Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-09-06
HARRISON'S LETTER.

the rapid devo 0pinent OF the industry. Over
5,oOOOO pounds during the last quarter were
made from American black plates; the re-
maihder from foreign plates. Mr.. Aver. the
treasury agent In charge. estimates. a. the re-
suit ~ General inquiry. that the production OF
the coiront year win be lto,1o0O pounds. and
that by the end Of the year our production will
I've AT the rate of llOOO,OD pounds per annum
Another Industry
that has been practically created by the Nc
Kinley bill II the making OF pearl buttons
Few articles coming 10 US from abroad were
80 distinctly the product OF starvation wages.
But, without unduly extending this letter,
eaIniot follow In detail the influences OF the
tariff law Of 1890. IL has transplanted several
important industries and established them
here, and has revived or enlarged all others.
The act givos to the miners protection against
foreign silver bearing lead ores, tho free intro
duction Of which threatened the great mining
industries of the Rocky mountain states; and
o. the WOOL growers protection for their feeces
and noaks, which has saved them from q fur
Cher and disastrous decline.
The house of representatives, at It's last ses.
sion, passed bills placing these oree and wool
upon tho free list. The people Of the west
know how destructive 10 their prosperity these
measures would be. This tariff law has given
e,nploymen, 90 many thousands of American
mon aud women, and will each year give en-
ploymcnt Ia increasing thousands Its repeal
would throw thousands out Of employment
and give work to others only at reduced wages.
Tho Appeals of the Free Trader
70 the workingman are largely addressed 70
his preiudces or 10 his passions, aud not infre-
quently are rronounoedly communistic. The
new Democratic leadership RACES at the en-
ployer aud socks a. communicate his rage 10
the cInpiOyo. l greatly regret that all en-
ploycrs of labor are not just and considerate,
and tlat captal sometimes takes too large a
share of tho profits But ] do not SEQ that
these OWLS ~in be ameliorated by tariff poll
Icy, tho first necessary effect of which Is a Sc
we're wage cut and the second a large diminu-
tion OF tho aggregate amount Of work 10 be
done In this country.
II the Injustice of his employer tempts the
workman to strike back. he should be very
sure that his blow does not fall upon his own
hcad or upon his wife and children. The
workmen In our great industrisy are as body
remarkably intelligent, and are lovers Of homo
and country. Thoy may he reused by Injustice,
or what seems to them Ia he such. or b. led for
the moment by Others into acts OF passion;
but they will settle the tariff contest In the
calm light Of their November ffresdes, and
with solo reference 20 the prosperity Of the
country of which they are citizens and of the
homes they have founded for their wives and
children.
No intelligent advocate OF a protective tar
III claims that il is able. of itsolf, 20 maintain
aunifOrm rate OF wages without regard TO
fluctuations in the supply of and demand for
the products Of labor. But Il IL confidently
claimed that protective duties strongly tend
to hold up wages, and are the only barrier
against a reduction to the European scale.
The Southern States
have had liberal participation IN the bene-
fits OF the tariff law, and. though their repre-
sentatives have generally opposed the protec-
tion policy, rejoice that their sugar. rice,
coal, iron, fruits, cotton cloths, and other
products have not been left 20 the fate which
the votes OF their represen tativcs would have
brought upon them. In the construction Of
the Nicaragua canal, In the new trade with
South and Central America, In the establish
mont of American steamship lines these
states have also special interests, and all these
interests will not always consent TO be with
out representation at Washington.
Shrewdly, but not quite fairly, our ddvcr-
saries speak only of the increased duties inn
posed upon tin, pearl buttons, and other
articles, by the Mckinley bill, and omit alto
gother any reference to the great and bene-
fetal enlargement of the free list During the
fiscal year. S45s,000,712 worth Of merchandise,
OF b5.D per cent of our total importations,
came In free-the largest percentage In our
history; while in 1890, the per cent OF free
fmportations was only SAC por cent. The
placing OF sugar upon the free list has saved
To the consumer In duties in the last fifteen
months, after paying the bounties provided
for, SS7,0U,000. This relief has been substan-
Saturdays purchases of the workingman.
One of the favorite arguments made against
protective tariff Is THAI Il shuts us Off from
participation In what Ia called with swelling
emphasis, "the markets OF the world" IL this
view IL not false one, how does Il happen
that our commercial competitors arr not able
to bear with more serenity our supposed sur
render to them of the markets of the worldS"
And how does II happen thas the partial loss
OF our market closes Tin plate mills aud plush
factories, that still have all other marketsi
Our natural advantages, our protective tariff
and the reciprocity policy mako it possible for
us ~ have "A large participation in the mar
kcts OF the world" without opening our own
TO competition that would destroy the COM
fort and independence Of our people
The resolution OF the convention in favor OF
bf-metallism declares, think, the true and
necessary conditions of a movement that has,
upon these lines, my cordial adherence and
support am thoroughly convinced that
The Free Coinage of silver
at such a ratio 10 gold as will maintain the
equality In their commercial uses Of the two
coined dollars would conduco 20 the prosperity
of all the great producing and commercial
nations of the world. Tho essential con-
dition is that these dollars shall have and re-
tain an equal acccptability and value I'm all
commercial transactions They are not only
a medium of exchange, but measure of
values; and when two unequal measures are
Callcu IN INV Dy tnc same name, commerce IL
unsettled and confused and the unwary and
ignorant are cheated.
Dollars of unequal commercial value will not
circulate together. The better dollar is with
drawn and becomes merchandise The true
interest of all our people, and especially of the
farmers and working people, who cannot
closely observe tho money market, is that
every dollar. paper or coin, issued or author
lied 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
~ 20 "'r. am QUITE sure that II
we should n0r act ulon CHS l5cci inrr-
pondcntly OF other nations we would greatly
promote thet interests and injure own own
Tho monetary conditions In Europe within
the last two years have, think. ended very
much 10 devclope a sentiment - vor OF a
larger use o. silver, and WIS mucn please 0
and encour 4 Wy the cordiality prOmptne..
and unanimity with which the invitation uf
this government for an international confer
ence upon this lubicct was accepted by All the
powers. We may not only hope for, but oX-
pect highly beneficial results from this confer r
ence. which will now soon assemble. When
the result OF the convention H. known We then
shall he able. intelligenuy, 90 readiust our
financial Legislation 20 any new conditions.
Our Election system.
In my last annual message to congress
said: ii must yet entertain the hope that
IL IL possible 10 secure calm. pat riOtic consid-
GRAFTON OF such constitutional or statutory
changes as may be necessary ~ secure tho
choice Of the officers of the government 10 the
people by fair apportioDmonts and free cleo
tion." believe IL would be possible 20 consti-
tute a commission, nou- Bipartisan In It's MEM