The Portland daily press., 1888-08-15
FALSE STORIES OF FREE TRADERS.
Rumored Defections of Prominent
Republicans Untrue.
More About the Destructive Effect of
the Mills Bill.
All Aroostook County thorough,
Aroused over the Subject.
[special to the Press. ]

AUGUSTA, Aug 14.-The report published
by the Boston free trade papers and copied
into similar organs in Maine in regard to the
alleged detection of several prominent Re-
publicans in Maine, is creating considerable
stir here, as the gentlemen concered are COM
ing out promptly with denials. Col. Au-
gustus G. Hamlin of Bangor. who was
claimed as an accession to the Democratic
ranks writes to friend in Augusta, saying:
Il have not seen the article, but whatever it
says. you may rest assured that am a Re-
publican and not Democrat, and shall not
vote for Cleveland
Lorenzo Clay of Gardiner, another of the
alleged seceders, is an old Henry Clay and
Tippecanoe Whig, and is for Harrison and
Protection this year, all stories to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
Col. Francis E. Heath of Wateryille, who
has also been represented as leaving the
Republican party, is one of the strongest Re-
publicans and protectiouists in Maine. In
the war he was one Of the most gallant SOL
diers who went from Maine and would on
no account prefer Grover Cleveland to Gen.
eral Harrison.
lection Democrats over to the Republicans
has made the Democratic managers desper-
ate and they are making reckless claims to
offset it. But it won't do. The protection
lists are thoroughly aroused. Labor Com
missioner Matthews, who has just returned
from Aroostook, says the Mills bill is having
remarkable effect on the voters in that
county. They live next the Canada line and
understand just what free trade would mean.
For instance, the Mills bill, while in its
amended form it leaves the old duty of 15
cents bushel on potatoes. drops the duty
on starch from two to one cent a pound.
Now bushel of potatoes will make about
eight pounds Of starch Under the old duty
the starch made of bushel of potatoes pays
about the same duty as the potato would !;
but under the Mills bill the starch made out
OF bushel of potatoes would come in for
seven cents less than would the potatoes. In
other words, the Mills bill would put
premium on starch manufactured over in
Canada to the extent that the duty ON the
manufactured article is less than the duty on
the raw material. The Mills bill would send
the starch manufacturers of Aroostook into
Canada. The people of Aroostook see it and
don't propose to favor any such Democratic
programme. Starch potatoes "a small varie-
ty) bring from 10 to IL cents in Canada and
from 20 to % in Maine. 1t is easy to see
who would suffer by the Mills bill.
Take the case of shingles, which are largely
manufactured in Aroostook The duty on
thousand of shingles is 80 cents. Now,
the lumbermen make rather less than 80
cents on thousand for their shingles. On
the Canada side of the line labor and stock
are about 80 per cent less than they are in
Maine, so that Province manufacturer can
ship his shingles to Boston, pay the duty,
and still make better profit than can his
competitor in Caribou. who has to pay high
er for labor and stock. So the people of
Aroostook are thinking of their lumber in
terest as well as their potato interest.
Among the returns sent in to the Bureau
of Labor Statistics are many commenting on
the tariff issue. Here is one from an En-
glish-American working man, who knows
the condition of labor in England and here
81 Lave no faith whatever in the doctrine of
free trade As ali English-American l speak
from experience, when l say free trade
would certainly reduce wages in almost
every industry throughout the country