Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-30
A TRIANGULAR FIGHT.
Mckinley Speaks for Republicans,
Warner for Democrats, and
ST. JOHN FOR COLD WATER FOLK,
Protection Championed by Its Brilliant
Exponent, Against =.
DEMOCRACY BOTH OPEN AND COVERT

MADISON, WIS, July 29.-Ex-Governor
st. John, of Kansas; Governor Mckinley,
of Ohio, and w. c. Warner, of the New
York Tariff Reform Club, delivered ad-
DIRE sses at the Monona Lake Assembly to-
day. Henry Watterson, who was announced
as one of the speakers, was taken i'll at
Chicago and could not be present. Mr. St.
John addressed hundreds of Prohibitionists
in the morning He said:
In 1868, when under Democratic and Re-
publican rule, our Government went into
partnership with the liquor traffic, the
amount of Intoxicating liquors consumed
equaled but 259 gallons per capita Of the
population. From that time until 1881, under
the fostering care of these two old parties
the consumption continued to grow until 1t
equals 1857 gallons for each man, woman
and child in the United States. The ques-
tion PROFOUND to you Democrats and Re-
publicans is this: How long will it take to
get rid of this home ana souldestroying evil
at this rate?
take the position that the whole tariff
system is wrong in principle, because it
levies its burdens on what we consume, in
stead of what we possess, thus making the
day laborer contribute as much to support
the Government as we impose upon mil
lionaire Any system that does that is rob-
berry.
The Farmer and His Wealth.
Fifteen or 20 men control to-day all the
means We have for reaching the markets OF
the world, and our merchant marine has
been practically driven from the high seas,
carrying in 1885 ], ,le4 900 tons less than We
carried in 1863, with less than half the popu-
lation We haye to-day.
While the farmers compose over 30 per
cent of the population, they owned OF the
wealth of the country in 1850 five-eighths; in
1860, less than one-half: in 1870, little over
one-third: in 1880. little over one-fourth; in
1890 less than one-flfth. And still the farmer
is consoled with the blessed assurance that
he is protected"
Under this system capital takes SIG net
income from a ton Of steel. while the gross
receipts of labor is but 81 81, and in the face
of these facts the laborerS wages is reduced
a5 per cent, with demand that his contract
terminate in January instead of July. And
because he refuses to submit to this reduc-
tion and sign a contract that would enable
capital to turn himself, wife and children
in to the mid-winter storm, capital confronts
him with an army OF hired Pinkertons, and
when he defends his interests he is called a
murderer.
In this country, where we have govern
ment to protect every interest, it should be
made treason to organize private army to
intimidate even the humblest citizen in our
land. Loud applause.]
When Governor Mckinley arose to speak
this afternoon he faced an audience of 15, 900
people. He said he was not present to rep
resent the Republican party or to discuss
the tariff in q partisan way, but to present
in plain language the great business ques-
tions of the day. He knew of no subject so
dull, he said, as taxation.
Taxation a Necessity of Government.
five had the power to do away with it al
together, it would be the policy of the Re-
publicans and Democrats alike; but so long
as we have Government we must have rev.
enue. We can secure that revenue in only
one way, and that is by the Government in
voking the constitutional power of taxation
upon its own people and the taxation OF
other people seeking market in the United
States.
1t requires in this country nearly s4OO 0OO,.
900 every year to pay the expenses of the
Federal government, more than $1,000 600
every "a hours. This is what makes the sub
ject under discussion of Importance, and
that is what the citizens of this and other
States are to determine, what system of
taxation shall raise that 81. 10000 required
every day to prevent the wheels OF this Gov
ernment from being clogged.
You can do it by direct taxation, or you
can do it by tariff taxation. You can do
property, your goods, your Investments,
your labor, your property, real or personal,
and YOU can do 1t by taxing the product of
every people of the world seeking market
in the United States. How will you do it?
The Democratic leaders of to-day seem to
look to direct taxation, or the system of
Henry George, to put the single tax on lands
to raise the nearly S4O0, 0,OOO,O 900 secured annu-
ally for public purposes. The trouble with
the free trader is he never particulariZes,
for when he does he is lost.
Other speakers, he said, held that con-
must be taxed; also the wealth of
the country, the lands and the property. If
that was literally interpreted, it meant
direct taxation. Do you want that?
Great Progress Under Rspub lean Rule.
The speaker dwelt on the disadvantage
of the direct tax system, and quoted Jeffer-
son and Madison as earnest opponents
of it is in time of peace. In clos
ing, he said the United States had 80
years of protection, and the country has
improved its financial position so that it is
unrivaled among nations, and S200, 900, 900
of the public debt has been paid. Thirty
years ago 95 per cent of the hardware of
the country was of English make, but now |
95 per cent is American.
The Democratic revenue tariff is always |
paid by the consumer, and the foreigner |
fixes the price to the American consumer |
and charges to it their tax. The tariff or
free trade has nothing to do with strikes
and lockouts. 1T has nothing to do with
differences between employer and employe.
If the Democrats win in the fall, it will set |
The country back 25 years.
Mr. Warner said the Democracy Of the
past concerns us not to-day. The aims of
he Democracy of the future are like beau
;iful ideals and hopes.
He said the Chicago platform contained
many planks of great Importance that in
hose days. when agriculture was driven
o the wall and the great sea of labor
vas tossing restlessly to and fro,
when monopoly was riding ruthlessly over
he rights of the common people, the ques-
ion was being asked where lies the road to
'eform? Could the Nation be taxed into
prosperity?
MI. Warner held that any man, whether
lble to travel abroad or not, should be en-
titled to bring into the country $500 worth
If dutiable clothing.