The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-10-10
BUSINESS MEMS REASONS
why THEY SHOULD NOT SUPPORT THE
REPUBLICAN, PARTY.


When the committee o. resolutions OF
the Produce and Maritime Merchants'
Cleveland and Stevenson Club undertook
It's duties recently IL decided TO get out
Of the beaten paths and draw up an adj
dress to the merchants Of the country,
instead Of preparing resolutions in the
usual form. The address was ratified By
the executive COMMITTEES Of the club and
received the sanction of the Democratic
national committee.
The address sets forth the reasons of
business men for supporting Cleveland
and Stevenson, saying among other
things:
'srns Republican party goes before the
country with protection and reciprocity
- its watchwards, with what Ii known a.
the force bill held in reserve for use In
certain localities. Behind these watch
words lies q complste network OF iilogi-
cal paradoxes, which, viewed in any as
poet, are either illusivs or delusiye; and
underlying is principle, which, II car
ried to its logical consequences, would
destroy the Democratic Repub lean ma
ture OF our government and substitute
all that characterizss monarchy less its
name.
"The advocates OF what is known as
protective tar Il base their arguments in
favor of 1t on various grounds, all of
them self contradictory. In stating that
the foreigner pays the import tax, they
advance an argument which any mer-
chant in New York knows to be falla-
cious. AS matter Of fact. the import
tax IL paid upon the arrival OF goods here
ut the Custom House, charged against
the cost of the same, and 10 finally paid
BY the consumer.
"The claim that by the imposition of .
high import tax, designed to shut out
foreign importations, the American man
ufacturer is enabled to and does pay
higher wages than he would were 1t not
for the tax, without regard to the supply
and demand in the labor market, il de-
fusion refuted by the facts, and contra
dictory in its very nature.
.sIf, a. 1t 10 claimed In soma quarters,
By . high tariff domestic production is
% stimulated that composition can be
depsnded upon TO reduce the prices OF
manufactured articles, ii II evident that
wages cannot be raised while prices are
being lowered, and the advocates Of such
theory are taking the illogical ground
that paralysis Of business and CONNER
cial disaster are desirable conditions, for
such are the Inevitable results Of over
production aud artihcially stimulated
competition. In such cases the laboring
man 10 always the first to suffer.
"There ID under all this . DANGEROUS
tendency, namely the systematic deiud-
Ing Of large number Of our fellow citi-
gems Into the belief that legislative enact
ments can take the place Of industry and
frugAlity in assuring Whist are called
laboring men just return for their SER
vices; teaching them to ignore natural
laws which control and will control their
and leading them to look more
and more for artificial remedies to evils
which cannot be affected by them. II
Iaborers are admitted free, their compe-
tition governs the prics Of labor; II they
are excluded, their absence limits the
field OF labor for those already hers, and
20 reduces the price OF labor.
"In reciprocity we are offered an iliu-
sive substit ate for free trade. Ignoring
those countries which already admit our
goods free of duty, 1t 10 gravely held that
by forcing Others to do so we are benefit
ting our manufacturers. We cannot sup
ply the trade of Spanish American coun-
tries with our manufactures unless we
exclude from them anequal amount Of
European manufactures which they now
import. 1t IL clear that European pow
ers will not long submit to such an ex-
ciusion, and it is equally clear that
Spanish American governments are not
in position to discriminate against I
governments.
.Rscognizing the stability and PROS
perity of our northern states are largely
due to the immunity from governmental
in our state affairs, and
realiz ng that our southern fellow-citf-
zsns have problems to solve which they
can best be trusted to manage for them
selves, we denounce as contrary to the
spirit of our Republic any attempt to in
terfere with their autonomy by the pas
sage of any measure like the one known
as the force bill; which, in affecting their
peace and prosperity, could not help
affecting the prosperity OF the whole
Tom PIatt's Mailed Hand.