Los Angeles herald., 1890-10-25
SENATOR PLUMB STRIKES BACK.

ators on the Republican side who stand
out against the Mckinley bill, has writ
ten the following letter to Pennsylva-
MIA Republican who called him to ac-
count therefor. We ask our readers to
note the sturdy courage OF this brave
westerner, and to call the attention of
the blind and blatant defenders of this
new iniquity to this straightforward
manifesto. This is q campaign docu-
ment our Republican friends will find
it convenient to ignore-unless they
take their other favorite attitude of pro-
nouncing it forgery:
UNITED STATES SENATE,
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug. IA, 1S90.j
DEAR SIR: 1 have yours OF the Sd.
Do not give yourself any concern about
nv relations to the Republican party.
Did you never before hear OF Republi-
can who was such, Notwithstanding he
did not believe in the highest possible
protective tariff, and in giving to the
manufacturers everything they asked
for? Ii all those who believe with me
were driven out of the Republican party,
l beg you to take notice that it would
not be very powerful organization. 1t
certainly would not carry many of the
western states.
How do you account for the fact that
majority of the farmers of New Jersey,
Delaware, Connecticut, and large pro
portion of those of Pennsylvania, New
York and Ohio, ARE Democrats, notwith
standing they live in the shadow of the
very chimneys for which extreme pro-
lection is invited? Do you think that
the tariff is of more benefit to the people
of Kansas than it is to those of Pennsyl-
vania and Connecticut? How does it
happen that majority of the farmers
| of Indiana-a great manufacturing state
are Democrats
am myself in favor of protection, but
believe we have gone lar enough, and
whether we have gone far enough or not,
1 insist that if manufacturer wants
more protection he must demonstrate
the necessity for it. This has not even
been attempted to be done, but, with an
insolence which in itself calls for rebuke,
the manufacturers and those who rep
resent them have simply said, we want
it and that is enough. There has not
been an argument which was worth the
name offered to show that higher protec-
ton was needed.
American manufacturer that, after hav-
ing been given the local field for more
than thirty 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. l am open to conviction upon this
as upon everything else, but | cannot be
driven, and it happens at the present
time, if the indications which multiply
on every hand can be relied upon, that a
very large majority of the people of
! Kansas are with me.
l get letters and kilograms from there
by the hundreds indorsing my course,
and all from Republicans, and / also get
scores of similar letters from Republicans
in the eastern and middle states. Isn't
it quite possible now that man may be
a good Republican and good protec
ZIONIST without taking the same view of
a particular duty which the manufac-
turers do? isn't it possible that manu-
facturer who is to get the cash in his pock
ct as the direct result of the imposition
of duty is liable to be warped some
what by his self-interest, and isn't it
fair for the consumers Of the United
States to say in given case that, even
if the duty may be necessary, the bur-
den on them is greater than they think
they ought to bear?
My Judgment is that the manufac-
turers are making an issue which is go
ing to be hurtful to them, as l also sin
cerely believe that the imposition OF the
duties which they are asking for will be
hurtful to the country. Ii this sincere
belief makes me other than Republi-
can, then have never known what the
Republican party was.
You quote Messrs. Mckinley and
Reed to me. They are two very emf
nent men, but human beings are liable
to be mistaken. May not, in opposi-
ton to that, quote Mr.. Blaine, to you?
May 1 also not quote to you the thous-
ands of Republicans in the state of
Iowa who have left the party OH account
of it's position ON the tariff, whereby
that state instead of giving 10000 ma
jority, as it did in 1880, is now in the
doubtful column?
Respectfully yours, P. B. PLUMB.