Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-09-08
Lauds the Tariff.


not regard this reciprocity policy as
SHAM" but as a serious threat to the
trade supremacy they have long en-
joyed. They would rejoice over the
news that the United States had aban-
doned protection and reciprocity The
declaration Of the platform in favor OF
the American doctrine of protection
meets my most hearty approval
In some not remote national cam
paigns the issue has been made TO ap
pear to be between q high and a low
protective tariff-bOth parties express
ing some s0Icitous regard for the
wages of our working people and the
prosperity of our domestic industries
But under a more courageous leader
ship the democratic party has now
practically declared that if given power
it will enact a tariff law without any
regard to it's effect upon wages or upon
capital invested in our great industries.
The president quotes the majority OF
the committee on platform as submitted
to the democratic convention and says.
here We have a distinct admission OF
the republican contention that Ameri-
can workman are advantaged by 4 tar
if rate equal to the difference between
home and foreign wages. and that
many of or industries depend upon
protective duties for their successful
continuance. For these propositions
! which were Overwhelming rejected, q
! substitute was adopted declaring pro
tectiye duties unconstitutional. \
democratic congress holding this view
! cannot enact, nor 4 democratic preSi-
dent approve any tariff schedule the
purpose or effect of which is to limit
importations or give any advantage to
the American workman or producer.
| A bounty might be given the importer
under this view in order to increase i'm
! pOrtatiOns, and so increase the revenue
for revenue only" Reciprocity, Of
course. falls under this denunciation.
This destructive, unAmerican doc
| trine was not held or taught by the
| historic democratic statesmen whose
fame as American patriots has reached
this eneratiOn-certainly not by Jeffer
| son and Jackson. This mad crusade
| against American shops, the bitter cpl
| thetS applied to American manufac-
| tUlrerS, the persistent disbelief of the
report of every opening of tin plate
mills, or the increase of our foreign
| trade by reciprocity are as surprising
| as they are diScredltable.
There is not 4 thoughtful businessman
! in the country who does not know that
| an enactment into law of the declara-
of 90 on 10
| subject of the tariff would at once
| plunge the country into business con
| yulsiOn such rs it never has seen, and
| there is no thoughtful WOrllingman III
| the country who does not know 1t
| would at once enormously reduce the
| work to be done by an increase in i'm
| pOrtatiCnS and neCeSSitate Il reduction
! of wages to the European standard.
Results of McKinIeyisn.
| In examining the results Of the exist
ing tariff law, the president says, in
| part, that the day of the prophet Of
| calamity has been succeeded by that Of
! the trade reporter. An eXanlina ton by
| 4 committee of leading senators of both
| parties with the aid Of the best Stats
| ticians, and the report signed by all the
members of the committee, shows that
| the cost of articles entering into use
| and those earning less than $1,000 per
| annum decreased up to May last "a per
| cent, while in farm products there has
| been an increase in prices. In England
| during the same period the cost Of liy-
| ing has increased 10 per cent. Tested
| by their power to purchase articles of
necessity, the earnings Of our working
| people have never been so great as now;
! there has been an average increase in
| the rate of wages of rs of one per
cent, an advance in the prices of all
| farm products 1867 per cent, and all
| cereals 1899 per cent.
| The president refers to the annual
report of the chief of the bureau of Ia
| Dor statistics of the state Of New York,
| 4 democratic official, as cOrTObOrating
very strongly the facts found by the
! senate committee, and says in view of
| these shOwings it is plain that this tariff
| law has not imposed burdens. but con
! ferred benefits upon the farmer and
WOrlIngman.
Once or twice in our history, says the
! president, the production Of tin plate
! has been attempted, but Welsh makers
at once cut prices to a point that drove
! American beginners out of the business
and when this was accomplished again
made their own prices. A correspond
ent of the INDUSTRIAL WORLD. the
| official organ of the Welsh tin plate
workers, lately advised a new trial of
| these methods, saying it is clearly to
| the interest of both employer and
workman to produce tin plates, tariff
! or no tariff, at price that will drive all
competition from the field. In spite of
doubts raised by the election of 1890
and of scheming of foreign producers
the tin plate industry has been estab-
ished in the United States and an al
lance between Welsh producers and
the democratic party for its destruc-
ton will not succeed. The official re-
| turns to the treasury department of the
| production of tin and terne plates in
the United States for the last fiscal
year, show Il total production of 1920,
$50 pounds, and a comparison Of the
first quarter. S26,922 pounds, with the
last 100000 pounds shows the rapid
development of the industry. Over B
100000 pounds during the last quarter
were made from American block plate
the remainder from foreign plates. The
treasury agent in charge estimates that
the production the current year viii bC
10O.00O000 pounds and by the end OF
+hp wear will he at the rate of POO. 900