The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-13
Farmers. Club at Hamilton.

Roswell 6. Horr on the Protection Doctrine
The Farmers Club met at the public hall
in this thriving village January 81 to listen
to an interesting address by Roswell G.
Horn, on 1.-The Protective Tariff in its Re
lation to the Interests of Farmers The
hall was densely packed with an enthusi-
astic audience of more than 800 persons.
The body of the house was filled with farm
ers from far and near, and in the gallery
there was large body Of students from
Colgate University, an institution in which
a free trade professor of political economy
is vainly trying to inculcate free trade
ideas into class of protective tariff young
men. Some Of the instructors of the coli
lege and academy were scattered through
the house.
Ex-Congressman Mason presided and
introduced Mr.. Horr, with few pleasant
illusions to the time when they were az
Washington City together.
Mr. Horr was greeted with burst of
applause rs he rose to speak, and he enter
tanned the audience for over two hours
with wise, witty and absorbing state
ment of what the protectionists and free
traders respectively claim, and of the ben
efits TO the farmer of a protective tariff.
He appealed TO the memories of the oldest
men present repeatedly, for proof of his
statements as 10 prices before the war and
now, He was frequently interrupted with
questions, which he answered kindly and
I'D the best of his ability. Although in a
few cases the questions were put by
opponents in the audience, they served 10
add 10 the interest of the address. Some
of them were as follows
Ex-Congressman MaSon--Mr. Horr, you
have spoken of the reduction in the price
OF paper pulp and newspaper, under the
protective tariff. May not that be the
reason why newspaper publishers have re-
duced the price OF their subscriptions?
Mr. Horr-I have no doubt of il. In
stead OF the duty leyying an embargo on
the spread of intelligence, it has made
newspapers cheaper, and aided, instead of
injured, the public.
J. W. Hatch, Greenbaek advocate
Allow me to ask question. You say that
ii is necessary TO get the Yankee in this
country and the foreign machine together
can be improved. | am under the impress
sion that some original inventions have
been made in this country. You give the
impression that machines have not been
invented here.
Mr.. Horr-T did not mean TO say that
there has been no invention. | said tim
provement.n Did you ever know q ma
chine improved by q man not working on
il or at that kind OF business1
Mr. Hateh--Yes the Howe sewing ma
chine; il was unknown before. Somebody
invented the moving machine and the
reaper. The nail machine was never
known before.
Mr.. Horr--The nail machine was the re-
suit of slow growth. but the great start was
never made until after it was studied here
and improved. But my point is that you
cannot improve foreign machine and i'm
troduee improved methods in this country
and develop Yankee ingenuity, until the
y
gether. Applause You must establish
the industry and set up the machines.
A voice-Is il the whole reason why
wheat has gone down in price, that il Is
being produced so much cheaper in the
Xest7
Mr. Horr-That is the great reason.
A Voice. want TO know why, without
protection, every farm and the product Of
the farmer have gone down in value, while
every product OF manufacture has gone upf
Mr. Horr-Y on do not claim that manu-
featured articles have gone up3 If You do.
you are mistaken.
A voice-The farmers products have
gone down.
Mr.. Horr-The farmers products cannot
be protected when there is surplus. I
admit that prices are not as high as from
lsts5 TO 1870, bat they are not
as los as in 1857; and you are all getting
better prices nov.
Professor Green-You admit that pro-
lection Is Of no value on articles OF which
we produce surplus. Why, then, i'm
pose a duty and shut the markets Of other
countries against our productsg
Mr. Horr-The markets Of the world are
not shut against our protected articles.
You assume that country viii not buy
from us If We do not buy from her. But
England buys vastly more from Us than
We do from her: and we buy three times
a. much from South America as she does
from Us. Applause. You get your inn
preston from this new theory they are
now saying so much about.