Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-07
A~NTI-TARIFF ARGUMENT

What a Liberal Republican Has to say In
Favor of Tariff Reduction-The Buga-
boo of ssBritish Policy and ssFree
Trade" Demolished--Sensible Compari-
son.
Congressman Knute Nelson of Minnesota
spoke in the House last Friday on the
tariff subject. In the course of his remarks.
Mr.. Nelson recited the large surplus and
asked "shall we get rid of it by e~xtravagant
expenditures or by a reduction oil taxa
tion?' He reviewed Mr.. Randall's a
for making the reduction on whiskey and
tobacco, and objected to it. Tobacco,
until recently, he said, 'has not been con-
sidered one of the necessaries of life." After
speaking of the selfish greed of the New
England manufacturers" he read Mr.. Pills.
bury's letter which assured him that 80 per
cent. OF the Democrats and Is per cent. OF
the Republicans in Minnesota agreed with
him that the tariff should be lowered. Mr..
Nelson then continued: 1.-THE truth is, that
ii a fair protective tariff is just, as l believe
it is, it
CAN AFFORD TO PLANT ITSELF
on the truth that the main cause for lower
wages in Europe is to be found in the
greater density of her population. and in |
a greater oyer-supply of labor than here.
Comparisons are worthless unless condi.
tlons are similar. and in this instance the |
conclusions claimed prove too much. Eng.
a Is called free trade. Austria, Ger
many. Italy and France are as decidedly
and highly protective as this country. In
respect to the density of population, cost
nVlng, interest on money, and cost of
iano, England IS more on a PAL with those
countries than our own, and vet in England
the
WAGES ARR MUCH HIGHER
than on the continent. Hear what Senator
Frye says in his speech delivered at Boston
What Saw in Europe" and mind, he
8 an unwilling witness: II say, from all
ny observations made there, and they were |
nade as carefully as l could make them.
mere is only one country ia Europe that I
within one-half of our wages: that in /.
Germany, France, Belgium and Switzerland .
hey are not one-third OF our wages. and in '
tally not one-quarter." To see the true \
orce oil TINS statement, just imagine there il
fere no such a country as the United g
'1ates, and then by all laws of inductive :
easonlng you would have the =
STRONGEST KIND OF ARGUMENT i
4 favor OF free-trade England, as against O
he high protective tariff countries OF tbe Il
ointment on a quarter of the wages. sena- I
Frye has unsuccessfully, but ~naiyely 4
rlcked his W bubble, but he can find a
ooo llustratIon nearer home. The Mime is
ota anu Dakota farmer is not directly in
in his operations in the sensa in il
hich the manufacturers of iron, ,teeI. cot. 81
IN and wooden goods are, and vet tbe 81
ages OF the agricultural laborersi in Dakota | b.
no minnesota are relatively higher as com. I'll
AIRED with agricultural laborers in Eurone H
ian indicated by the indirectly-protected I'll
dustries mentioned, and much more GER is
regular, and far pl
LESS SUBJECT TO FLUCTUATIONS. ia
nder this belief I have introduced a bill tn
lifting sugar, molasses, rice, salt. coal. sh
mber, manila, jute and sisal grass and y
from the same on the free list, %,
tier was read from Mr.. Brown, of Rock fir
yer Valley, Minnesota, showing that the ri
rIft on binding Irvine made it a heavy ia
< on wheat raising, taxing it nearly 3 st,
nts per hushel. Mr.. Nelson concluded as sis
lows: In the lace of these platform wi
edges, in the face of these admissions sw
I'M unwilling witnesses, in the face of the
.ge, ever-growing and threatening surplus
ken from the people by taxation and
ed by certain banks without any con-.
leratfon therefor, and in the face Of the
It that so many OF the largest necessa-
s Of life Bu
ARE LOADED DOWN mig
il the highest kind OF tariff taxes, it
'kes uue sick at heart to think that there D.
leading men on this side OF the chamber -
o can find at this i~uncture and under est
sc circumstances no other held for tax tee
uctlons mar the internal revenue on me-
and tobacco. Surely these things Mo
not the diet on which the poor man A..