The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-09-06
McKINLEYS SPEECH.


IA al 4le productions and iu all the
elements % natural wealth, We find
oar manufactures suspended, our
ruolic works retarded, our private
enterprises Of different kinds ahan-
dunesi, aud thousands 81 useful lab
urers thrown oui uf employment aud
reuuccd o. want"
Tins Testimony would condemn "a
revenue tariff ga ANY cnun in The
land % ouEht o. force n like YER
dict from tli, great jury Of ulir roun-
trgmen-
One 90 the chief complaints
aEaiu-l the protective system L. it,
alleged hiudraurr Co foreign trade
aud foreign market for our own
products % T. argued that IL We
ruuld import raw material from
either countries free, and mauufar-
TURF such raw material into products
fnr u~e. We could export them at
great profit and thus secure stand
IuE in the markets ul the world.
THIS theory b. wholly, I believe,
illusoTy. ID g. without substance
We have an example uf free raw
material in a certain fine Of manu-
fariures-lhat 81 leather for boots,
shoes, etc, etc. In lSs2 hides and
skin- ser made free 80 that our
manufacturers could import them
without custom house burdens.
They have had free trade Goo their
raw material nov for sixteen years.
lhi- industry has been an eNcel-
tiunalig successful one. aud vet Won
raumoi avoid being surprised when
] saN o. guu That ga thu-e sixteen
Years W. have been able O. export
uut . Ter cent 81 the leather trnduc-
siou 90 tlte country.
hut 90 free raw material be- mpre--
sary o. secure am export trade and
thc foreign markets. then ] answer
that cur manufacturers today have
Substantial Tree trade in foreign
raw materials which they make into
finished products in the United !
~taieS, provided they eNl-urt Be-. sec |
tiuu- 31ia, $751; gi-l aud Ht53 nf the |
| uItesi states statutes provide for |
the remission ui duties on all for
eigu materials used ga manufacture |
ter the export trade. The law T. /
positive that all articles manufac |
turrd for export from imported ma |
terial-. upeu which duties have been /
paid. shall, when exported, bee EN- |
Iitl,-,i to a drawback al 80 per cent |
of tiie duties paid GA such raw ma !
ierial-- some Use has been made Of |
thrse laws. The remission of duties |
ga lisa Paid up0u imported mater |
ial- manufactured for foreign mar
krt- amounted To s. ,2i6,h;S. On |
some articles the drawback h. equal |
To- the duty paid, hut ia no instance |
where articles are imported 10 Ice |
manufactured here and sent abroad /
h. the duty 20 exceed 10 per cent.
And Vet We arr gravely told by the |
tariff returmer- that We cannot
reach foreign markets on account of |
the high tariff on the raw material, |
when. ga fact, Tor foreign trade, for |
eiEu raw material art principally |
frs-e. This principal WAS recognized |
a. early a. the administration Of |
tieurge Washington, and has been /
eniarEed sud made applicable to all |
imported material, the drawbacks |
varying from - 10 lm per cent. |
What i.rgnmes then Of the cry for |
free raw material in the presence |
af this fact. The truth D. we are not |
- much concerned about the for |
eigu market a. we are about the |
hunie market. the latter D. the best |
aud 49, have NOT been able Ia con-
trol il. aud until we do, that should |
tss our ChicT concern. hut if any Of |
eur people are signing for a foreign |
mIarket aud value 10 more highly /
than our Own, they eau import for |
cign raw material practically free ut /
duty, and after advancing into the /
higher forms al manufacture can 20 /
cut and lsn--e~~ the worlds markets. i
Taxed raw materials do not stand in /
their way, and 10 T. hypocrisy To-
claim otherwise.
The markets of the world" i'm /
cur present condition are snare
aud a deiusiou. We will reach /
them whenever We can undersell /
composing nations, and uo SOONER. /
Tariffs do not keep IA uJu and free
trade will not make 10 easier to
enter them. Let me give sou a
brief exhibit uf some uf our foreign /
trade, what We buy and what we
-eli. In the year ending June 30, /
lsss. Ne bought uf Mexico, the Cen /
trail American states, British Hon /
durss, and the governments OF the |
West Indies aud South America, |
products Ia the amount $l72, H.. OBJ, |
aud Ue suld these governments of |
our products about 80 per cent. i'm |
amount ~ what We bought of them, |
or sl,out ssAWu,uo1; and a. a show |
ing that n protective tariff did not /
produce tli~ uncomfortable balance
aEsinsl IA ! need only state that |
more than one-third of the products |
Ne bought were not subject 10 any
tariff tax ai sill, hut were admitted |
FREE Of duty.
tsnn what terms can we adopt
reVnue tariff system iu this country:
In ouly one gay. 10y accepting Eu- |
rofs-au conditions, aud submitting |
% al the discomlorts and disadvan- !
tares at ouI commercial rivals. The |
rhirI obstruction in the WAY uf a |
revenue tariff are the wages paid /
American WoTkiugmcn, and any re- |
turn io that policy involves reduc-
tiou al the cost Of labor. We can
net afford. Mr.. President, To- have /
cheap iaisor in the United States.
Gheai laisor means cheap men i
and dear money. would
rather elevate and in prove the con-
dition 81 my fellow-citizeu than in
crease thc value 81 money and the
rsouer ct money hags.' This H. a
FePu,slic of free aud equal citizen
ship. The government b. iu the
hands of the masses, and not Of the
few. This l. cur boast, and 70 b. a
proud one. The condition of the
masses. gheir well being. their in
telligenCe, their preparation for the
civil duties which rest upon them,
depend largely upon the scale of
industrial wages. q L. essential,
therefore. that the best possible
eraEes attainahle shall he secured
sad maintained. This T. vital and
fundamental. We cannot without
grave danger and serious disturb
aBce-We ought not under any cir
cumStances-abopi n policy which |
would scale down the wages and di-
minish the comforts OF tile Ameri-
can buckingham. Their welfare
and Independence, their progress
sud eleV alton. sire closely related 10
the welfare and independence and
prugress Of the republic. We have
col no pampered class in this coun-
try and ae want none. We want
the field kept open. No narrowing
10 avenues; NO lowering IL our
standard. We want NO barriers
raised against = higher and better |
civilization. The gateway Of oppor-
tunity Hiusi be open o. all, o. the
end that they may be first who de-
serve o. ~ first whether born In
poverty or reared in luxury. We 10
net want the masses excluded from |
comg,eting for the first rank among
their country men and for the ma
tinn's greatest honurs. and we do
net mean they shall be-