Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-09-10


markets? Are we to have nothing in
exchange for the free importation Of
sugar and coffee and at the same time
destroy the sugar planters Of the south
and the beet sugar industry of the
northwest and The Pacific coast? OF
are we to have taxed sugar and coffee.
which tariff for revenue only neces-
sarily involves with the added loss Of
new markets.
Iaud, the Tarin.
Our commercial rivals In Europe do
not regard this reciprocity policy as
sham but as serious threat to the
trade supremacy they have long en-
joyed. They would rejoice over tie
news that the United States mad aban-
doned protection and reciprocity. The
declaration of the platform in favor of
the American doctrine Of protection"
meets my most hearty approval
In some not remote national cam
paigus the issue has been made to APP
pear to be between a high and a low
protective tariff-both parties express
ing some sOlicitous regard for the
wages of our working people and the
prosperity Of our domestic industries.
But under a more courageous leader
snip the democratic party has now
practically declared that if given power
it will enact a tariff law without any
regard to its effect upon wages or upon
capital invested i'm our great industries
The president quotes the majority of
the committee on platform as submitted
to the democratic convention and says
here we have a distinct admission of
the republican contention that AmeIi-
can workman are advantaged by "A tar
iff rate equal To the differea,e between
home and foreign wages, and that
many of our industries depend upon
protective duties for their successful
continuance. For these propositions
which were Overwhelming rejected, a
substitute was adopted declaring pro-
tective duties unconstitutional A
democratic congress holding this view
cannot enact, nor "a democratic prcsi-
dent approve amy tariff schedule the
purpose cor effect of which is to limit
mportations or give any advantage to
the American workman or producer
A bounty might be given The importer
under this view in order To increase i'm
portatiUns, and so increase the revenue
for revenue only Reciprocity of
course. fails under this dcnuuciaJion
This destructive, unAmcIiCan doc
trine was not held or taught by the
historic democratic statesmen whose
fame as American patriots has reached
this geueration-certainly not by Jelfer-
son and Jackson This mad crusade
against American shops, the bitter cpl
thets applied to American manufaC-
turers. the persistent disbelief of the
report of every opening Of tin plate
mills, or the increase of our foreign
trade by reciprocity are as surprising
as they are discreditable
There is not a thoughtful businessman
in the country who does not know that
ton of the Chicago convention on the
subject Of the tariff would at once
plunge the country into Il business con
vulSion such as il never has seen, and
there is no thoughtful workingmm in
the country who does not know 1t
would at once enormously reduce the
work to be done by an increase in inn
portations and neCessitate q reduction
of wages 10 the European standard.
Results of ,lcKmlcyi-m.
In examining the results of the exist
mg tariff law. the president says, iu
part, that the day of the prophet of
calamity has been succeeded by thar of
ihe trade reporter An examination hy
q committee of leading senators of both
parties. with the aid of the best statis-
ucians, and the report signed 10y all The
members of the committee, shows thar
The cost of articles entering into use
and those earning less than $1,000 per
annum decreased up to May last 81 per
cent, while in farm products there has
been au increase i'm prices. In England
during the same period the cost of liy-
ing has increased 10 per cent Tested
10y their power 10 purchase articles of
necessity. the earnings Of our working
people have never been so great us now,
there has been an average increase In
the rate of wages of ~ of one per
cent, an advance in the prices of an
farm products 1867 per cent, and al
cereals $3.50 per cont
The president refers 10 The annual
report Of the chief OF die bureau of la-
hor statistics of the state of New York,
4 democratic official MS cnruhouuu-
yey strongly the facts found 10y the
senate committee, and SAYS i'm view Of
these showinEs il is plain thal This tariff
law has not imposed burdens, bur COM
ferred benefits upon the farmer and
workiu-mgu.
once or twice IN om history. says the
president the production of tin plate