The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-12-05

What. now, have our friends. the free
traders. To say to this splendid testimonial
for the Mckinley tariff Political cam
palgn tim is certainly moi the Issue here.
For, being good Catholics, BenZigcr Bros.
are presumably full-fiedged Democrats.
and it may be taken Tor granted that they
do not dream OF being desirouS of furnish
ing campaign documents 70 the protcc-
tloniStS Nevertheless, it remains Il fact
that a better proof anG argument IN favor
OF the protective tariff cannot very well be
adduced.
Whosocver is acquainted with The stlpen-
dOuS extent of the Catholic Church in this
country can form an idea OF the extent or
the trade III metals and kindred articles.
The demand for them is enormous. and as
long as not subject TO any duty they were
imported from other countries. Vast
amounts of money We're thus drawn from
our country. The importer and broker.
OF course, GerlNc an adequate profit from
this source, but no heLett accrued to even
single American lahorer.
The Eew tariff has imposed duty of 80
per cent. on these goods, and. if one were
to Judge by the assertions Of the free
traders, the price of the medals, etc. was
raised fully onehalf by the Infamous tariff
of the bad Mckinley. medal, for in
stance. which formerly one could buy from
BcnZiger Bros. for a dollar. under tie new
tariff would cost a dollar and q half 1t
would cost the same if the duty on il should
be a genuine Democratic trcNcnuel duty:
that is to say If, by reason of there being
such duty imposed on it, the article could
not he manufactured III this country. It's
true, if such medals We're not manufaC-
tured here they would cost a dollar ana a
hail. While their former price was only one
dollar. In their circular BCnZger Bros.
state expressly that IN cOH5CI IttGHc3 Of the
WchiatcU hill they find themselves unable
TO import the medals at the fofmcr price.
But from this it by no means follows
that the poor people are now compelled
to pay more Tor the medals. Great mcr-
chants like BenziGcr Bros. are also good at
figures. Cheerfuily they went to work.
had the dies Tor the medals made here.
and JtOW thcg manufacture IN Htctr Olrn
american factories those articles GHiCa
they formerly impDrfed fFDR Europe.
And through their circular they INFORM
their customers that they, Will continue to
sell at the 0ld price the go0t,S which they
now themselves manufacture II this cOun-
try. In other words, those who formerly,
when there was no duty on the medals.
bought one OF them for & dollar, can do
the same t0-aay, Notwithstanding the fact
that the bad Mckinley tariff has placed a
duty OF 30 cents on The medal The poor
people" therefore. have not been damaged
a cents worth by the Mckinley bill.
But what has been gained by the coun-
try Need we explain it: In the first
place, the money which formerly flowed
to Europe now remains III our own COliIi-
try. That undoubtedly Is a great gain.
And 1t must not lie supposed that this
money, which is thus kept II America,
remains lying idle III some American safe,
but i'll the torn OF Weil-earncd wages. it
finds It's way iu1O the pockets OF many
hundreds of honest WOTEmen who are be
ing employed in the factories OF EcnZigCr
Bros. and who did not lave such cn-
ployment before the passage of the Me
kinley bill. These Workmen again must
pay their taxes: the money earned by
them accordingly flows into the channels
which keep alive American commerce.
American industry. AID American acri-
culture. The whole United States thus
p.otit from 1t. And the facts as cStdb-
lished by the circular OF this one firm APP
ply also to hundreds OF other articles,
which. by reason OF the protective tariff.
are manufactured III this country by we'll
paid workmen. And the tin. about which
so many silly things Lave been sad, falls
within the scope Of this argument also.
Let the Tariir Alone.
This is from the New York Sun, Dem
ocratic:
We should suppose that a tair-mlndc;t
free trader would acknowledge the truth
of these words al Mai. Mckinley:
Il am convinced that the Judgment of
our citizens does not approve the constant
agitation of the tariff Issue IN the face OF
the fact that it can accomplish nothing. 1t
must be apparent 10 all alike that the con
dltions without which effective legislation
Is impossible do not exist. The ltepuhli-
can Senate and Republican President are
bulw IrkS against which free trad forces
dash poweriesS and. with no immediate
prospect of a change in these conditions,
the only result of continued agitation is to
disturb business and rctard enterprises
which the new law designs to encourage"
Nothing in the way of tariff Legislation
can be accomplished by the Democrats Un-
til they have the Presidency and the Sen
ate: and the returns from Ohio indicate
that they are not likely to WIN the PreSi-
dency and the Senate by agitatng the
tariff question. The tariff as an issue is
useless, so far as practical result III leglS-
lttiOn is concerned. For the present the
Democrats might Just as well discuss the
laws of gravitation as the Mckinley bill.
The Fltty-SecOnd Congress can iniure The
chances of their party in 1892 by advancing
to an attack upon the tariff question, but
they can do nothing to bring about read
juStment, and until the workings o; the
law of 1890 are thoroughly understood
there Will be no basis for a new settlement.
The country will not follow the tariff
smashers in a leap into the dark.
One doesn't need to be q protectiOniSt TO
understand that for the present the ad-
vantage of situation and logic Is with Mai.
Mckinley and the Republicans.
The Presidential OutIook.
-Four men of prominence in the OPP
posing parties have been interviewed
since the recent elections and have eX-
pressed their opinions about the future.
Senator Vest and Representative Mills
represent the Democratic party, and all
the better because neither OF them
comes from the East, where that party
does not dare to ayow what are known
to be its real convictions and purposes.
Senator Sherman and GoVernOr-elCct
Mckinley represent that Republican
conviction. which was controlling in the
last Congress, which has triumphed in
Ohio and other Western state and in
PENNSYLVANIA, and they are men OF
great personal influence in Republican
counsels. All have talked freely OF the
future of parties, and it is exceedingly
instructive to notice the points III which
all agree. and not less instructive to
notice the points wherein they differ.
All these leaders agree that the late
elections have made the presidential
contest doubtful. Messrs. Sherman and
Mckinley point out the lines on which
they think the Republicans cannot be
beaten, and take it Tor granted that Mr..
Cleveland will be the Democratic candi-
date. Messrs. Vest and Mills point out
the course the Democratic party must
pursue, in their judgment, IN order to
secure success, and both declare that
Mr.. Cleveland will be the Democratic
candidate But the conviction OF Re
publican leaders that some things are
necessary to insure Republican victory,
and the conviction of Democratic lead
ers that some things are necessary TO in
sure Democratic victory. amount to q
unanimous opinion that the result OF
next years contest Is by no means GER
tain.
These leaders all agree that the tariff
will be the predominant issue in the
next campaign, and all profess to believe
that it will tlrn the scale in fayer OF the
parties they respectively represent.
Messrs. Vest and Mills honestly believe,
no doubt, that the people Will sustain
opposition to the protective tariff, snb-
stantially on the lines preached by Mr..
Cleveland when President. Messrs.
Sherman and Mckinley believe that
rho peorIe will unboIa the new prOtact-