Connecticut western news., 1892-09-08

'for their successful continuance" and declar. ation that tariff changes should be regardtul of the workmen in such industries and of the in- vested capital.
 The Democratic P"siiioa.
 The overwhelming rejection of these propo sitions, which had before received the sanction of Democratic national conventions, was not more indicative of the new and more cour' ageous leadership to which the party has now committed itself than the substitute which was adopted fhis substitute declares that protective duties are unconstltutiona-hign protection, low protection-all uncons;itu tional. A Democratic congress holding this view cannot enact nor a Democratic president approve, any tariff schedule the purpose or eff feet of which is to limit importations or to give any advantage to an American workman or producer. A bounty might, judge, be given to the importer under this view of the consti. tuition in order to increase importations and so the revenue-for revenue only''-is the linn itation. Reciprocity of course falls under this denunciation, for its object and effect are not revenue, but the promotion of commercial ex changes, the profits of which go wholly to oui producers.
 This destructive un-American doctrine was not held or taught by the historic Democratic statesmen, whose fame American patriots has reached this generation certainly not by Jefferson or Jackson This mad crusade against American shops, the bitter epithets applied tc American manufacturers, the persistent disbe
 
 mill, or of an increase of our foreign trade by reciprocity, surprising they are dis creditable. There is not thoughtful business man in the country who does not know that the enactment into law of the declaration of the Chicago convention upon the subject of the tariff would at once plunge the country into a business convulsion such as it has never seen; and there is not thoughtful workingman who does not know that it would at once enormous. ly reduce the amount of work to be done in hv Ia inrraagp Of that would follow, and necessitate a reduction of his wages to the European standard.
 If any one suggests that this radical policy will not be executed if the Democratic party attains power, what shall be thought of party that is capable of thus trialng with great inter- estsS The threat of such legislation would be only less hurtful than the fact.
 The Existing Tariff
 And now a few words in regard to the exist ing tariff law. We are fortunately able to judge of its influence upon production and prices by the market reports. The day of the prophet of calamity has been succeeded by that of the trade reporter. An examination into the effect of the law upon the prices of pro tected products, and of the cost of such articles as enter into the living of people of small means, has been made by a senate committee composed of leading senators of both parties, with the aid of tho best statisticians, and the report, signed by all the members of the com mittee, has been given to the public. No such WlQe ana Care1ul inquiry mas ever DeIOIe DSon made. These facts appear from the report:
 First-The cost of articles entering into the use of those earning less than Sl,0O per annum has decreased, up to May, 1892, 3.4 per cent, while in farm products there has been an in crease in prices owing in part to an increased foreign demand and the opening of new mar kets In England during the same period the cost of living increased l9 per cent Tested by their power to purchase articles of necessity, the earnings of our working people have never been as great as they are now.
 Second-There has been an average advance in the rate of wages of 75-l00 of per cent. Third-There has been an advance in the price of all farm products of 1867 per cent, and of all cereals 33.5 per cent.
 Mir Harrison then quotes the report of Commissioner Peck, of New York in sup port of his arguments, and proceeds to dis cuss tin plate production in this country. | He says
 But in spite of the doubts raised by the cleo tions of 1890 and of the machinations of foreign producers to maintain their monopoly, the tin plate industry has been established in the | United States and the alliance between the Welsh producers and the Democratic party for | its destruction will not succeed. The official returns to the treasury depart ment of the production of tin and terne plates | in the United States during the last fiscal year | show a total production of l3,240,S S3O pounds, and comparison of the first quarter (s26, ,a23 pounds) with the last C,0O00O0 pounds) shows | the rapid development of the industry. Over | 5,0O0,0U0 pounds during the last quarter were made from American black plates, the remain | der from foreign plates.
 The Tariff and Wages.
 This tariff law has given employment to | many thousands of American men and women and will each year give employment to increas- ing thousands. Its repeal would throw thou sands out of employment and give work to | others only at reduced wages. The appeals of 1-x& | addressed to his prejudices to his passions | and not infrequently are pronounced commu- | nistic. The new Democratic leadership rages at the employer and seeks to communicate his rage to the employed. I regret that all em- | ployers of labor are not just and considerate and that capital sometimes takes too large a | share of the profits. But do not see that | these evils will be ameiorated by tariff policy | the first necessary effect of which is severe wage cut and the second large diminution of | the aggregate amount of work to be done in | this country.
 If the injustice of his employer tempts the l workman to strike back he should be very sure | that his blow does not fall upon his own head | or upon his wife and children. The workmen in our great industries are a body remarka- | bly intelligent, and are lovers of home and country. They may be reused by injustice, or | what seems to them to be such, or be led for | the moment by others into acts of passion; but | they will settle the tariff contest in the calm | uRut OI InclT NoNemDeT nIthlueS Wltu hOle reference to the prosperity of the country of
 which they citizens and of the homes they | have founded for sheir wives and children. | Shrewdly, but not quite fairly, adver, saries speak only of the increased duties inn | posed on linen, pearl buttons and other articles | by the Mckinley bill, and omit altogether any i reference to the great and beneficial enlarge | ment of the free list During the last fiscal year S45S, ,00O, 772 worth of merchandise or 05.3j per cent. of our total imports. came in free Cthe f,, | the percentage of our importations only | A.42 per cent. The placing of sugar upon the | free list has saved to the consumer in duties in 1 fifteen months after paying the bounties pro.
 vided for, SS7,00O0O0.
 This relief has been substantially felt in every household upon every Saturdays pur- | chase of the workingman.
 | One of the favorite arguments against pro | tective tariff is that it shuts us out from par | ticpation in what is called with swelling em- | phasis 'the markets of the world" If this l view is not false one how does it happen that
 our commercial competitors are not able to | bear with more serenity our supposed surrender | to them of the markets of the worldY' And
 how does it happen that the partial loss of our
 market closes foreign tin plate mills and plush
 factories that still have all other marketsY Our
 natural advantages, our protective tariff and
 the reciprocity policy make it possible for us to
 have a large participation in the markets of
 the world" without opening our own to a com
 petition that would destroy the comfort and
 Independence of our people.
 The resolution of the convention in favor of
 bimetallism declares think, the true ant
 necessary conditions of movement that ha
 upon these lines my cordial adherence and sup
 port. am thoroughly convinced that the ire
 coinage of silver at such ratio to gold as vii
 maintain the equality in their commercial use
 of the two coined dollars would conduce to tn
 prosperity of all the great producing and com
 mercial nations of the world. The one essen
 tial condition is that these dollars shall hay
 and retain an equal acceptabiity and value il
 all commercial transactions.
 The monetary conditions in Europe within
 the last two Yeara have. l think. tended yer,