Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-05-12
1t Is Fully Exposed by the New
York Pref in q Recent
Issue.
Glaring Statements Made by e
Democratic Statesman
Duly Answered.
Republican Policy Regarding Sug-
ar Saving the Country
S6O.ooo.OOO Year.

gress from Massachusetts,, delivered
speech in the house the other day in
favor of free wool The New York Press
has taten the principal statements of
Mr. Stevens TO put thereto answers
which will be read with interest and
profit. Here are the eleven statements
with answers following:
|. The trouble with the attempt to
protect the WOODEN manufacturer by
enormous prohibitory duties has been
the trouble which has been found in at
tempting to build up every other indus
try by this artificial method.
This ''artifcial' method has made the
manufacturers of the United States
more numerous, more valuable and more
varied than those of any other alton on
earth, ana has maintained the American
scale of wages at a higher point than
has been known Iii any country on the
planet. Every democratic president of
the United S atps whose glory time has
left undimLled and whose name and
memory are considered worthy of in
vOkiT & in any democratic national CON
venti0n today, was prOtectionist. J Eff
PERSON and JACKSON were ardent pro
tectionists, and If alive today would III
all probability oppose With all their
might every prominent measure which
the democratic majority in this congress
has brought forw, rd.
Every democratic president who has
espoused the canse of free trade, from
Polk to Cleveland, brought defeat upon
his party. The names of dead free ira
ders do not blazon democratic banners
today. They are forgotten. Their ca
reers brought nothing but disaster. Tn
der SO called free trade tariffs the foreign
workshop, a d not the American work
shop reaped the profit. No American
railroad could build an additional mile
of track without first sending to England
for the rails. The American system of
protection alone changed all this, and
under it the United States last year for
the first time became the greatest pro
ducer of pig iron in the world, with over
100000 iron workers receiving nearly
double the ages paid for similar labor
abroad 1t is today the 2reatest wooden
manufacturing cour try in the world
The same grow tn and the same preemi-
hence must soon be gained hy the United
States in the glass, pottery, lumber, cot
ton DDS and other industries.
H. Free wool may mean in the flu
ture perhaps the opening of new markets
to American manufacturers
Any American manufactures who
aches for free raw ma erial and foreign
marx eli, may, under the Mckinley bill
have his raw material free to 80 per
cent OF its value That is to say, the
government refunds all but per cent of
the duties collelte just as soon as the
manufacturers goods are ready for ex-
port Why do not those W no are chasing
the chimera Of foreign markets take all
the free raw material they want, and go
out and capture the markets of the
world?
III. Reduced taxes and lower prices
always mean Increased consumption.
Low tariffs mean st gnation of bust
ness, dis, ster in the financial world. in
creased consumption of foreign goods,
decreased employment for Americans,
and harder times generally. Good
prices for la or and for commodities
mean increased consumption and conse
quent increased production, employment
at good wages, prosperity and progress
to both Individuals and the natl n.
". Our republican friends have al
ready found that lifting the taxes from
coffee and sugar has given more coffee
and more sugar to every American con.
sumner.
All r, publicans believe in lifting all
taxes on all necessities of life which we
cannot produce. Free trade means the
oppos te Il means: Raise the ational
revenue hy taxing whatever the people
are bound to or must have One illus
tration: The Mills bill did not lift the
axes" from sugar The republican tar
if saved the people $60000OO0 year.
V. The proportion of WOODEN goods
imported into this country to the total
amount consumed has been small under
high duties. aud believe it will continue
small under low duties
W by not let we'll enough alone? We
have experimental be ore, much to our
loss. You only "believe" that your free
trade lill will not disturb condition as
to foreign importations which you admit
to be favorable.
vi. The petition of the Wool Con
sumers' Association for free wool
has been laid before your body,
So has the memorial of the Natiora al
Association OF Wool Manufacturers OPP
posing free wool.
VII. The WOODEN manufacturer has
found his last state worse than his first.
The following figures, showing the de-
velOpment of the woolen industry in the
y q,
absolutely lmpeach Congressman Ste
vens' statement:
Per cent
carital invested s8i8 800 GA $50 o9l, see s. 81
Number OF hands
employed 800. ~, O32 l6l $50 &c 81
Wages paid -. SO, 12l, 266 SAT, $50, uS7 81 95
us used d Hlei' 2o8, os5, 64a 1874, 81 SOL 10
Value al factory of
goods mann,ac'd 3sS 231. 100 267, 262, 81 IS 1865
VIII. What every American manu-
facturer of WOODEN goods will gladly vel
come, if he consults the interest of his
business alone. is freedom TO purchase
his materials [abroadl where he can fine
the best, and where he can find them or
the most favorable terms.
Free wool and low duties on woolens
and other manufactures, mean lower
wages, or wages, mean WOODEN work
ers driven to the firms, mean a loss OF
purchasing power and consequently &c
home market. n which case the Amer
can oolen mill will be closed, a there
will lie no use for raw material" ever
though 1t tie free
TX Every other industry feels the
unhealthy stimulus and the feverisl
tiuctu ltion in prices due to our present
tariff system
la 1861, when the first republican pro
tective tariff was acted, the United
States was fourth IN RANK among manu-
featuring nations. In the first twent,
years of protection the United States
passed every other ration in the race
and this year our manufacturers will ex
ceed In value the combined manu- &C
the tu rloh