Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-04-13
A Sailor on Protection and Free Trade.

And think OF her sbove.
A Sailor on Protection and Free Trade.
Dear Editor Since my departure from
the United States political revolution ha.
taken place there. The messenger OF GLAD
tidings and great JOY visited Gray Gables
the abode of the Clevelands. which mus,
have raised their hopes to the highes,
/ pitch. While the Clevelands were joyou.
/ over their victory, receiving messages OF
/ congratulations from every part Of the
/ country, messenger entered the Whit,
! House, the abode of the Harrisons. l,
was not one OF JOY. but one of the deepes,
sorrow 1t claimed Mrs. Harrison, the
/ wife OF the President. The grim messen.
ger of death enters one abode bringing
sorrow, sadness and broken hopes, through
j one entire household, almost at the same
time that the other household Is filled with
/ joy that again Mrs. Cleveland Is to be the
( first lady In America. How different mus;
be their feelings. Such is life, and II We
/ live We must he content with wha, comes
so long as 1t is beyond our control to stop
/ 1t. We must submit to the will of the
majority and be content even If the policy
! should bc savored with little free trade.
We can only complain and enter our pro.
test, which Is all the privilege we can en-
/ joy. This the American people have a
right TO do. No man should be denied
this right. Free speech Is the legal tender
Of the nation. and an honest ballot its
LIES blood. Druy free speech and you
stop the empire Of human reason. snd free
dom IL doomed 10 die the death Of de-
graded slave.
shall say my say and state my sentI-
ments, without challenging for them any
particular regard from any quarter, wheth-
er Cleveland is President or not. pro-
pose to say word or two upon the policy
now before the country, In order that
there may be 10 Misunderstanding about
certain terms and phrases it may not be
GU; Of place for me to define them here
Tariff is system Of duties imposed by
the government OF country upon goods
imported and exported There are two
kinds of tariff in the United States. a
free trade tariff and protective tariff A
free trade tariff is simply tariff for reve-
nue. only, and revenue derived therefrom
/ i Intended for governmental expenses cx-
clusively. II Is the system which Is In
/ operation In Eugland Since 1t Is desi ned
for revenue only, its duties are nearly all
levied upon articles except luxuries) that
are in great and certain demand. II so
except luxurlesl are constantly required
by the common people in their household
economy aud that they cannot be raised or
produced prohtably at home. such as tea.
coffee. etc. and therefore cannot come in
10 competition with home productions
/ productive tariff not only provides reve-
nue. for the expenses of the government,
but also SO di>Crimnates Its duties that
they arc levied principally upon imported
articles that come in direct competition
with home Industries and so adjusts the
rate that such competing foreign produc-
zion cannot be placed upon our home mar
kets ut prices less than the fair and rea-
sOnsble home market price.
BY this means the high wages of Ameri-
can labor is maintained and need not be
reduced to the low level of cheap foreign
labor, and under this tariff articles of ne
cessity for the common people in their
household economy, and which cannot be
raised or produced profitsbly at home, are
admitted free of duty, such as tea, coffee.
sugar. etc. All the prosperity enjoyed by
the American people, without any reserva-
ton whatever, from the foundation OF the
present time, has been under the reign of
protective principles, and all the hard times
suffered by the American people in the
same period, have been preceded either by
s heavy reduction of duties on imports. or
by insufficient protection. Any one doubt
ing this statement can find his mistake by
referring to the history of our government
since its origin.
Show me succession Of hard times and
will show you how the action of the
government In the country has by its folly
produced it. or in great measure kept the
general thrift and progress of the country
idle by its inaction. 1t is a wellknown
fact that we have prospered beyond the
expectation Of the wisest and best in
formed men Of the age. since the close OF
the War of the Rebellion. Have We done
this under an administration favoring
tariff for revenue only? or have we re-
duced the great national debt to It's pres
ent low rate of interest, made paper dol
lar worth q gold one, developed the re-
sources of the nation far exceeding any
other period in the history of the world
under a protective tariff? This is no the
ory, this is matter of fact; history proves
| 1t, no fallacy of the Democratic free trade
party can refute this. II they can. lei
them come forth and deny the statement
Since 1920, especially since the treaty OF
ass, by which the Revolutionary War wa:
closed and our independence established
| we have tried and thoroughly tested all tn.
different phases of this economic question
from extreme free trade under the con
federacy of 1888 to 1889 TO the high pro
tective tariff under the rule Of the Repub
Iican party since 1861. There never was 1
year from 1888 to 1861 when the issue Of
the government was worth its par value IL
gold coin. How has it been siucef How
did our bonds rate in the foreign marke
In 1892? Were they selling below par or q
a premiumf and what has produced thi
state of wonderful credit abroad, at home
aud everywhere in the world? 1t is be
cause the wise policy Of the government
has established the credit Of the American
government by redeeming It's promises t
pay before they came due. This was dom
by surplus in the treasury from dutie
on foreign production. A tariff for reve
nue. cnly, would have never placed the gov
ernment in such an independent position
as it enjoys at the present time. A lov
| .u.;@ .~,,ts ont tho 0roc in or1r firms cao 1