The Portland daily press., 1888-10-11
s,c:ruples as have proved to be unfounded and

n"
the cry for free raw material. Coupled with
lne other delusion, ''the markets of the
world" it completes the circuit of Presiden-
tiai thought Free raw material is now and
Always has been the stock argument in any
crusade of free trade" 1t was the pre-
period, and has always been In the mouths
Oh all opponents of the existing system. 1t
Is very taking argument so long as 1t rests
In generalities. Surely it must be wise to
ADMIT Tree the substances which human
labor fashions into the shapes and forms
which contribute to our comfort and to the
luxury of contented living. Such freedom
OF import can hurt no one, and must greatly
stimulate the employment of human beings.
The fallacv of all this lies in the double
meaning of the term raw material" When
we are INDUCING the day dream that we
shall employ all our workmen and fill up
with our surplus products the imaginary
markets of the world, which are supposed to
be awaiting us with an enthusiasm as open
mouthed as the big fish for waiting Jonah,
free raw material must mean something or
other ON which human labor has not yet
been bestowed. When we turn ourselves
from messages and letters of acceptance and
stump Orat0ry generally, and begin to make
laws, we find there is no such thing ON earth
as raw material in that sense-no such thing
except the earth itself as substances on
which no labor has been bestowed. The
raw material of one man is the finished
product of the other and while it may not
yet be ready for human wear and use, it las
yet had the labor bestowed which was as
absolutely essential to its final destiny as
the finishing polish which makes it comedy
and attractive to the buyer. On products of
America, where will you draw the line?
VIII you say to the yarn maker, we will sacri-
flee you and your product; we will discharge
your workmen and shut up your shop in
order that we may enable the cloth and
n no fort
to capture the markets of the world? What
would be the gain to the yarn maker, and
what to the country? Ii you tell me that
You mean wool anu lumber, cheap clothing
and cheap homes, my reply is twofold. You
Protection was an individual benefit to who
eyer made or raised a protected article.
How can you justify, in your search for
cheap clothing and cheap homes, the indi-
vidual benefit you give manufacturers and
farmers?
What argument can you urge against taxed
WOODS that you cannot urge against taxed
woolens? Does not the consumer ultimate
ly use them both? My other reply, as to
wool, is that your orators, headed by Mr..
Springer-fdcile princeps-are Just now
soothing the farmers by statistical proof that
wool will be dearer, and your Ottawa Consul,
MI Hotchkiss, in letter which Mr.. Bayard
has not fastened to publish, has just proved
that Canadian pine lumber will be raised in
price until it equals the price now paid for
American lumber, and cheap homes for our
people vanish into the Canadian treasury.
For he makes it very clear that the Canadian
pine lumber cuts no figure in fixing the Am
erican price, and that the raising Of the sum
whichlhas to be then paid to the government
for the right to cut win be as certain as the
needs Of the Dominion Treasury; what we
take off they are sure to be put on, what is
pushed out OF our treasury is pushed into
theirs We lose one million dollars paid by
the Canadians and their government gains
1t, yet the peoples chosen President" in a
state of complete and solemn self-conse.
Grafton of every faculty and endeavor to the
service Of confiding and generous nation OF
freemeD, seven months after one of his own
officers shows him this truth, and he knows
It,, piles up words about the grievous and in
tolerable burdens of taxation Of our nation
conndlng ana generous as aforesaid, and
talks about 'the extreme moderation" of Mr.
Mills bill, which lifts this particular taxa
ton not from MS but from the Canadians.
Extreme moderation"l III the throwing
away OF one million dollars, the passing OF
that large sum from our treasury into the
treasury Of Canada be ''the extreme modera-
ton Of the first step in the right direction
how long will it be before the statesman
snip OF revenue reform pays more than oul
falr share OF the expenses of the Dominion
government? Sir Charles Upper can already
reckon on items amounting to one million
eight hundred thousand dollars, and publicly
and complacently claim that sum as one q
the trophies Of diplomacy. When we add
to this the fact that every increase of Cana
dan o lumber imports takes just SO much from
the opportunities of labor among ourselves
and causes proportionate loss in dollars
transferred from our treasury to theirs no one
can doubt that this is carrying the doctrine
OF fee raw materials far beyond the hopes
even of believers
M hqffpr test ha oiuau Of fAa dolnei,-o
ness of this craze than the question asked MI
Mills III Connecticut to which he made the
reply which has become historic If free
raw materials will enable us to conquer the
markets Of the world. why have
cotton goods; for we not only have
the materials free but ON the spot And
yet we supply the markets of the world witt
less than fifteen million dollars worth o.
cotton goods. while England exports NOR,
than three hundred million dollars worth
we can compete only in coarse goods whicl
REQUIRE the minimum of human labor. S,
slight is the labor proportion that it is mad,
up by the advantage we have in growing GU
material here. Some cotton goods exported
from my, own district enjoy. an Eastern mar
lence while the English haste in 'sthe career
OF cheap and nasty" has made their goods {
by-W0rd among even the heather,
No wonder that Mr.. Mills after keepin,
the three balls of free raw materials, 7
markets OF the world and tabor cost
deity in the air for whole evening lost his
temper when he found all three come rattlinl
about his head when the cotton question was
asked him. 1t is a misfortune that there
should be any doubt as to his reply. The
one originally attributed to him had wild
southwestern beauty. The rectified on,
indicated sad yielding to the softness o.
Eastern civilization.
OF course the President has the usual di:
course upon trusts" 1t is the natural com
plement of the rest of the letter. Doubles:
when we get out of the smoke of politica
battle we shall find out definitely what evil.
there are in trusts" and remedy them
Meantime the public mind ought not to b,
mlsled by mere cutlery, and ought to know
where the blame of non-action rests, if i
rests anywhere outside the inherent Difficult
ties OF the case itself. When the presen
session of Congress was begun section OF
sort OF flying squadron of the majority O
Ways and Means was made part of the Com
mittee on Manufactures, and was set t,
work to elaborate this new weapon from
which they promise themselves SO much il
their warfare against the tariff.
Whoever will examine the Presidents Ian.
guage with care will see how utterly vague
and unsatisfying that language is, and be
prepared to ask him the question why hi
friends in the House of Representative
have hay not acted with promptitude and vigor
POootoc
diction of this question, and they alone ar,
laggard. They alone have the initiative ant
have failed to move. Only the other day dit
Mr.. Cain, of Texas, enumerate the many
bills to suppress trusts" already before th,
committees controlled by the President,
friends, on none of which had action beer
taken. He even wished to add to the fare,
OF the situation by endowing still anothe
committee with power.
II the party in power in the House hat
seen fit, they have all along had the RICH
land have alone had the privileged of present
ing and proposing such legislation as the,
deemed fitting to carry out their views. Bui
they care for none of these things" TX
their minds, as to the Presidents, only on,
cure IS possible for any of the evils of thi
world, and that is reduction of the tariff
The surplus might have ceased to be an eyi
by the payment OF our debts, but presidential
scruples prevented. Legislation might easill
nave been had on trusts; but the President
and his friends-haye had no real use TO
either surplus or trusts, except as against To,
tariff.
Ii this mania continues for exhibitin,
revenue reform as panacea for all that goe
awry in the Republic, the President will sool
be reluctant to use any other remedy agains
the yellow fever.
There is one expression in the candidate
letter which deserves our hearty sympathy
while we cannot avoid, he says, Bipartisan
Misrepresentation, our position upon th,
| question of revenue reform should be 81
plainly stated as to admit Of no misunder
| standing"
That is absolutely desirable, and this arti
Gle is a contribution to the great work O
helping the candidate to avoid ''misrepresen
tation" ana to render misunderstanding
| impossible.