Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1892-12-09


subject to the depreciation which follow.
uyerproduction. But while the fact
have stated is true as to the crops hav.
! mentioned, the general average Of price
has been such as to give to agriculture d
! fiar participation in the general pros
| perity.
! IF any are discontented with theii
state here: If any believe that wage,
| or prices. the returns for homes
| toll, are inadequate they should not fail /.
| remem ber that there is no other countr,
| in the world where the conditions tina
| seem to be hard would not be accepted y.
| highly prosperous The English agricul
| turist would be glad to exchange the re
turns of his labor for those of the Amer
| lean farmer. aud the Manchester work
men their wages for those at Fall River.
Protection National Blessing.
believe that the protective system
years has prevailed in our legislation ha.
been u mighty instrument for the deyel
opment OF our national wealth and
powerful agency in protecting the homes
OF our workingmen from the invasion ~
want. have felt "a most anxious inter
est towards our working peoples wage'
that not only give daily bread bat sal,Pty
a comfortable margin for thos.
home attractions and family comfort.
and cnjoyments without which ift
is neither hopeful nor sweet. The,
are American citizens, u part of the great
/ people for whom our constitution and
| government were framed and instituted
/ and il cannot be Il peryersion of that con
| stitutinn to 50 lcgislate as to preserve il
/ their homes the comfort, independence
| loyalty and sense Of interest in the gov
| crnmeni hich are essential to good citi
zenship in peace and which will bring
! them rs 1861 to the defense of the fiae
| when 1t is assaiicd
| The New Fiscal Policy.
| II is not my purpose to renew the argu
mcpt in favor of a protective tariff. The
! result of the recent election must he ac.
ceptcd as having introduced new fea
sure. We must assume that the present
tariff, constructed upon the lines Of pro
tectinn. is to be repealed and that there
is to be substituted tariff law con
structed solely for revenue; that no duty
keep open American mills or keep up the
wages of American workmen, but in
every case such rate of duty Is to be
imposed as will bring the treasury
of the United States the largest returns of
revenue. The contention has not been
between schedules but between principles
and it would be offensive to suggest that
the prevailing party will not carry into leg
islation the principles advocated by it and
the pledges given to the people.
Through With Tariff Tinkering.
The tariff bills passed by the house of
representatives at the last session were as
| supposed. even in the opinion of their
promoters inadequate and justified only
by the fact that the senate and house OF
representatives were not in accord and
that general revision could not therefore
be undertaken, ] recommend that the
whole subject of tariff revision be left to
= g.
regret that this work must be delayed for
at least three months, for the threat of
great tariff changes introduces SO much
uncertainty that an amount not easily
estimated of business inaction and Of
diminished production will necessarily
result 1t is possible also that the uncer-
tainty may result in decreased revenues
from customs duties. for our merchants
make cautious orders for foreign goods
in view of the prospect of tariff reduction
and the uncertainty AZ to when 1t will
take effect Those who have advocat ted "a
protective tariff can well afford to have
their disastrous forecast of change of
policy disappointed. If 4 system of Gus
toms duties can be framed that will set
the idle wheels and looms of Europe in
motion and crowd our warehouses with
foreign-made goods and at the same time
keep our own mills busy: that will give
us an increased participation in the mar
kets Of the world of a greater value than
the home market that we surrender: that
will give increased work to foreign pro-
ducts to be consumed by our people with
out diminishing the amount of work to be
done here; that will enable the American
manufacturers to pay to his workmen from
30 to 100 per cent more In wages than is
paid in the foreign mill and yet TO com,
pete in our market and In for
eign markets with the foreign
M that will fnrthar ,aIn..
the cost of articles Of wear and food with
ont reducing the wages of those who pro-
duce them; that can be celebrated after
its effects have been realized, as its ex-
pectation has been in Europe as well as in
American cities. the authors and pro
motors of it will be entitled to the highest
praise. We have had in our history sey-
erai experiences of the contrasted effects
of a revenue and ofa protective tariff but
this generation has not felt them and the
experience Of one generation Is not highly
instructive 70 the next
The friends of the protective system
with untliminished confidence in the
principles they have advocated will wait
the result Of the new experiment The
strained and too often disturbed relations
existing between the employees and the
employers in our great manufacturing
establishments have not been favorable
/" calm consideration by the
wage earners of the effect upon
wages Of the protective system
The facts that his wages we've the highest
paid in like calling, In the world and that
"a maintenance of this rate of wages in the
absence of protective duties upon the pro-
duet of his labor was impossible were OBJ
scurea by the passion evoked by these
He may now be able to review
the question in the light of his personal
experience under the operation of a tariff
for revenue only. II that experience !
shall demonstrate that the present rates
Of wages Are thereby maintained or in
creased, either absolutely ~ ia tlleir paF
chasing power, and that the aggregate
volume of work to be done in this country
is increased or even maintained; that
there are more or as many days work I'm II
year at as good or better wages for the
American workman as has been the case
~H'ler the protective system, every one
will rcj.iGe. A general process of wage f,
reduction cannot he contemplated by any
patriotic citizen without gravest appre-
hension.
II may be, indeed believe is possible
for the American manufacturer
to compete successfully with his
foreign rival in many branches of produc-
tion without the defense Of protective
duties. If the pay-rolls are eqnafizea; bat
the conflict that stands between the pro-
ducer and that resalt and the distress of
'ui WI hHE pScPAS, When - ~ 8tItiueu,
are not pleasant to contemplate. The So
ciety Of the unemployed, now holding its
frequent and threatening parades ip the
streets of foreign cities, should not be al |
lowed to acquire an American domici,e.
The reports Of the heads OF the several
departments, which are here
with submitted, have very natnrallg in
clnded a resume of the whole work af the
administration. with the transactions af
I he lasI iiscs year
The attention. no, only sf congress, but
Of the country is again invited II the
me thods of administration which have
been pursued. and to the result which
have been attained Public revenues
to sI,4l4019, 22ts %, have been
and disbursei without loss from
misappropriation. without y single de-
falcation of such Importance rs to attract
he pnblie 3ttention and at . diminished
per cent Of e9st for collection. The public
business has been transacted not only with !
fidelity but progressively and with { view
70 giving 70 the people in the fullest poss- |
ible degree the benefit 9f services estab-
lished and maintained f,,r their Oroteetion