River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-02-16
SHERMAN IN BOSTON


American Labor-James Russell Lowell
Taken to Task.
BosToS, Feb 1O-A banquet was given
by the Boston Home Market Club to SEN
ator John sherman and others last evening.
After the applause with which he was
greeted had subsidized, the Ohio statesman
said:
GENTLEMEN: have, first OF all. TO thank
you for the hearty reception you have given 10
a stranger from distant State; but stranger
akin TO you by many ties OF association, and,
more than all, by hearty sympathy with you
In the line OF public policy which has done
more than any other to develop the resources
has 10 promote prosperity to our lommon
country
like the name OF your club, for it is a name
that describes your principles; II is a creed in
itself; home market for home productions. II
and the flavor of patriotism. When you use the
word "home" you do not mean your household,
your business, not even Boston or Massachu-
sets, but your whole country from ocean TO
ocean, from Canada TO the Gulf Of Mexico. . -
When you invited me to speak to the Home
Market Club, learned that there was another
club In Boston called the Massachusetts Tariff
Reform League. and that lis members had
banquet here recently at which there were
many distinguished guests and speeches. So
naturally thought that here, at least, l might
find a statement Of the benefit OF tie foreign
market and what is meant by tariff reform"
lcarefully read all these speeches and confess
my surprise TO find so little on economic ques-
tons affecting our home industry and so much
about politics. 1t is like FalstafTs bill OF fare;
little bread and so much sack.
Take Mr.. Lowell, for instance, q gentleman
for whom have always entertained the high
est respect. He IS known as an accomplished
writer, a man of cullnre and taste, welcome
representative OF this country at the English
urf h ..ft
and gave tone and rect on to it 1 ind but
very Little about the tariff in his remarks, but
good deal about Mr. Cleveland. He says:
Personally, l confess that / feel myself
strongly attracted to Mr.. Clevela d as the best
representative OF the higher type of American
ism that we have seen since Lincoln was
snHtched from US
Thus Mr.. Lowell. who has been honored by a
great party with its confidence and trust places
Mr. Cleveland above Grant, the great soldier OF
our country; above Hayes. who certainly gave
to the country pure and excellent admins
tration, ana Mr.. Lowell, himself; above Gar
field, one OF the most accomplished OF Amer-
can statesmen, and above Arthur, in every re-
spect model gentleman and u prudent and
aple President
Now, for what has Mr. Cleveland been dis
tingushed to justify this eulogy? Two things
first for the promise OF Civil-Service reform,
and he has practsed the most general sweep
Government was established. He found 2,359
Presidential postmasters in Office and he has
removed or changed ? 600 of them. His Post
master-General out OF $1,000 employees under
him has removed 5000. Out of thirty-three Min
listers abroad the President removed or changed
thrty-three, large proportion OF whom are
men distinguished in the war against the
Union. Out OF $4,000 places he has removed or
changed 43U0a, and out of the 1900 there are
not fifty Republicans among the APP
pOintees. No wonder the witty but cynical
Sir. Stearns one of these appointees, says:
"Civil Service reform received no aid from any
public man TO amount TO any thing until the
advent OF Mr.. Cleveland" But it is the civil
service that turns out all the "ins " and puts in
the outs" Tn is the kind of Civil Service
reform practiced by Mr.. Cleveland, and yet he
is extolled by a gentleman who places Civil
Service reform above all other objects OF public
policy.
The other ground named to justify this
eulogy is the recent message OF the President
recommending that all taxes now existing on
h me products be continued and duties i'm
ports be largely reduced.
The inevitable effect of this policy IS to in
crease importations at the expense and loss OF
our home market and especially to reduce the
wages of all engaged in industries competing
with foreign production. The message creates
alarm among business men at home and gives
Joy and hope to every market in Europe.
have had occasion recently TO answer this mes
sage, and do not care to repeat it here, but
wish TO reply TO other remarks Of our friends in
thel eague.
Mr. Lowell says: ''Never before has q Pan
dora's box so full OF the germs OF infectious de-
moralization been offered 10 any people as Our
growing surplus"
This is not true. A surplus is a great deal
better than deficit. And this surplus is not
new. II has been growing since the close of the
wa bna cd n To nor no mn Golf
cent feat OF rapidly reducing the public dedt
policy which has excited the admiration OF the
greatest statesmen of Europe. Mr.. Gladstone
ga to me twenty years ago that this was as
great a victory as success in war This grow
ing surplus was bequeathed TO Mr.. Cleveland by
h 5 predecessors, and was applied by them 10
the payment OF debt and TO repeated reductions
of taxes. II is the rational and steady result Of
our increase in wealth and population growing
on OF the policy of protection to home indus
tries Our friends may be surprised that the
surplus reveaue did not stop with the election
of Democratic President and perhaps it will
II his advice is followed Certainly II y ii II he
checks the prosperity which enables US TO i'm
port goods and pay taxes.
But why is not this surplus applied to the
payment or purchase OF the publ debtg
Whose fault is { that it accumdlates in the
Treasury? Plainly the fault of M. Cleveland,
whose Secretary Of the Treasury is authorized
to apply this surplus at any time to The reduc-
ton Of the public debt II he had followed the
example of his predecessors he would, weekly
or monthly, without proclamation or noise,
have purchased and retired the public debt I'M
der the main provisions of existing law.
But, if the President preferred to reduce the
surplus by the reduction Of taxation, why did
he rot apply to Congress to diminish taxation
without disturbing home product on?
know that at any time in the last Con
gress taxation could have been reduced but
for the desire Of the Speaker of the House
and the President to strike at home in
dustries rather than TO reduce taxation. A
majority Of the House, thoGgh Democratic,
would have passed in an hour bill reduc ng
taxation il il had been permitted by the
S elker 10 vote upon reduction OF internal
rather than external taxes; and to-day. II the
House is not packed TO defeat its will, bill TO
make all the reduction recommended by the
President could be promptly passed But the
President and the controlling elements OF his
party are determined TO use the exigency
which he has created to force Congress TO re-
duce taxes in their way, so as to strike dan
eerous blow at our domestic industries; and it
is because OF this that he receives the high
eulogy of Mr.. Lowell.
Again, Mr.. Lowell says that 1.-THE two great
parties in Congress are unworthy Of conf
dence" that with them it is a struggle be-
tween the ms and outs" and that leach APP
pears TO make use OF the same unworthy tricks
for its own advantage; each had an abundance
Of aces IN its sleeve, and each was divided on
the great questions Of vital interest.
Now, as Mr.. Lowell has never been men,
Der Of Cont ress and I have for many years,
must say that during all that time have never
seen the game played with aces in the sleeve.
This is a Pigment OF his imagfnatioa The truth
is that Mr.. Lowell, though distinguished as
literary man, has 10 perception of the interests
and business of tn S great Republic of the men
who, Ike you, develop its resources. He can
not appreciate, as you do, the beneficial results
OF the policy OF protection TO the millions OF
our countrymen whose bread and life de-
pend upon developed industries built up and
supported alone by wise restrictions upon for
eign competition. His affnities for what he calls
the mother country are so strong, and his dog
mas acquired from school books so fixed that
he can not distinguish between the interests
OF o new, great and growing country and the
id al policy OF his fancies and dreams. He
neither did nor can throw any light upon the
economic questions in which you aIs interested
He demonstrates this in his little speech be-
tween speeches in a manner so " ehildlike and
bland that it is worth quoting he says that
at "A free-trade meeting in England : ne was
irritated by the assumption OF some OF the
speakers that il would be an excellent thing Tor
England il the free-trsde doctrine should pre-
vail in America" when he tells US he got up
and says "that those persons in England
who expected that the adoption OF
free trade here would be profitable TO
them were gre tly m staken. can imagine
the smiles of satisfaction Of the great English
merchants who have spent so much money TO
get a foothold in our home market, at this delu-
sion OF the Amer can Minister.
wish TO speak OF this distinguished citizen
Of Boston with sincere respect, but would apply
to him the memorial language used BY Whit
tier, the great poet Of Massachusetts, who stin