The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-04-18
THE PROTECTIVE PRINCIPLE.
Able Speech BY Senator Wilson, Of
Iowa, In Reply to the Pres
ident's Message.


Warrington telegram
Mr.. Wilson. Of Iowa. addressing the
Senate on the subject OF the Presidents
message. quoted the figures contained In
the last annual report OF the Secretary OF
xhe Treasury, showing the receipts and ex-
penditurss Of the Government Tor the last
1hrse years, the aggregate OF receipts ove-
expenditures being $l7S, 000, 900. or an av-
erage Of SIS, 600, 900 year. The result
thus disclosed, he said, presented the limit
within which Congress should move In the
matter Of reducing the revenue. However
much Senators might differ as to the meth
DDS Of reduction. all would doubtless agree
that the revenue should be reduced. II
was not wise or Just to collect more revt nue.
than was needed for the proper purposes or
the Government. He alluded to the great
achievements OF the Republican party. and
spoke particularly of the practical capacity
which could evolve boundless credit Tor
a Government that was bankrupt when 1T
took charge OF its affairs. He referred to
the railroad land grant policy as something
in which the Republican party without due
consideration followed the presidents of
the Democratic party. The Republican
party, he said. should be excused for not
at once detecting the dangerous possibilities
of the Democratic Immigrant policy. 1t
was not responsible for the war, but 1t was
responsible for the maintenance or Ameri-
can institutions, the enforcement of the
laws, and the unity of the Republic. This
responsibility it had met and discharged
faithfully and fully.
Referring to the growth and prosperity
OF the country, he contrasted the figures
of 1860 aud 1880 as to agriculture and
manufactures, and said that the true policy
was the one which would plant manufac-
turing establishments in every part of
every agricultural State. If reduction of
prices for manufactured articles was what
was wanted In re was no surer road to its
realization than the one which would lead
to the distribution of manufacturing
plants in all the localities where agricul-
ture produced cheap food and where the
forests and mines and quarries supplied
the raw materials needed. There should
be an end Of the policy which tended to
centralze manufacturing plants in the great
cities and policy should be adopted which
would distribute them in all parts OF the
country. II, however, they were to follow
the Presidents suggestion they would not
multiply and distribute manufacturing
plants, but they would embarrass those
now in operation and repress the tendency
to invest capital in them. AS to the annual
surplus OF about $50, 900, 900 he asked what
was the right thing to do about it. Could
that right thing be found in any OF the
schemes urged upon our attention by the
President and other opponents Of protec-
ton. Was there anything in those schemes
that could produce such happy results as
had happened in the cotton manufacturing
industries OF the Southern States within
the last seven years? To these various
questions he said no. The country had
done we'll and was doing we'll under the
policy which the President assailed. What
ever OF a danger was now menacing the
country came from sources other than those
enacted in the protective policy. That
policy had given the country strength and
prosperity.
Proceeding to the discussion of the
question of the duty on sugar and molas-
ses he quoted figures TO show that in spite
of the tariff the prices Of the articles had
fallen considerably for several years past,
and he suggested the removal of the duty
on sugar and molasses, amounting TO about
$5S, 000, 900, as means OF guarding
against the surplus of $j0,000,000. be
quoted some sentences from the Presi-
dents message, and asked whether any
better response could be given to them
than by placing sugar and molasses on the
free list. But, as to himself, he thought
that was subject on which they should
make haste slowly. He would admit free
all sugar and molasses coming from coun-
tries which did not impose import duties
on those commodities, and which recip-
TO lated by admitting American products
free of duty into their ports. And then,
he asked, why not adopt the practical
business plan which had worked SO well
in European countries, and provide for
paying reasonable bounty to the produc-
ers Of sugar in the United States? Under
this plan he suggested the impetus that
would be given to the production of
sorghum sugar in the Western States.
He criticised the Presidents suggestions
on the subject Of wool, and said that no
one would infer from them that under tariff
tinkering the wool product of the country
had fallen of Al, 100000 pounds in three
wears. The President, he said, was not a
skillful artist; his conception was not bold,
his hand not cunning; his presentation was
pale and dull and fiat. After discussing
the wool and flax question as affecting
farmers, Mr.. Wilson said that farmers
should demand that all articles produced
by them should be taken from the free list
and that at least moderate rate of duty
should be imposed upon them. Coming
back again to the question OF an annual
surpl is revenue, he asked whether there
was no way of getting rid of it without dis
turbing the true industrial interests OF the
country. 1t seemed that there was a way
both short and clear, and that was in con-
nection with the tax on intoxicating
liquors. That was where he would make
the reduction. The truc interests of the
people demanded that the revenue system
should be so adjusted rs to prevent the tax
on intoxicating liquors from becoming a
fixed and necessary part Of it. lie might
not have his way OF treating the subject
approved bv others He should deepIy
regret the passage of any bill looking to
the reduction Of revenue which did not
make q pronounced start toward the ulti-
mate elimination Of the liquor tax from
the law.