The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-10-18

ductions were made IN oil articles that
did not compete with American Indus
tries. It gave you the enormous benefit
Of free sugar, while at the same time
encouraging the productions OF Ameri-
can sugar by bounty.
do not myself favor bounties to be
paid for any production, but l am in
favor Of reasonable duties on all foreign
productions that compete with our own
productions. The Mckinley act con.
tanned both methods Of protection. 1t
tries, whether of the farm or the work
shop. Protection was impartially given
to all productions whether of the north
or the south, the east or the west. 1t
was, believe, the best tariff law ever
enacted in the United States.
The machinery for collecting duties,
the methods of classification, the rates
adopted, secured the government an
ample revenue while encouragement and
protection were extended to all the in
dustries that can be proftably conducted
In our country.
Many duties were largely reduced BY
the Mckinley act for the reason that the
domestic industries were so well estab-
lished that they no longer needed high
protection. Especially careful ,was the
Mckinley act of the interests of labor
and laboring men in all departments of
industry. There was not q provision in
II that justified the reduction of wages,
while the manifest tendency and object
of every provision was to secure suf-
ficient revenue from foreign productions
while protecting our own labor and pro-
ductions front undue competition with
foreign labor.
One objection to the Mckinley law
was that it did not provide enough rev.
enue to meet the necessary expenses of
the government. This was not true until
after the election of Mr.. Cleveland in
1892. Tho surplus of receipts over ex-
penditures was in 1891 over $37 100000
and in 1892 about $10,000,000.
1t was the election of Mr.. Cleveland
and the threat of his party to overthrow
our tariff laws that reduced our receipts.
His election at once precipitated the
hard times we have had. Who would
manufacture goods and pay the old
wages when the duties on foreign goods
made with lower wages were to be re-
duceds Disturbance and stagnation, the
reduction of wages and limited rroduc-
tion here were the inevitable and certain
results.
Does any man believe that if Harri-
son had been elected III 1892 instead of
Cleveland there would have been such
such stagnation, disturbance and dis
trust2 There were
No Clouds in the Sky
except the steady decline in silver, but
this was easily corrected by stopping the
purchase of silver bullion. Had Mr..
Cleveland and the Democratic party
been content with this our industries
would have continued in active opera
ton.
But the eager cry was repeated that
the Mckinley act must go, that free
trade was the policy of the Democratic
party, that protection was fraud and
robbery, that duties should be for reve-
nue. only, that raw materials should he
free, and all farm products except such
as grow in the south are raw materials.
They were Indifferent that wages must
be reduced 1t was in this spirit that the
Wilson bill was reported in the house;
that wool was admitted free: that north
ern industries were submitted to the test
of free trade. and that southern indus
tries were protected.
The Wilson bill passed. but in form
that no one approved. Even its warmest
advocates asked for radical changes. II
would have reduced the current revenue
$60, ,OO0, ,OOO year ana
Created a Deficiency
which could only be met by an increase
of the bonded debt of the United States.
A deficiency greater in amount than that
was a matter of Indifference tc them.
In view Of this reckless and improvi-
dent measure the gold reserve in the
treasury rapidly diminished. More and
more industries were suspended. Armies
&C ~, Oh,
to Washington advocating the widest
schemes involving untold expenditures
and meeting with some support in con-
gress. An increase of the public debt
was no terror for them.
What they wanted was more money,
any kind of money. They did not care
for its red5 mption in either gold or sill
yer; the cheaper the better.
These reckless and strange delusions
impaired the confidence of prudent men,
who more and more curtailed their busi-
ness, reduced their productions, stopped
building and threw out of employment
I skilled workmen who only wanted hon.
est labor aud fair pay. Such was the
immediate result of the passage of The
| Wilson bill.
When the bill came to the senate e
became evident that il coald not pass.
| Conservative Democratic senator's re-
fused TO vote for it, Each senator tried
to preserve the particular industry in
which his constituents Were interested
| 1t was
Matter of Bargain and Sale
| One senator secured high duty on col
lars and cuffs. Another would not vote
| for the bill with the income tax in it..
Others wanted coal to be protected. In
the south, fortunately, they have found
iron ore and southern senators de.
manded duty on iron ore. Iron ore
was not with them raw material, but
wool, the result of the labor and caro- of
farmers, was raw material.
Sugar, which was free by tie McKin-
ley law and the Wilson bill, was found
by several senator's to be finished pro-
duction of the highest art. and they de-
manded duty of 40 per cent on i'm
ported sugar. Fortunately for them
sugar was
The Product Of u Trust,
corporate combination based upon
nine millions Of property in sugar re-
6peries, but with a nominal capita. oil