St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-24
FREEDOM OR SLAVERY
The Alternatives Presented to
Americans in the Present
Political Battle.
Perpetuation Of McKinley's
Tariff Means Poverty to
Agriculturists.
What They Want Is the
Worlds Markets for
Their Produce.
Gov. Hill Puts Some Plain
Truths Before Buckeye
"MoSSbacks."

e~~A~@
Truths Before Buckeye
"MoSsbacks."
MAssILLoN, o., Oct, 23.-Gov. Hill
and party left Massillon this mofning
for Miliersburg, lthe county seat of
Holmes county, in the Sixteenth con-
gressi0nal district. The inhabitants of
Holmes county, which is purely an agri-
cultural comfy, with a population of
27.ooo, are known throughout the state
as "mossbacks." 1t was raining when
the governor arrived at MilIersburg,
put that did not prevent the gathering
OF an enormous crowd at the station,
VINO cheered the governor Justify as he
entered cab and was driven to the vii
iage tavern. A reception was held in
the hotel parlor, and hand-shaking by
horny-handed sons of toll taxed the
governors strength for Two hours,
when after lunch he proceeded to the
village opera house and addressed an
audience composed of residents of
Holmes county. The house was crowd
ed by 1,500 people, and as many more
had been unable to secure even stand
ing room in the ball, when the governor,
who was introduced by Judge William,
Reed. commenced his remarks. He
said in part:
The rain pouring down upon us to-day will
not harm us half SO much as the reign of the
Republican party in the national govern
ment. am glad to be able to appear here to
ennunciate the principles of the Democratic
party In national government. and explain
legislation OF the last congress to the inhab-
itants OF locality known as the Rock of
Gibralter in the state of Ohio There are
some extremists in both parties who advo-
cate the removal of custom houses and favor
ernment in other ways. These men, how
ever. express only individual opinions, and
are not in position to effect the operation
OF their ideas The surplus oceasioned by
operation OF the recent tariff laws will result
IN congressional representatives bartering
tnls surplus among themselves in order to
obtain unnecessary public buildings costing
hundreds of thousands of dollars, for their
respective localities, and these extrayagant
appropriations are supplied by money taken
from the
Pockets of THE People
not believe there should be partnership ex-
1stlng between the national government aud
private interests, as is the present rule under
the Republican administration. In explain
farmer derives from the Mckinley BILL he
said: The Mckinley bill is unique in more
ways than one, hut chiefly in its apparent
sollc1tude for the American farmer. Hereto
fore the agriculturist has been supposed at
least to be the beneficiary of the high pro-
tective tariff. His profits depend largely
upon the foreign demand for his products.
He always has produced more of the staple
articles of food than the American people
consume. and has sold the surplus In Eu-
ropean markets. A brisk foreign dem and
makes prices high aud, the farmer happy.
His interest has always been supposed to be
In the direction of an increase of our
foreign trade. The cheaper ne gets
his agricultural Implements, lumber and
clothing, the greater his margin of profits. A
high tariff was sacrifice which he was will
ing to endure if it was for the general pros
perfty OF his countrymen. but lately it Us
appeared to large number Of patriotic and
thoughtful farmers that this sacrifice has
gone far enough. They have seen other peo-
pie growing rich. while they were growing
poor. They have found their profits shrinking,
Until lately they have not loudly complained
against the injurious effects of high tariffs
upon their interests. A murmur of protest,
however. is now being heard all over the
country. 1t became audible in the campaign
of 1885, and it is now 80 fierce and threaten
Ing that 1t has frightened even the creatures
and legislative agents of favored manufac.-
uring industries, who begin to realize that
without the support Of the Republican farm
erS their governmental bounties will cease
How does the party in power discharge its
duty in this emergency towards that third of
our population who depend upon agricult-
ural means OF subsistence: By making
cheaper the necessities of life reducing tax.
alton. providing wider markets and en-
couragfng commerce, which jefferson called
the "handmaid Of agricultureg' Not at all.
Their Hands are Tied
too tightly by enriched individuals of favored
industries to enable them to give genuine
relief. Instead they have devised a mon
strous legislative humbug which they are
now exhibiting in rural districts. The gov
ernor then dIscoursed on the report of
Mckinley from the ways and means com
mittee, which accompanied the presentation
of the tariff bill to the house of representa-
tives, saying that the report admitted that
there is widespread depression in the
agricultural industry to-day. This report
says the secret Of agricultural depres.
sion is damaging foreign competition in
home markets" which they think they have
remedied by increasing the duty on agricul-
ural imports. According to the report, 1t is
the miserable pauper labor Of foreign coun-
tries which Is competing with the American
farmer for his home agricultural markets.
Most OF our agricultural products need no
more protection from foreign competition
Than an elephant needs protection from a
mouse. The levying OF duty upon them will
not have the slightest effect in raising
prices or widening our market because our
production is so vastly in excess of our de-
nianus, and the ratio of our imports with ex-
ports of agricultural products is SO infnitesi-
mai that Mckinley's arguments are easily
and buncombe. The Mckinley tariff places
a; duty of cents dozen on eggs
to protect Americans against the
activity of their foreign cousins,
but Canada and Europe send only one-hund-
resith part as many eggs to the country as are
produced here. and 1t looks as though this
additional protection on eggs was added to
keep Rutherford B. Hayes in line. The mere
statement of exports and imports
shows the Bald Absurdfty
OF fMcKinley's ponderous conclusion that
damaging foreign competition in our home
markets is the cause of agricultural depres-
sion and that the remedy is to increase the
ton OF which forms such an infinitesimal
part of home production and export The
total imports of agricultural products for the
year 1889 amounted in, value to about S3l9.-
amount which is creating what Mckinley
calls damaging foreign competition in our
|! home markets" The principal articles.
which are sugar and molasses, of which the
imports were nearly third Of the entire
agricultural importation. and the Mckinley.
ties have demonstrated their lack Of
faith in their own theory, and their
disregard OF the American sugar grower
competing product. Then we also Imported
last year S25.o0O,O0O worth OF hides. Nc
Kinley's committee first attempted to stop
+ this source of competition by imposing a
generous duty. but got frightened and left
hides to come in free as they have for
many years. illustrating the benefceut effects
OF free raw materials. Altogether, after
pointing with horror at alleged 1886, ono. 400
worth of imported agricultural products,
competition In our home market" and from
which our farmers are declared to need pro-
lection, the trainers Of the Mckinley bill
! have actually reduced the existing duties on