Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-06
citizens and of the homes they have found
ed for their wives and children.

u l. l. -
citizens and of the homes they have found
ed for their wives and children.
The Er-ot of the Tariff on Wages.
No intelligent advocate Of protective
tariff claims that it is able, of itself, to
maintain q uniform rate of wages-without
regard to fluctuations in the supply of and
demand for products of labor-but 1t Is con-
fdently claimed that protective duties
strongly tend to hold up wages, and are the
only barrier against reduction to the
European scale.
The Southern States had liberal partici-
patton in the benefits of the tariff law, and,
though their representatives have generally
opposed the protection policy, rejoice
that their sugar, rice, coal, ores, iron, fruits,
cotton cloths and other products have not
been left to the fate which the votes of
their representatives would have brought
upon them. In the construction of. the
Nicaragua Canal, in the new trade with
South and Central America, in the estab-
lishment of American steamship lines,
these States have also had special interests,
and all these interests will not always con-
sent to be without representation at WASH
ington.
Shrewdly, but not quite fairly, our ad-
versaries speak only of the increased duties
imposed upon tin, pearl buttons and other
articles by the Mckinley bill, and omit
altogether any reference to the great and
beneficial enlargement Of the free list.
How a Protective Tariff Protects.
During the last fiscal year S45S, ,0eO, 772 in
merchandise or 55. 35 per cent of our total
importations, came in free (the largest per-
centage in our history while in 1889 the
per cent of free importations was only a. AZ.
The placing of sugar upon the free list has
saved to the consumer in duties, in fifteen
months, after paving the bounties provided
for, SS7, 900, 900. This relief has been SUBJ
stantially felt in every household, upon
every Saturdays purchase of the working
men.
One of the favorite arguments against a
protective tariff is that it shuts US out from
a participation in what Is called, with
swelling emphasis. "the markets of the
world" If this view is not a 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 .world?" And how
does it happen that the partial loss of our
market closes foreign tin plate mills and
factories that still have other markets?
The material advantages of our protective
tariff and the reciprocity policy make it
possible for us to have large participation
in the markets OF the world" without
opening our own to competition that
would destroy the comfort and independence
of our people.
Ths Presidents Silver Coinage Views.
The resolution of the convention in
favor of bi-metallism declares, 1 think,
the true and necessary conditions of a
movement that has, upon these lines, my
cordial adherence and support. I am thor
oughly convinced that the free coinage of
silver at such ratio to gold as will main
tain the equality in their commercial uses
OF the two coined dollars would conduce to
the prosperity of all the great producing
and commercial nations of the world. The
one essential condition is that these dollars
shall have and retain an equal acceptability
and value in all commercial transactions.
They are not only a medium of exchange,
but measure OF values; and, when unequal
measures are called in law by the same
name, commerce is unsettled and confused
and the unwary and ignorant are cheated.
Dollars of unequal commercial value will
not circulate together the better dollar is
withdrawn and becomes merchandise The
true interest of all our people, and especial
ly of our farmers and working people, who
cannot closely observe the money market,
is that every dollar, paper or coin, issued or
authorized by the Government, shall at all
times and in all its uses be the exact
equivalent, not only in debt-paying but in
purchasing power, of any other dollar 1
am quite sure that if we should now act
upon this subject, independently Of other
nations, we would greatly promote their in
terests and injure our own.
The monetary conditions in Europe
within the last two years have, think,
tended very much to develop a sentiment
in favor OF larger use of silver, and was
much pleased and encouraged by the
cordiality, pronptness and unanimity with
which the invitation of this Government
for an international conference upon this
subject was accepted by all the powers. We
may not only hope for, but expect highly
beneficial results from this conference,
which will now soon assemble. When the
result Of the conference is known we shall
then be able, intelligentlv, to readjust our
financial legislation to any denomination.
A Free Ballot and an Honest Count,
In my last annual message to Congress
said: mu st yet entertain the hope that it
is possible to secure q calm, patriotic con-
sideration Of such constitutional or statu-
tory changes as may be necessary to secure
the choice of officers of the Government to
the people by fair apportionments and free
elections. 1 believe it would be possible
to constitute a commission. non-partisan
in its membership and composed OF
patriotic, wise and impartial mon, to whom 1
a considerat ton of the questions of the evils
with our election system and
methods might be committed with q good
Of securing unanimity in some
plan for removing or mitigating those evils.
The Constitution would permit the selection
of the commission to be vested in the
Supreme Court, If that method would give
eess snoud Se cSad
with the duty of inQuir1ng into the W hole
subject of the law of elections as related to
the choice of officers OF the national Govern
ment, with view to securing to every
elector free and unmolested exercise OF
the suffrage and as near an approac CHI to an
equality of value in each ballot cast as is
attainable. The demand that the
of suffrage shall be found In the
law, and only there, is just demand and no
just man should resent or resist it
1t seemed to ME that an appeal to our
people to consider the question OF readjust-
ing our legislation upon absolutely fair,
lines might find some effective
response. Many times 1 have had occasion
to say that laws and election methods de-
signed to give unfair advantages to the
party making them would some time be
used to perpetuate in power faction of
party against the will of the maj jority of the
people OF this we seem to have an illus
tration in the recent State election in Ala
bama
There was no Republican in the field.
The contest was between white Democrats.
The Kolb party say they were refused the
guaranteed by law upon the
election board; and that when the courts bv
mandamus attempted to right this wrong, an
appeal that could not be heard until after
the election made the writs Intellectual.
Ballot boxes were thrown out for alleged
or destroyed, and 1t is as