Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-10-28
speakers were sincere two years ago in
their bitter denunciations Of the meas

SPEAKERS were 6lnCoEo tWO years dRo, III
their bitter denunciations of the meas
ure. But after It's successful operation;
after the great increase in commerce;
after the many reductions in prices, he
was surprised that anyone could stand
before an intelligent audience and
denounce the measure as had his
opponent. The bill, he said, had given
the %workingman and the farmer
an untaxed breakfast table and an un-
taxed home. It had removed the duty |
from the necessaries of life, which could
not be successfully produced in our
own country; it had not absolutely for
hidden the entrance of those articles |
which can be produced here, but had
merely imposed upon them a sort of ped
dlars, license; had discouraged their en-
trance and encouraged their manufac-
ture at home; and it had resulted as in
tended. If the measure increases the
amount paid by the consumer, why a
decrease of over $751;, 100000 collected by
the government last year under the last
year of the old regime? How do demo-
Gratis account for this fact? ["They can't
count" said a voice in the audience.
The placing of sugar On the free list had
kept in the pockets of the people $751;
100000 to which the decrease IN price
amounts. And yet democrats two years
ago, said the Mckinley bill would make
no difference in the price of sugar. The
price of wire nails was formerly 10 cents
per pound; under the Mckinley bill the
tariff was made 4 cents per pound, and
their manufacture encouraged at home.
The price now is less than 4 cents per
pound, and on this the democrats base
the assertion that the tariff on them has
been raised to 100 per cent, when, in
stead, the price has been lowered. The
decrease in the price of steel rails was
also used by democrats as an argument
that the tariff had been raised.
MI. johnson said he knew that i'm
ported cigars and champagne were
heavily taxed. And he added that if the
democrats would confne themselves to
the use of straight Virginia tobacco and
old Kentucky rye they would encourage
home manufacture and escape this great
burden Of taxation. [Applause.l
The tin plate industry Mr.. johnson
discussed briefly, and showed it's great
advance, and the increase in home
production. He told of the tactics of
the democrats in 1890, when they sent
out boys with peddlars carts loaded with
tinware, marked purposely at double
price, to sell to country folk and at
tribute it's high price to the Mckinley
bill; thus deluding many voters as to
the results of the bill; also in our own
state he cited instances of the same kind,
The democratic party, he said, had
promised faithfully to effect the repeal
of this Ubiquitous bill as soon as they
should be in power in congress. The
republicans minority had waited
watches in hand, wondering if the time
had not come for them to effect this
repeal. And the only attempt made tc
fulfill the promise consisted of three
little bills, each affecting a single article
-pop-gun shots at that terrible monster
the Mckinley bill. And at this rate
Mr.. johnson estimated that it woulc
take 1913 years for the democrats tc
effect a repeal of the bill.
Regarding the quotation from Blaine
Mr.. johnson said that Mr.. O'Brien hao
discontinued his readiog at the most in
teresting point, and hat had he cor
tinued he would have found that Blaine
went on to say that this "seeming pros
perity" was only seeming" and no
borne out by actual conditions, and con
corning the other quotations that thu
republicans had not taken off the higl
tariff, Mr.. O'Brien would find that thu
republican party had effected q com
plete revision of the tariff every sever
years, and that, also, the present rate O
tariff, instesd of being 60 per cent. al
stated by O'Brien, was only 81 per cent
The low tariff period Of 1916, ane
thereafter, which was so emphasized b,
Mr.. O'Brien as being exceptionally pros
porous, Mr.. johnson attributed t.
causes other than the tariff. The dis
covery Of gold in California, the famine
in Ireland and the Crimean war all com.
bined to a period of prosperity in The
United States; and when these events
were past, and commerce adjusted to it.
natural channels, the low tariff began Il
assert it's unqualified influence, tho re-
action was followed by the, panic ani
poverty Of 1857, one of the results of tn,
democratic tariff. g..
Mr.. Johnson effectually answered al
the arguments of his opponent; h,
mentioned the increase in wages, a
shown by the Peck report, and by con
ditions in Massachusetts; spoke of tn,
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