River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-12-08
A New Tariff Policy Demanded.

which are essential 10 good citizenship in peace
and which will bring this stalwart throng. as In
/ sailed
New Tariff Policy Demanded.
II IS not my purpose 10 renew here the argu.
fnent IN favor OF a protective tariff. The resui
Of the recent election must be accepted as hav.
ing introduced new policy. We must assume
that the present tariff, constructed upon the
| lines OF protection, is TO be repealed and that
/ there II 20 be substituted for il tariff law
/ constructed solely with reference To revenue:
\ that the duty IS TO be higher because the in.
crease will keep open an American mill
\ or keep up the wages OF an American
workman, but that IN every case such
/ a rate OF duty Is 10 be imposed as will
| bring TO the treasury Of the United States the
largest returns OF revenue. The contention h IS
not been between schedules. but between prin-
ciples, and IL would be offens We to suggest that
tion the principles advocated by ii and the
pledges given 10 the people The tariff bills
| passed by the house OF representative at the
| last session were, As l supposed. even in the
| opinion OF their promoters, inadequate, and
| JUSTIFIED only by the fact that the senate and
house OF represen tatives were not In accord, aud
that a general revision could not therefore,
be undertaken.
Democrats should Revise the rarin.
] recommend that the whole subject Of taril
revision be left 10 the incoming congress. II is
matter Of regret that this work must be de-
/ layeu for at least three months for the threat
I OF great tariff changes introduces so much I'M
certainty that an amount, not easily estimated,
I ~ business inaction and OF diminishe p~odnc.
ton Will necessarily result tits possible, also,
that this uncertainty may result decreased
revenues from customs duties, Ior our mer.
chants will make cautious orders for for
eign goods in view OF the prospect
| Of tariff reductions and the uncertainty
/ as 10 when they will take effect. Those who
I have advocated protective tariff can well afford
10 have their disastrous forecasts OF a change
I Of policy disappointed. u system Of customs
/ duties can be framed that will set the idle
4 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 VIII give US an increased paruei.
patton in the markets OF the world oil
greater value than the home market we
surrender; that will give increased work 10
/ foreign workmen upon products to be consumed
/ by our people without diminishing the amount
/ OF work 10 be done here; that will enable the
! American manufacturer 10 pay TO his wOrkmen
l from 81 70 100 per cent more in wages than
I is paid in the foreign mill and yet to compete
J in our market and in foreign markets with
4 the foreign producer. that will further reduce
/ the cost Of articles Of wear and food without
reducing the wages OF those who produce them.
that can be celebrated. after its effects have
been realized. as its expectation has been. In
/ European rs well in American cities, the
authors and promoters OF II will be entitled to
3 the highest praise.
VIII Await Results.
We have had in our history several expert
enccs Of the cOntrasted effects OF a revenue and
Of protective tariff. but this generation has
not felt them, ana the experience OF one gem
GRAFTON is not highly Instructive to the next. The
I friends OF the protective .fstem, with undimin-
[ ished confidence IN the PRINCIPLES they have adj
I vocated, viii await 'Ae results OF the new ex-
pertinent
The strained aHd tou nften disturbed rela
/ lions existing between the employees and the
! lishments hs' not been favorable 10 a calm
I consideration by the ware-carner of the effect
/ upon wages OF the protective system. The facts
| that his wages we're the highest paid in like
! callings in the world aud that maintenance OF
this rate of wages. in the absence OF protective
/ duties upon the product OF his labor, was
/ impossible. were ohscured by the pas
l sion evoked by these contests He may now
/ be able 10 review tie question in the light OF
l his personal experience under the operation OF
! tariff for revenue only. II that experience
I shall demonstrate thai present rates OF wages
are thereby main tanned or increased, either alb
solutely or IN their purchasing power, and that
! the aggregate volume OF work 10 be done in
this country is increased, or even maintained
SO that mere are more or as many uays work II
{ year at as good or better wages for The Amer
lean wOrkmen as has been the case under the
protective system, every one viii rejoice. A
/ general process of wage reduction cannot be con
tempated BIZ any patriotic cit zen with
out the gravest apprehension II may be, in
deed. l believe, is possible for the American
manufacturer to compete successfully with his
/ foreign rival in many branches OF production
without the defense OF protective duties, If the
pay rolls are equalized; but the conflict thai
stands between the producer and that result
and the distress OF our working people when il
| is attained are not pleasant TO contemplate
The Society OF the Unemployed, now holding lis
frequent and threatening parades in the streets
| OF foreign cities, should not be allowed TO &C
1utAt au <AlutN4NNu uo14ltllt-
The Administration.
The reports OF the heads OF the several ex
ecutive departments which are herewith sub
| mitted, have very naturally inclUded a resume
of the whole work of the admins traton with
the transactions of the last fiscal year. The at
tention. not olly Of congress-, but OF the coun
try, is again invited 10 the methods OF admins
| trating = mich have been pursued and the re
| suits which have been attained. Public rev
! enues amounting to sl,4li.O79 ,92. % have beer
collected and dlsbursed without loss from mis-
such importance as to attract the public atten
t!On, and at a diminished per cent of cost for
collection The public business has not only
been transacted with fidelity but progressively
aud with view OF giving TO the people in tht
fullest possible degree the benefits of a service
established and maintained for their protection
and comfort
Foreign Relations.
| Our relations with other nations are now un
disturbed by any serious controversy The
complicated and threatening differences with
Germany ana England relating TO Samoan af
/ fairs. with England in relation 10 the seal fish
cries in the Behring sea, and with Chilli grow
Ing out OF the Baltimore affair, have been ad
iusted
Reciprocity,
There have been negotiated and concluded
| under section 3 Of the tariff law. commercial
/ agreements relating 10 reciprocal trade will
I the following countries: Brazil, Dominican Re
public, Spain, for Cuba anu Puerto Rico, Guatc
mala, Salvador, the German empire. Grea
/ Britain for certain West Indian colonies an,
British Guiana, Nicaragua, Honduras and Aus
tria Hungary or these, those with Guatemala
Salvador, the German empire Great Britain
! Nicaragua. Honduras and Austria Hungary hav,
been concluded since my last annual mes
sage Under these trade arrangement
a free or unfayOred admission has beef
secured in every case Tor an lmpor
tant list OF American products. Especia
care has been taken 10 secure markets for farm
products in order to relieve the great under
lying industry Of the depression which the laCl
Of an adequate foreign market for our surplus
often brings An opening has also been mad,
issr hut led
ly,' II this policy is maintained, greatly aug
ment our export trade. The fun benefit:
OF these arrangements cannot be realized
instantly: New lines OF trade are
be opened The commercial traveller m ust sur
vey the field. The manufacturer must adap
his goods 10 the new markets and facilities ioI
exchange must be established This work ma
been well begun. our merchants and manufac
turers have entered the new fields with cOur
age and Enterprise. In the case Of food prod
ucts and especially with Cuba, the trade dit
not need 10 wait and the immediate results
have been most gratifying. II this policy
and those trade arrangements can be con
tinued in force ana aided by the establishment
of American steamship ltnrs do not deuh
that shall. within short period, secure
fully One-third Of the total trade OF the coun
tries OF Central and South America which nov
amounts to about $500 600 600 annually In 1873
we had only per cent. OF this trade.
The following statistics show the increase II
our trade with the countries with which We
have reciprocal trade agreements from the date
when such agreements went into erect mp 4
September 30 1897. The increase being in souii
almost wholly and ia others 10 an impOrtan
degree the result % these agreements.
The domestic exports TO Germany anG
Austria Hungary have increased in value
from Si7 ga $50 TO So g93O6i an in
crease of sl03i93IS. or 81 81 per cent
With American countries the value q
our exports has increased from 81
100 2s5 To s5iGl359S an increase Of Sl0,4533l3
or y 81 per cent The total increase in tn
value Of exports 10 all the countries with which
we have reciprocity agreements has been s2J,
772,62L This increase is chiefly in wheat flour
meat and dairy products and in manufacture
OF iron, steel and lumber. There has been large
increase in the value Of imports from all thes'
countries since the commercial agreement
went into effect. amounting to S1A29i. 90, but i
has been entirely in imports from the Amerl
fee India rubber and crude drugs. Tit
alarmed attention of our European competitor
for the south American market has beef II
traeted TO this new American policy and 10 on
acquisition and their loss OF South American
trade.
A treaty providing for the arbitration of tn,
dispute between Great Britain and the United
States as TO the killing OF seals in the Behrinl
I sea was concluded on the 2qth OF February last
This treaty was accompanied by an agreemen
prohibiting Pelagic sealing pending the arbi
tration. aud vigorous effort was made during
this season TO drive ont all pOaching sealer:
from the Behring sea Six naval vessels, thre,
revenue cutters and one vessel from the fisl
commission all under command Of Com
into the sea, which was systematic
ally patrolled. Some seizures wer'
made and IL IS believed that the catch in th'
Behring sea by Ioachprs amounted TO less thar
so seals II il true. however. that IN the Nortl
Pacific. while the seal herds were on their way
TO the passes betweea the Aleutian islands.
| very large number. probably 3 90 were taken
The existing statutes Of the United states d.