The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-07-08
JERRY SIMPSON.
Mo Scores Roth PrOtectIOnIsts and
Tariff ReTOrmers-A Great speech
on Free Cotton. Ties, Etc.

April s, 1892.
The house being in committee OF
the whole and having under consid-
Grafton the bill III. K. 6C06) to admit
free OF duty bagging for cotton. ma
.chinery for manufacturing bagging;
cotton ties and cotton gins Mr. Simp-
con said:
Mr. Chairman: In the discussion
Of this question presume that it Is
right and proper that ono who repre-
sents farmers and who is a farmer
himself and laborer. should have
something to say about it / have
been identified with the laboring class
all my life. For the last fourteen
years have been farmer and have
tried as hard and as honestly as any
man to make living at that business
Therefore, / think can speak with
some authority In regard to the bene-
fits Of this protective tariff system to
the agricultural class of the American
people have sat here patiently lis
tening to the argument on both sides
the Republican and the Democratic
side, and have been instructed and
sometimes amused.
/ have listened attentively to the
speeches from the Republican side,
and am free to say that / have been
surprised to find the Republican
party represented here by men hav-
ing such indistinct ideas in regard to
the system OF trade and the laws
which govern it l listened TO the
apostle of the protective tariff on the
Republican side | listened to the sill
ver-tougued orator from Michigan
(Mr. Burrows), and to his grand APP
peal to the people, as represented
here to support and foster the
special privileges OF which he Is the
champion but am free to say that
did not get much information out Of
his appeal. Laughter. He started
out with the proposition that system
OF protection increased the price of
everything, and that it yielded a
great benefit to labor because the
manufacturers getting high prices
for their goods would be enabled to
pay high wages to their laborers.
Then he turned around and told us
that to put wool on the free list would
be to strike deadly blow at the wool
interests Of this country by cheapening
wool And yet when he concluded
his speech he concluded it with the
statement that the intention of the
Mckinley bill and the intention Of a
protective tariff generally was to
cheaper everything. His speech was
a contradiction from the beginning to
the end. Now. II the Mckinley bill
and the protective tariff system had
the effect Of cheapening everything
where are these grand and good man
ufacturers going to get the surplus
money to pay high wages to labori
That is the question, gentlemen. Il
the tariff has the effect to cheaper
everything and make prices low,
then l ask any gentleman on the Re-
publican side to tell me where the
employers the manufacturers are
going to get the money 10 pay high
wagesP
Now, Mr.. Chairman. l am a free
trader-absolut l am not one OIL
those men who are ready to compro-
mise with wrong. Either a thing i:
right or it is wrong. learned BY
Republicanism when the Republicau
party meant something-when it stood
for a principle-when old William
Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips
said they would have no compromise
with wrong; that slavery was ar
agreement with death and covenant
with hell" They refused to com
promise with wrong. That is the
time when l was Republican, Blu
when the Republican party became
the champion of special interests
when the money power and the man
ufactu ing class got control OF it tt
use it as vehicle through which II
foster their special interests left the
Republican party. and to-day l stand
for absolute free trade IN every sense
of the word.
Now, gentlemen, what is free trade
Is it a natural or an unnatural condi
tionp Are not human beings so consti
tutedthat they must tradeP No mattel
how primitive the state Of society, mel
musJ trade. With the development
OF human progress the inventions o
machinery and the division OF labor
different classes and different coun
tries producing separate and distinc
articles we must have a system o
trade. In olden times this cropped
out because the settlements were alont
public highways or water courses b.
means OF which the people coult
communicate with one another. Trad
is a natural condition. What do thes
protectionist gentlemen propose. II
protect against trading, to proven
people from trading with one another
Is It not obvious to every man that
protective law has for its object T.
prevent some one from trading witt
some one elseP 1t Is evident tina
there must be men In this countr
who wish to trade with those in som
other country or you would not pass
law to prevent this trading Here
then. is country where men are pre-
vented by law from trading.
say, Mr. Chairman. that trade !
natural. II left to take care OF them
selves men will trade with other me
who will give them good bargains
When / produce anything on my farr
grain or hogs or cattle-I produc
n larger quantity than | can use nv