The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-22
HOW TO CREATE COMMERCE.
Senator hiscock's Reply to
Speech by Senator Vest.


WASHINGTON, Dec. 2l.-In the Senate to-
day, when the cotton schedule of the tariff
bill was being considered. Mr.. Vest moved
to amend the first paragraph by striking out
the words "ten cents per pound" applied to
to thread. yarns, &C., of value not exceeding
rs cents pound and inserting the words ''35
per cent ad valorem." He said superficial
examination of the whole schedule would
show it was got up in the interest of New
England manufacturers, who could
not compete in coarser cotton
fabrics with the manufactures in Augusta,
Georgia, and who had to depend on finer cot.
ton fabrics. He quoted from speech of Mr.
Hiscock to the effect that American cotton
manufacturers could export coarse cotton
fabrics into the English colonies and COM
pete there successfully with English manu-
facturers. But Mr.. Hiscock had not given
any reason why the United States had lost
the carrying trade. His opinion was that it
had been lost on account Of high protective
tariff. Great Britain was permitted today to
take products from American ports and car
ry them to ports in South America. The Ar
gentine Republic imported manufactured
goods to the amount of one hundred millions
year. Nearly half came from Great Brit
ain and her dependencies, while the United
States flag was never seen in one of her
ports. That was because the United States
had cut off reciprocity of commerce.
Mr.. Vests argument was frequently inter-
rupted by questions.
MIR. Hscock said his speech referred to
companies. Mexico. Central and South
America consumed these coarser goods and
it was the duty of Congress to build up for
eign trade with these countries. He was in
favor Of paying the American steamship
lines just compensation for carrying the
mails but that policy had been resisted
on the other side of the chamber, and Eng
lish and German steamship lines had been
allowed to destroy American commerce by
practically carrying the mails for nothing.
Free trade England gave the highest protec-
tion to her industries in connection with the
building and maintenance Of a great navy
and with supplies and clothing for large
army 1t was potent that England was suf-
fering from competition with the surplus
productions OF Germany. He, referred to
despatch from London, dated the 10th Of
December. to the effect that the
Manchester Chamber of Commerce,
by an overwhelming majority had
passed resolution that all foreign goods
| similar to those produced in England
| should pay the same proportion Of the i'm
| perial and local taxes of Great Britain as
those produced there. He believed the pro-
| teclive duties now imposed in the United
/ Jldbco WDulu uOb D6 ftQulItu IL bic odiiiC
| governmental aid was extended to American
Industries AS in France and Great Britain.
lie hoped that when the pending measure
| should have become law, the Senator from
Missouri would cooperate with him in
policy that would enable the merchant
marine of the United States to be built up
and commerce established with those coun-
tries where there was demand for Ameri-
| can products.
Mr.. Coke quoted from the report of the
Il N no htsr nf cfa ord =
| kinson and Mr.. Burchard, an ex. director OF
| the mint. to show that the percentage of la
Dor in cotton manufactures was 81 per cent,
| and fr0m the report Of Consul Shaw at Man.
chester, and one by Mr.. Blaine as Secretary
/ OF State, to show that the inequalities OF the
| wages OF English and American operatives
| are more than counterbalanced by the great
er efficiency of the former and by their longer
hours OF labor.
As a companion piece to the "fancy pic.
| OF the enj0yments of American workingmen
| Mr. Coke read, with running comments, the
testimony of Thomas O'Donnell, mule
| spinner in Fall River, Mass, taken by the
Blair committee, showing that for himself
| wife and two children he had not earned
$50 in a year. He had no help from outside
| and had had couple dollars worth of coa
in the preceding winter. He picked up a
little wood along the shore and shovelleC
CLANS for food. He had not had more thar
l
pounds of beef in a year. His wife had only
one dress, costing about So, since her mar
riage six years before, and this condition o.
things had existed more than six years tC
his knowledge, and was not confined to him
but there could not be less than a thous
aud operatives in Fall River in like condi
tiOn. He did not know what was wrong, bu
he knew something was wrong. That, saiC
Mr.. Coke. is the condition of the protected
American workingman, to pay whom an(
support whose families the American peopl,
are taxed an average of AZ per cent on every
thing they eat, drink, veal, and even on th,
grave clothes oil the dead.
Mr. Blair explained that he examined
0'Donnell, who, no douot, told the truth
and who presented a pitiable appearance
but his condition was largely due to the tar
iff agitation of that time, which diminished
employment and caused feeling of uncer
tainty among manufacturers.
Mr.. Dawes admitted that such cases di(
exist, but asked Mr.. Coke which was tn,
better remedy, to furnish employment o.
take 1t away?
Mr.. Coke turned to the miners of Pennsyl
vania, and quoted the testimony oil Jehi
| Jarrett to the effect that tie condition O
the coal miners, numbering 10000, was "pit
liable and miserable" and that they were II
paid and suffered from the truck system,
under which they have to pay 100 per cen
more than other people. The English Goa