The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-02-29

This - tho KIND OF o1vu service reform proo-
toed BY Mr. CLEVELAND. and yet he b sxtolled
form above Ill other objects OF public policy.
The other ground named to justify thus
euiogy 10 the recent messsge OF the presidents
recommending that al taxes now existing on
home products be continued and duties on
imports be largely reduced.
The inevitable effect Of this policy 10 to
increase importations 1T the expense and loss
OF our home market, and especially to reduce
the wages Of all engaged In industries COM
petlng with foreign production. The message
creates alarm among business men ut home
and gives joy and hope to every market III
Europe. 1 have had occasion recently to xn-
swer this message, and do not care to repeat
it here, but wish to reply to other remarks OF
our friends in the league.
Mr.. Lowell says: aNever before has Pan
dora's box 80 iuii of the germs OF infectious
Generalization been offered to any people ~
our growing surplus"
This is not true. Asurplus is great deal
better than deficit. And this surplus is not
new. 1t has been growing since the close Of
the war. 1t has enabled us TO perform the
magnificent feat of rapidly reducing the pub
lie debt, policy which has excited the adj
miratlon OF the greatest statesmen OF Europe.
Mr.. Gladstone said to me twenty years ago
that this WAS as great victory az success In
war; This growing surplus was bequeathed
to Mr. Cleveland by his predecessors. and was
applied by them to the payment Of debt and
to repeated reductions Of taxes. 1t is the ra-
tional and steady result OF our increase In
wealth and population growing out OF the pol
icy of protection to home industries. Our
friends may be surprised that the surplus
revenue did not stop with the election OF
Democratic President, and perhaps it will il
checks the prosperity which enables us to I'M
port goods and pay taxes.
But why is not this surplus applied to the
payment or purchase of the public debt!
II - <l..k Sarxl Int in. N
Treasury? Plainly the fault of Mr. Cleve-
land, whose Secretary Of the Treasury ID
authorized to apply this surplus at any time
to the reduction of the public debt Ii he had
followed the example Of his predecessors he
would, weekly or thly, without proclama-
ton or noise, have purchased and retired the
public debt under the main provisions OF ex-
listing law.
But, if the President preferred to reduce
the surplus by the reduction Of taxation, why
did he not apply to Congress to diminish tax
alton without disturbing home production? l
know that at any time in the last Congress
taxation could have been reduced but for the
desire of the Speaker of the House and the
President to strike at home industries rather
than to reduce taxation. A majority or the
House, though Democratic, would have pass
ed in an hour bill reducing taxation If it had
been permitted by the Speaker to vote upon
q reduction of internal rather than external
taxes; and to-day, if the House is not packed
to defeat its will, a bill to make all the reduc-
ton recommended by the President could be
promptly passed. But the President and the
contr olling elements Of his party are deter
mined to use the exigency which he has Gre
ated 10 force Congress to reduce taxes In
their way, so as to strike a dangerous blow
at our domestic ind ustries; and it is because
of this that he receives the high eulogy OF Mr..
Lowell.
Again, Mr.. Lowell says shat the two
great parties in Congress are unworthy OF
condolences" that @with them it is struggle
between the ins and outs" and that "each
appears to make use Of the same unworthy
tricks for its own advantage; each had an
abundance of aces III its sleeve, and each
was divided on tho great questions OF vital IN
terest"
Now, as Mr. Lowell has never been NOM
Der of Congress and have for many years,
must say that during all that time l have
never seen the game played with aces in the
sleeve. This is figment OF his imagination.
The truth is that Mr. Lowell, though distin-
guished as literary man, has no perception
of the interests and business of this great Re-
public, Of the men who, like you, develop its
resources. He can not appreciate, as you do,
the beneficial results of the policy OF protec-
ton to the millions of our countrymen whose
bread and life depend upon developed indus
tries built up and supported alone by wise re-
strictlons upon foreign competition. HIS
affinities for what he calls the mother country
are so strong, and his dogmas acquired from
school books, SO fixed that he can not distin-
gush between the interests of a new, great
and growing country and the ideal policy OF
his fancies and dreams. He neither did nor
can throw any light upon the economic ques-
tons in which you are interested. He dem
onstrates this in his little speech between
speeches i'll a manner so "childike and bland"
that it is worth quoting He says that at a
free trade meeting in England "he was irritat-
cd by the assumption of some of the speakers
that it would be an excellent thing for Eng
land if the free trade doctrine should prevail
in America" when he tells us he got up and
says shat those persons In England who ex
pected that the adoption of free trade here
would be profitable to them were greatly mis-
taken" can imagine the smiles Of satisfac-
ton of the great English merchants who have
spentso much money To geta foothold in our
home market, at this delusion of the Ameri-
can Minister.
/ wish to speak of this distinguished citizen
OF Boston with sincere respect, but would
apply to him the memorable language used by
Whittier, the great poet OF Massachusetts,
who still lives among you, honored and be-
loved by all, of Daniel Webster, the great
statesman Of Massachusetts,, who, in q critical
moment disappointed his friends and con-
stituents:
Revile him not-the tempter hath
snare for all:
And plying tears not scorn and wrath.
Betit his fall.
And now l call your attention to the re-
marks made by fellow Senator, with whom
l do not agree In politics, yet for whom have
a sincere respect Senalor Morgan does refer
to the worlds trade, and laments that the
trainers of the Constitution prohibited an
export tax on domestic productions He says
mo other government has found it wise or
expe iient thus to limit its sovereign power
and thus deny to itself the power to take care
of its people even in times of emergency"
He says also that I'VE could have derived in-
calcuiable wealth by levying duties on the
expectation Of cotton, yellow pine and lum-
ber" This is the key OF his political
opinions. Ho sincerely believes in the pro-
vision of the Confederate Constitution that.
no duty or tax on imports shall be laid to
promote or foster any industry. Whatever
you may think Of tax on exports, so common
among nations in the dark ages and now re-
pudiated by nearly every civilized government
IN the world, you can not question his SINGER
49, d.. IL.