St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-27
A STURDY BEGGAR.

whose name is as familiar in this coun-
try as is that as any of its citizens, he
said: 1.-The manufacturer makes cloth
because the merchant wants it and can
give ample security for its payment,an
the merchant wants it because his Gus
toners want it and are able to pay him
for his Investment profit. If the great
consuming classes are cut off in their
incomes and wages the merchants sales
decline, and when they decline the de-
mand for labor declines and the work
mans wages decline. If capital cannot
get profit out of its investment it will
not work, and if capital does not work
labor is idle. When labor is idle wages
reach the lowest point. even to the
few who are employed. Capital must
have faith in the future. 1t must know
if that which it makes today it can dis
pose of tomorrow, or next week, or next
month. 1t must be certain that no legls-
lation is to intervene which will in
luriously affect the value of the goods 1t
makes or the market in which they are
Sold"
Who was making a speech of which
these words were the keynote? What
conclusions did he draw from these
premises? Was it some free trader in
sisting that legislation in favor of
manufactures was necessarily and I'M
avoidably injurious because it imported
into manufacturing an uncertainty adj
ditional to that inSeparable from the
market? Did he draw from this the con-
clusion that there should be no legisla-
ton in support of any vocation? If such
one were making such an argument,
could he begin with an apter statement
of the conditions misunderstanding, and
from it conld any other conclusion be
justly drawn than the folly of making
capital and labor and profits depend on
legislation instead of the natural laws?
Would you think that the words we
quote were but the opening of a speech
i'll which the very opposite was the con-
clusion reached; that capital must have
favorable and supporting legislation?
And yet, starting from the same point
from which free trader would begin
his argument against allleglslation hav-
ing for its purpose the fostering of capt.
tai invested in manufacturing, Gov. Nc
Kinley, the speaker quoted, in his adj
dress to the Boston Home Market club,
went directly to the opposite end aud
proclaimed the absolute necessity of
protective. tariff if capital would be
active and labor not be idle.
1t is now thirty-two years since this
country turned about in its legislative
course, and began to direct its laws so
as to coddle capital and coax it to engage
in industrial enterprises especially fay
ored in those laws. During all that
time there has never been, save in the
Intervals when congress did not sit,
year when the manufacturers were not
apprehensiVe of additional legislation
which might affect them. From 1861 to
1890 there have been enacted thirty-two
| separate and distinct acts affecting the
tariff on manufactures or the materials
in them, an average of one year. Five
| of those acts have been remodeling of
the system, the remainder affecting
trade by adding new articles to the list,
or increasing the rates On old ones.
What has been the result? has the
time come when capital has admitted
that it could now get along without
support? Has itever intimated that the
unfolding hand of law could be with
drawn; that the infant had gained
strength to stand alone? Has the coun-
try not become famlliariZed with the
| sight of the representatives of capital
| invested in manufacturing besieging
congress at every session for more and
yet more legislation favoring its invest
ments? Is it not proved that the sched-
| ules of the act which bears the name of
| this speaker were made up in parts of
the demands. word for word, of these
men? Do we not now see the bene-
ficiaries of this kind of legislation, with
out regard to their party, Democrats
joining Republicans, demanding that
this new congress lay no iconociastic
hand on their privileges? Does not Mr..
Mckinley in this speech call on the
benefciarIes of and believers in protec-
ton of all parties to rally to the de-
Tense of the system, and warn them that
| it is in danger? What have we created
by this charity but an organized selfish
ness which, like the daughters of Leech,
cries ever: "More! morep'
What insolence there is in the attitude
| of capital as we see it when we read
these words of capitals protector in the
spirit in which he speaksI Stripped of
the cant of care for the man whom CAPT.
tai graciouslY gives opportunity to in
crease by his labor capitals profits. there