
be the ''sole ISSUE" that I have sa
that if voting at all, I must vote f
is Cleveland and tariff reform.