The Russellville Democrat., 1890-10-16
RAMON ANON REMEDIES
PLUMB FULL OF SENSE.
An Interesting Letter from the
 Kansas Statesman.

The following letter written by Senator Plumb to a Germantown, Pa, manufacturer, has just been pub lished. It is dated Aug. 14, and says;
 Il have yours of the 3d. Do not give yourself any concern about my re- lation to the Republican party. Did you never before hear of 8 republi- can who was such, notwithstanding he did not believe in the highest possible protective tariff, and in giv- ing to the manufacturers everything they ask for? If all those who be. lieve with me were driven out of the republican party l beg you to take notice that 1t would not be very powerful organization. It certainly would not carry many of the West ern States. How do you account for the fact that majority of the farm CTS of New Jersey, Delcware, Connec ticut and large proportion of those of Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio are democrats, notwithstanding they liye in the shadow of the chimneys for which extreme protection IS in yited? Do you think the tariff is of more benefit to the people of Kansas than it is to those of Pennsylvania and Connecticut How does it hap- pen that majority of the farmers of Indiana, a great manufacturing State
 -are democrats. I am myself in ia ver of protection, but believe we have gone far enough, ,and whetherwe have gone far enough ar not, I insist that if manufacturer wants more protec- tion he must demonstrate the neces sity for it. This has not even been attempted, but with an insolence which Tn itself calls for a rebuke, tue 'snanufacturers, and those who repre-. sent them, have simply said we want it, and that is enough. There has not been an argument that was worth the name offered to show that high CT protection was needed. It is rather q poor commentary on the American manufacturer that after having been given the local field for more than 30 years by high duties, he is not only still too weak to stand alone but too weak to even exist unless he gets still higher protection than he has ever had. I am open to convic- tion upon this as upon everything else, but cannot be driven, and 1t happens at the present time if the indications which multiply on every hand can be relied on, that very large majority of the people of Kan. sas are with me. l get letters and and telegrams from there by the hundreds endorsing my course, and all from Republicans. I also get scores of similar letters from the Eastern and Middle States.
 Isn't it quite possible now that man may be good republican and | 8 good protectionist without taking | the same view of & particular duty | which the manufacturers dor Isn't | 1t possible that a manufacturer who | is to get the cash Tn his pocket di- rect as the result of the imposition of duty is liable to be warped some what by his self-interest, ard isn't 1t fair for the consumer in the United | States to say in a given case that ev- en If the duty may be necessary the burden is greater than they ought to bear?
 My judgement is the manufactur- CTS are making an issue that is going to be hurtful to them, as I also sin cerely believe that the imposition of the duties which they are asking for will be hurtful to the country. If this sincere belief makes me other than republican, then have never known what the republican party was. You quote Messrs. Mckinley and Reed to me. They are two emi- nent men, but human beings, and liable to be mistaken. May I not, in opposition to that quote Mir. Blaine .o youf May I also not quote to 1ou the thousands of republicans in he State of Iowa who have left the party on account of it's position on he tariff, whereby the State instead # giving 60,000 majority, as it did n 1880, is now in the doubtful