The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-04-14

Correspondence of the Gazette,

Correspondence or the GaZotte,
The last Gazette labors through the
greater part of long article to try to
convince it's readers that the real issue
between it and myself is not Does a
high protective tariff increase the cost
of the necessaries of life, but Has the
Mckinley bill increased prices9 Here
is the statement as it appeared in the
Gazette of March oath, to which took
exception, I'm the debate between
Messrs. Lankerd and Stewart last fall,
the latter made the sweeping state
ment that the Republican tariff had
increased the cost of the necessaries
of life, but for obvious reasons did not
undertake to prove it." How the Ga
zette can distort this statement into
meaning the Mckinley bill is past my
comprehension. My position at the
time of debate, and now is that the
high protective policy as pursued by
the Republican party is detrimental to
the producing classes of this country
in that it enhances the price of their
supplies, and tends to curtail the mar
kets for their products. 1t is self-evi-
dent that to limit the imports of a
country is to limit it's exports. As
stated in my last article no we'll in
formed person will deny that our man
ufactured products are being sold in
competition with those of free trade
countries. The Gazette for obvious
reasons" did not undertake to disprove
it. Ask any son of Great Britain how
the price of the necessaries of life
compares here with that of his native
country. This should forever settle
this part of the controversy. The Ga
zette admits that we may have for a
time to pay greater price for certain
products under system of protection
but that we get a magnificent rebate in
our home market, and ultimately pric-
es will be lower and the product better
than with free trade. How much long
er shall we be taxed before we receive
this magnificent rebate?" Deny that
we are taxed, then please show the ne
cessity of increasing the tariff in order
to keep out foreign competition. At
home we have calf not yet a week
old. We propose to let it suck for a
time, but before it gets larger than its
mother we'll choke 1t off, or at least
put it on skim milk. When our man
ufacturing industries were calves a
protection policy might be justifable.
Now when they are larger than their
parent (the agricultural industries) the
Peoples party declare-"choke them
off, or at least put them on skim milk"
Judging from the increased protec-
ton our manufacturing receive they
are growing more and more infantile,
and need more and more protection.
In 1879 when our manufacturing in
dustries were really infants they -four
ished with an average tariff of 81 per
cent; in 1912 they received 10 per
cent; in 1860 they got along with 1Sa
per cent; previous to the passage OF
the Mckinley bill they must have AZ
per cent; now they must have in order
to compete with the pauper labor of
Europe an average tariff of so per
cent. From the last census report, bull
letin No. 1O4, CLEAN the astonishing
truth that Massachusetts has absorbed
more wealth in the last twelve years
than has been acquired in the same
time by the nine great producing states
, of this country. Think of it! Massa-
chusetts with it's sterile soil-59 times
smaller than the 9 great producing
states, has absorbed $1O,OOO,OOO more
wealth in the last ten years than have
they acquired. And yet our good Re-
publican friends tell us that there Is
nothing wrong in existing conditions.