St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-21
THE JOBBERs' BANQUET.
A Talk by Gordon T.. Cole on the
Tariff Question.

hh SuCSssohs
The Jobbers' Association of Mime
apolis enjoyed a banquet at the West
last night, and listened to talk for low
tariff from Gordon E. Cole, of st. Paul,
who had been invited to address the as
ISOLATION. Anthony Kelly, president of
the association, presided in his usual
good style. Gordon f. Cole, the guest
of the evening, sat at his right hand,
and w. G. Byron. secretary of
the association, at his left. All
the leading wholesalers of the
city were present, and w. b. Dean,
from st. Paul, also occupied seat at
the more or less festive board. j. &.
Wyman, suave and polite as ever, was
there, and was called upon to apologize
for not attending meetings of the asso-
citation more frequently. A. j. Blethen
wandered in later in the evening, in
time for the speeches, and beamed upon
the gathering from between his we'll
appointed whlskerS.
After the discussion of an elaborate
menu, President Kelly, in few well
chosen words, introduced the speaker of
the evening. Mr.. Cole led off with the
statement the ideal relations between
nations are necessarily unrestricted, and
that protection finds no place IN the cur
riculum of any respectable college. He
declared that legislation could do little
to govern trade between nations and
that that people is best governed which
is least governed. He wasted little
time in sparring for an OPEN
ing. He admitted that while it
would be foolish to advocate
absolute free trade at this time, yet the
present condition of affairs can be much
hnffnrnA Inv in1iainno qualification Eof
natural principles. The tariff, he said.
is direct result of our dual form of
government, state and national. He
then went on to argue that, while no
radical change is i'm prospect. yet the
country, and especially the Westy
needs very great reduction of tariff
taxes. He took up the tariff ON
wheat, and showed the utter absurdity
of the argument that the removal of
the tax on wheat would result in the
flooding of this country with the Cana
dian article. "As well talk of carrying
Goals to Newcastle" Facts and figures
were then adduced to prove that every
nineteen labOrerS are taxed for the
benefit of one man who becomes i'm
mensely wealthy from the products of
the question of the competition of
European cheap labor with American.
He declared that this is not true and
that where the American wOrkingman
most feels the competition of Europe is
in the shiploads of immigrants which
are every day dumped OH our ShOreS
and against which there is not even the
shadow of protection.
Figures were again reSorted to to show
that skilled labor in unprotected Europe
Is no cheaper than in America: that
while wages are 10 per cent higher here
than the free trade countries of the old
world. the cost of living there is 20 per
cent lower. Unprotected skilled work
men in Europe, he concluded, are better
paid than their brethren in America:
also that the unprotected traders i'll this
country are the best paid.
Next come the farmer, about whom
the professional prUtectionist is always
making such fearful howl. The pro-
lection to the farmer SINNERS right
down to the wool crop. in the raising OF
which comparatively few agriculturists
are engaged. He admitted that 40 per
cent tariff OH wool raises the price OF
bis few pounds. but it is more than
made up in another way. Manufact-
urerS of wooleDS cannot get enough
American wool to supply their needs.
On what they buy from foreign countries
they must pay this 40 per cent tax.
In order to protect them the govern
ment socks on another 40 per cent tax
on imported WOODEN goods. There are
not enough American wOOlens of all
qualities to supply the market, SO the
farmer must buy foreign-made goods at
times. When he does, for his little 40
per cent protection on his wool clip Mr..
Agricola is taxed 50 per cent ON the
manufactured article. This not only
gives the farmer 40 per cent the worst
of it, but does the same thing twice
over to his brother, the workingman of
the city.
Mr.. Cole dealt smart rap at the
sugar tariff, and spoke of our nayiga-
ton laws, which, by their perniciOus
regulations in forbidding the purchase
of ships in foreign countries. have
driven our commerce from the seas, and
shut out our manufactures from
other ports. The conclusions to be
drawn from all these facts. he
thought, were to give the producer
fair profit, but not, by the employment
of Chinese wall of tariff. such enor-
nous ones as he now enjoys.
Mr.. Cole was heartily appiauded at
the close. w. B. Dean was called upon,
but spoke only few words, thanking
the assembly for its attention. j. c.
Wyman was called upon TO speak, but
preferred TO go home and ponder on Mr..
Coles arguments, being a high tariff
man himself. A. j. Biethen described
how his paper had risen, ''phGniX-like,
from the fames." Some shorter and
lighter speeches were made, and every
body started for home about IL O'Clock.