Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-13
ouk sysrzM INDICATED.
William Alden Smith Delivers q Telling
Speech fJE Protection.

-
Speech fJr Protection
Atthe CONCLUSION of Mr.. Gidding's
speech. winch VAS tirst or the prog ram.
William Alden smith of Grand K pids
wss introduced. anu spoke substantial
ly as follows:
The republican party has chung
te0aclousiy To the doctrine of protec-
ton to American industry and Ameri-
eau labor from It's formation TO the
present time. There mas been no
weddings or chickering's or trades for
tie temporary expeditions OF passing
years. aud today this principle ls one
OF che browning giorIes OF our party
record. Voiced AID revolced IN the
platforms CT our party. IL has been
gradually moulded into law until our
business element has fairly concluded
that 70 - the settled policy OF the
nation. Ii has been the means of de
velop.ng our great industrial system of
furnishing ready and remuuerative
employment to labor; has put our
national affairs on . solid and sub
stantisl basis, with . credit second to
that entoyed by NJ nation on the
globe. Excuses of one kind and
another nave been advanced by our
opponents as the reason for our un.
PARALLEL prosperity. and 10 10 not fair to
say that after the experiences OF q
quarter Of century, psssiug through
periods OF depression, that were calcu-
lated 70 test the strength Of tins great
principle. that other causes unrelated
to our national legislative policy have
been the actual reasons for this pros
porous condition of our affairs. Our
protection policy stands, among other
things, for the expression of the
national interest and the welfare of the
working classes. II Is q declaration
that the national concern is not for the
wealthy only, but for the wsge-earner
as we'll.
Free Trade sophistry.
Our opponents frequently charge
that our circumstances are very diter-
cnt from those of western Europe and
say that We have an abundance of un-
occupied land and every workman has
hrs choice between the factory or the
farm, which he may obtain and on
which he may be his own master. and
say that u - this choice which makes
wages high IN America but the oppo-
nents of protection forget that this ad-
vantage. IL II be one. existed equally IN
the period which came after the war
for Independence and before the policy
of protection was the settled rule of
the country. Indeed. there was even
more unoccupied land then than now
AID Il lay much nearer To the more
densely settled districts of the country.
The srssan's opportunity Tor becoming
farmer were much greater then than
they are today. yet his condition Was
sucn "a TO sugges, that ne was not .
very highly favored workman. He
was pad lower wages and his mode Of
hfe was humber aud harder. IL must
be admitted that wonderful Ameliora-
ton has taken place since that day in
the condition OF the poor Their
houses we're mesner. their food was
coarssr, their clothing wAs more COM
mon stuff. their wages we're, despite
the depreciation that has gone on m
the value of money from time TO time
since, lower by one-hslf than ut pres
snt.
Labor Il Not Crushed.
man who performed what would
now be called unskilled labor, who
savsd wood. who dug bitches. who
msnded roads. Who made mortar, who
carried boards tn the carpenter or
bricks 20 the mssoE. or helped To cut
hsy in the harvest time, then. accord
ing so statistics. received as the fruit OF
bra daily toil two shlllings and some
tines. when labor vas scarce. he was
paid more and became the envy OF his
fellows II, at the cod Of the week. be
took home So his fsn,ily fifteen shlt-
hugs. sum nov greatly exceeded by
the wages OF our lsborers. On such .
plttance Il vas only bv the strictest
economy that the mechanic kept his
children from starvation lie lived