The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-06-21
Wbiob-Free Trade or Proteotion7

but a WOTO IOr MI. l.. F. Byrn6S. IL
the Irish in the nation admired so
much the policy of protection to Amer
lean industries, they would have voted
the Republican ticket continuously
since the war. Such they have not
done. If we mistake not, Mr.. Byrnes
himself firmly opposed protection for
twenty yeaTs and voted with the Dem
Ocratic party in opposition to the very
policy that Blaine labored for earnest
ly during the entire period of his pub
lie life. 1t was not until 1884 that he
saw proper to change his politics, or
had his eyes opened to the beauties of
O'DOnoVan ROSsas and their dynamite
followers became converts at the same
time. If Blaine had not twisted the
tail of the British lion pretty vigor-
ously, it is extremely doubtful that the
dynamite gang would have flocked to
his support. OF course we are not
classifying Mr.. ByUnes with that set
of Blaine converts. We only note the
coincidence, and wonder why a man
who had opposed protection as a Demo
GRAFT for twenty years should find it all
at once so very charming simply be-
cause Mr.. Blaine believed in it, and
was made its exponent as the standard
bearer of the party.-EmpOria Demo
crat.
With all all due respect to the writer
of the above, whoever he may be, l beg
leave to correct another wrong and
misleading assertion: 1.-THE Irish in
the nation" have never knowingly voted
against protection to American indus
tries. The issue OF protection against
free trade was never fairly made until
this year. Four years ago great
many protectionists in the Democratic
was free trader. The suspicion of
four years ago has now become GER
tainty and Democratic protectionists
are obliged to choose between party
and principles.
The leaders of Democracy in the past
were not free traders, neither are all of
them now, as the following quotations
will show:
Experience has taught me that
manufactures are now as necessary to
our independence as to our comfort. :"
Thomas Jefferson.
Upon the success of our manufac-
lures as the handmade of agriculture
and commerce, depends in a great
measure, the independence of our
country; and none can feel more SEN
sibly than do the necessity of en-
couraging them. jackson
"a horizontal tariff is impossible. -
IlOmaS a. h0nQrlckS.
II warn the party that it is not safe
to abandon principles so fundamental
to our Institutions and so necessary to
the maintenance of our industrial Sys-
TEN, principles which attest the wis
dom of those who established them by
the fruits they have borne, the full
fruitionS of which, however, can only
be realized in the extension of diver
sitied industries to all parts of the
country, not in the North and East
alone, but in the South and West as
well. samuel j. Randall.
Cheap goods means cheap labor,
cheap labor means cheap men, cheap
men means poverty, ignorance, vice,
brutality and barbarism. Mans value
to himself, to his family, to the state,
is governed by his wages; his soul, his
spirit rises as his wages advances
falls as his wages decline. Destroy a
mans wages and you destroy the man.
Destroy the high rate of wages paid
American workingmen and our indus
tries and our liberties would be jeOp-
ardiZed-Why; if the American people
had had an idea in 1884 that the presi-
dent and Democratic party would sup
port such a measure 1.-THE Mills free
trade bill) James G.. Blaine and not
Grover Cleveland would now be in the
White House. Congressman NJ. A.
Foran.
AL Democrats must concede that the
doctrine annunciated in the above quo
tations is not the doctrine of the Cleve-
land party which has superseded the
Democratic party of jefferson and
Jackson. AS stated before it as an
American citizen and bust
ness man that / intend toVOte for the
principles of protection have always
advocated. If voting for protection to
American industries be twisting the
tail of the British lion, it will be
pretty vigorously" twisted next No
vember. and it is my firm belief that
the majority of the American people
will prefer to hold their tariff grip on
the tail of the British lion, to being
crushed in the capaciOus jaws of the
free trade brute. If General Washing
ton and General Jackson had not
twisted the tail of this same British
lion pretty vigorously" where would
our free institutions be to-day? In
conclusion wish to say that ! have
not the time or disposition to discuss
this question any further. There can
be no misunderstanding in this cam
paign. It is free trade or protection.
Protection means freedom and indus
trial prosperity. Free trade means
business depression, low wages and the
commercial dominion of Great Britain
over America. American citizens are
invited to take their choice, and as one
of them have chosen protection.
T. F. BYRNES.