Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-01-21

w. r. SWltzlef, an appolntee OF the
Cleveland administration and a free
trader.
Now the artful free trade dodger will
say, II didn't mean wooden goods ; ]
meant steel rails" Very well, Mr.. Free
Trader T; please accompany us to the
steel rail record. Here is an extract
from a speech made by Hon. Thos. H
Dudley before the Lancaster County
pa. Agricultural society, Feb. z, 1887,
The speech was an answer to Col. Bev.
erly Of Virginia, and Hon. Frank Hurd,
the wild eyed free.trader and profes.
slonal politician of Ohio. Col. Dudley,
reading from the official record, said:
The manufacturing of steel rails IN
this country commenced in 1867. Eng.
land was charging us then for steel rails
over $3.50 per ton. In 1879 they were
selling for $ll2 per ton. About this
time there was imposed a duty of 1913
per ton. In 1874, two years after this,
they were selling for S94.25 per ton. In
1865, two years later, they were selling
for $59.25, and III 1885 they sold down US
low as $27 per ton.
Col. Dudley concluded his speech with
the following statement of facts:
The laboring people are receiving dou-
BILE the wages that are paid to the work
people Of any country in Europe, and
this enables them to buy more and live
better. In consequence they are better
fed, better housed, better clothed and ed
ucated than the work people of any
other country in the world; have the
means to buy, not only the necessuries
of life, but many Of the luxuries as we'll.
They therefore consume double the
quantity of manufactured commodities
and double the quantity of agricultural
products that any other people do.
They thus become the best customers
of the farmer as we'll as the manufact-
urer. and live on the earth as human
beings made In Gods image should live,
as it was designed by tho Creator that
man should live.
Our protective system commenced in
1861. In 1860 our population was 3d.
100000 and q fraction over; today I
suppose it amounts to 60, 100000
In 1860 VI had about 10000 miles of
railways in operation. Today we have
$4,000 miles in operation, about AZ
many miles as they have in the whole
of Europe. In 1860 our manufactured
commodities were 81 800, 0OO, 900. To-
day they amount to ever 81, O0O, 900, 900,
about 81, O00, 100000 more than England
or any other country in the world.
The material wealth of our country
was computed in 1860 to amount to
SIG, ,000, about SIC, OOO, 900. 900
less than that Of England. 1t is com.
puted now to be upwards of $50, 000, O0O,-
600, at least 81, ZOO, ZOO, 900 moro than
that of England. Our foreign commerce
has doubled since 1860.
The working people of our country
have 81 100000 in the savings institu.
tions of the country. Our internal COM
merce amounts to Sic, ooo,ooo,oo a
year, about as much a. the foreign COM
merce of all the nations Of Europe put
together, and the total industries of the
country are not less than $1,000 ,ooo,.
600 a year.
During, this period we had a civil wal
OF four years. duration, which almost
paralysed every kind of business and in.
dustry, and spread ruin and desolation
over a large portion ofthe country. Yet
you nay search history, either sacred
or profane, modern or ancient, and you
will not find one single example of a ma.
ton that has ever made the progress
that we haye during an equal period Of
time.
Our progress has been almost marvel
Gus; and today among the nations of the
earth, in wealth, in power, in grandeur
and in civilization, the United State.
stands first.