St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-04-14

OLIVER AMES' POSITION.

has certainly placed himself on
strong ground touching the tariff
question, and he will appeal to the
coming state convention to elect him
a delegate to the republican nation
al convention He does this for the
following reasons:
| understand that my name was
considered by the state central COM
mittee, but was rejected because, in
the opinion of the committee, | was
not sound on the tariff question. AS
that statement has gone forth, l am
willing to 60 before the stateconven-
ton as candidate for delegate at
large, that l may ascertain how
large proportion of the delegate
agree with me in my views on the
tariff. Many prominent republicans
have assured me that they agree
with me, and many of those who left
the republican party on the tariff is
sue have said to me that if the party
should indorse my stand on .the ques-
ton they would be pleased to leave
their democratic associations and re-
turn to the republican party.
| do not believe in making the
party any smaller than it is. If a
man is to be read out of the party
because he does not believe in every
line of the Mckinley bill because he
believes in free iron ore and ample
duties on pig iron, and is opposed to
prohibitive duties, then the republi-
can party will soon be small enough.
The people did not think that the
republican victory of four years ago
would result in raising the tariff
duties, if they did the republicans
would not have won. The defeat
of two years ago was the direct out
come of the popular belief that the
Mckinley tariff bill raised the duties
unreasonable, and | fear that the re-
publican party will again be defeated
if it enters the fall campaign insisting
that the Mckinley bill is right in all
its details.
l do not think the iron industry of
New England is fairly treated by the
Mckinley bill, and l have not hest
tated to say so. If ten republican
congressman from New England had
stood up for her rights this would
have been remedied. Five hundred
and ninety-eight iron manufacturers
of New England petitioned for free
iron ore and % per cent duty on
pig iron, SO that they might be able
to continue their business, but the
petition had no effect. The object of
a protective tariff is to protect the
laborer and manufacturer by adding
to the cost of the imported product,
the difference in the labor cost of pro-
ductiOn in this country and abroad.
Now, according to Carol D. Wright,
the labor cost in the production of
pig-iron is So. "a more per ton here
than it is in Europe, and yet the duty
is three times that amount. We in
New England are compelled to buy
our iron in Ohio, and pay a freight
charge of about five dollars per ton
to get it here, so that our position
on the seabOard is of no advantage
to US.
1t would surprise some of the lead
ers Of the republican party if they
knew how many republicans believe
in moderate tariff | would like to
keep all the moderate tariff men in
the republican party and win back
those who have left us. | am a pro-
tectionist, but not an extremist on
the subject. [ believe in New Eng
land, and in protecting her industries,
and when l find that the injury done
her by the tariff of 1888 has been con-
tinued by the Mckinley bill. speak
out and say so. am not actuated
by any selfish motive, as the petition
l signed for free iron ore and "a per
cent duty on pig iron would not ben
eft me- IN SS worth q wear If would
have saved to New England her iron
manufactures, and signed to save
them. If the petition had been
granted it would have saved our old
established iron industries from ruin,
and enabled them to do healthy
local business for home consumption
and would have done no injury to
any other section of the country.