Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-09-20
CONVINCING ARGUMENTS.
Telling and Effective Speeches by General
Harrison in Favor of Protection
for American Labor.

General Harrison, while cn-route from
Toledo to indianapolis spoke more fully
on the subject of protection to American
labor than nj any time since his nominal
lion for the presidency AT Fort Wayne
he received unique welcome, being
peted from all sides with dozens Of
boquets. which. during the demonstra-
ton, were gathered and placed in front
and around the general He says in
part as follows;
Under popular government like ours
il is OF the first Importance that every
mag who votes should have some reason
for his vote; that every man who attaches
himself to this or that political party
should ntclligenlly understand both the
creed and the purpose Of the party to
which he belongs | think it is univers-
ally embellishments by Democrats
as well as by Republicans that the
questions involved in this campaign do
have n very direct bearing upon the Ma
tional prosperity, aud the prosperity
and welfare Of the individual citizen, !
think it is conceded that the result of
this election will effect beue1cally OF
injuriously our great manufacturing in
woo the wOrkingmen and workingwomen
who fill these busy hives of industry.
lAppausc. This much is conceded. !
do not intend to-day to argue the ques-
ton in any detail. | want 10 call your
attention to q few general facts and
principles. and the FIRST one-the one ]
never tire Of mentioning, the one ] deem
so important that ] DO not shun the
the charge that am repeating myself
is this: that the condition Of the wage
workers OF America is better than that
Of any other coantry in The world. APP
plause. Now. If that Ne true it is i'm
portant that you should each find out
why it is SO; that each one Of you should
determine for himself what effect
PROTECTION TARIFF
has had and is likely to have upon his
wages and his prosperity. Does it need
to be demonstrated that if we reduce the
tnrh to revenue level, if we abolish
from It every consideration Of protec-
lection. more goods will come in from
abroad than come in now? And what is
the necessary ciIect2 1t Is the transfer
to foreign -Sops Of work that you need
here; il is diminish American prOduc-
ton and increase English production.
That s to be the effect Of it, 1t is not
worth while to stand upon nice deiini-
lions as TO free trade. Some think it
enough to say that they are not free
traders because they are not in favor of
abolishing all customs duties. Let me
remind such that the free trade countries
OF Europe. reorganzed to be SUCH have
not abolished all customs duties. A bet
4 q. 81. .Ig..
believes IN levying customs duties with
out any regard to the effect Of those
duties upon the wages Of our working
people, or upon the productions of our
own shops. This, then, is the issue.
Take it to your homes. There are many
confusing and contradictory statements
made in the public press and by public
speakers. Ask any of those who assail
our protective system, whether they do
not believe that if their policy is adopted
large amount Of foreign-made goods
will come to this country. IL is their
purpose To increase importation in order
to cheaper prices, think | may safely
nsk you to consider the question whether
this cheapening Of prices, which they
seem to regard as the highest attainment
of craftsmanship, is consistent with the
rate of wages that our working people
enjoy now; whether ii will not involve,
if we are to have foreign competition
without fayoring duties. n reduction of
American wages TO the standard Of the
wages paid abroad Applause. Do
you believe fo~ one moment that the two
factories making the same product can
be maintained in competition where one
pays SO per cent more 10 its working
men than The othcr2 Is il not certain
that
WAGES MUST nH EQALIzED
in those competing establishments, or
the ono paying the highest wages must
shut down. Applause and cries Of
That's The thing Here in this city
of Fort Wayne. SO important and SO
prosperous. we have fine illustration
of the ugCruug advantages Of large
factory and shop population. 1t has
made your city prosperous as wen as
populous and 1t has made these outlay
ing Allen County farms vastly more
valuable than they otherwise would have
been. These interests harmonic. But
only want to ask you To think upon
these questions; settle them in your own
minds, for is is agreed by all that as
they shall be settled one way or the
other, your interests and those Of your
families and of this community and Of
every other community i'm this country.
are 10 be affected favorably. May |
not appeal to YOU 10 review these qucs.
tions. To throw Of The shlckles of pre-
conceived notions aud of party pre-
judiccs, and consider them anew I'm the
tttf