St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-01
DOMESTIC COMPETITION.

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 81, 1890. - Edl-
tor Globe. st. Paul. Minn.-Dear Sir:
Tom Reed, while in st. Paul. the other
night.answers question which seemed
fairly put" 1t was: IF domestic COM
petition reduces prices below the for
eign prices, why do We need faritf?'
he answers. I'VE need it to establish
the domestic competition but he
omits TO tell us why this iniquity should
be perpetuated, why the struggling
masses should be burdened to add to
the wealth of those who are by him ad-
mltted to he able to hold their own and
even undersell the foreign manufact-
urer. Certainly the foreigner, no mat
ter how debaSed, is not fool enough to
pack his goods halfway around tho
world and sell them at loss.
Another Republican orator SAYS ssfree
trade" viii give the foreign manufact-
urer an opportunity TO drive out the
American producer, and then advance
prices at his own sweet will. If this is
the case, why are Republican stump
speakers all over Minnesota Boosting
of putting sugar and several other
articles on the free list? DO they wish
TO drive out the home manufacturer,
turn the American laborer adrift: and
this. too, with 10 better object in view
than permitting the foreigner to adj
vance prices out of all sense and rea-
son by the virtue of his ''pauper-
goods?
The Minneapolis Tribune said edi-
torially on The morning of the 29th inst.
that factories all along the line have
been stimulated into sudden activity by
the Mckinley dill; factories which had
been obliged to close on account of for
fir,S, H.
ness at a good profit. Whyp Arethe'
goods they are manufacturing selling att
higher prices than formerly? If llet,,
whence comes the profit2 Yet Tom
Reed says that raising the tariff re-
duceS prices, and that the man who,
says protective tariff advances prices
on the protected articles is an inten-.
tional falsifier, hired Democratic tool
of low, groveling, contemplate shop
keepers. sec
A voice from the ''peanut gallery''
asked, IF the tariff reduces prices, why
did Cush Davis want Irvine to come in
free" Did AIR. Davis wish to drive out
the "home. producer" to '.starye the
price of twine9 That was not the idea
he conveyed to the senate.
AT Republican rally in Relief hall
the other evening speaker said: tcIf
you want high wages you must pay high
prices for your goods; no mau can make
cheap goods and pay high prices for
Labor
Another orator who wished to score a
point in another direction. Oh who, per-
hapS, had not paid much attention to
the speaker, having known him for
some time, made use Of the following
contradiction:
1.-The protective tariff stimulates home
manufacture to that extent that the
protected articles in few years become
even cheaper, by virtue of home compe-
tition, than the goods can possibly be
shipped here from foreign Countries
Ii this ''cheap goods speaker is
right, what has this cheapest Of all
cheap goods countries to fear from for
eign competition? But if this be true,
how can you reconcile it with the ''high
wages" speaker,wh says, IF you want
high wages YOU must pay high prices
for what you buy" Gentlemen, which
line of Republican oratory do you wish
to follow? Take your choice; but it
seems to me that beyond this inconsist-
ency cannot go. At this point absurdity
becomes infinite. Yours truly,
HAMLET II. HoDSDoN.
o133 Stevens Avenue,