Birmingham age-herald., 1894-11-02
CHARLES F. CRISP.
Lcontlnued From First Page. l


 looked into the laws and those proposed to be enacted, to see if something couldn't be done. We found that our financial sys- tenn had not been enacted in the interest of a majority of the people of the United States. A majority of the people of this country have always favored the free and unlimited coinage of silver.
 What we mean by free and unlimited coinage of silver is that when @ man has silver he can take it to the mint and have it coined without charge. When the demo- crats were in control of this government we had free coinage of silver. When we met last August we had free and unlimited coinage of gold, but not of silver. Many thought the financial legislation of the blicans was responsible for the con- tracted currency. What have observed has led me to believe that the masses of the people of this country are in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold.
 ting eff free coinage, and five years later, aided by all the democrats, they passed a law giving a limited coinage of silver. MT. Hayes vetoed the bill, but congress passed it over his veto by two- thirds ma jority, and it remained law until 1890. In that year we let the republicans get ma jority of the house, but it was not work ing majority, and they went to work and seated enough of their own partisans to en- able them to enact such laws as suited them.
 One of the men on this stage (Air. Tur- pin), who was elected by about 13, ,000 ma jority, was expelled and republican seated in his place.
 One of the laws they enacted was to re- peal this limited coinage act. When we met in August last year we discussed the question great deal, and after two weeks we voted on several ratios, ranging from 16 to 20; all were voted down and then the law of 1890 was repealed.
 q a a climate, diversity of habits and diversity of soil It takes ajority to make law. Every man in Alabama may want a certain law, but without the co- operation of the people of other sections they are powerless to pass it.
 The democratic party may not have done all you think they should do, yet if you examine into its history you will find that 1t Is the only party tbat has done all it could for the country founded bya free people.
 Some democrats do not favor free coin- age, and there will have to be some delay in fixing a law which suits all the people I.a,a and all the sections; It Is question to be Der that for twenty years the democrats have favored tariff reform. In the Forty. eighth congress we had democratic ma- jority and tariff bill was voted down. If that had not been before the populists were born they would have said the democratic party did not favor tariff reform. We elected the Forty ninth and Fiftieth congresses aud still no reform bill was passed. But we kept on and at last we did pass bill reducing the tariff. So with silver; we will keep on until de. sired legislation is effected.
 We have been talking tariff for 100 years. It is safe to say there are not 100 men in this vicinity who properly understand the stand the principle of tariff. I will try to make it plain to you. The republicans want high tariff for private revenue; the democrats want moderate tariff for public revenue. The tariff question is interest," ing. Any question of taxation is interest ing. Some of the greatest wars of history were fought about taxation. The tariff law provides that so much per cent or ad valorem shall be paid for each item that comes into this country. No tariff is paid Mckinley bill was about 50 per cent on the dollar. That was an effectual wall around the factories of this country. To illustrate: Build wall around Birmingham and man comes here to sell woolen dress pat tern. He can come in at but one place, but he must pay 50 per cent of it's value to get inside. If it is worth 20 cents yard outside 1t must sell for 30 cents inside. If the lady pays s3 for her dress pattern she buys $2 worth of goods and $1 of protection. The tariff enables the man nufacturer to run up his price. By American ingenuity and the intelligence of American workingmen the cost of manufacturing goods in this country is no more than in other countries. If you pay $3 for dress pattern made in and $1 of tariff. If made in this country you get g worth of goods and $1 of protection. l understand there are some democrats in Birmingham who tect our infant industries. In the infancy of our country there was some reason for tariff. We had just emerged from war with England. Now the infants are more than 100 years old. You say the foreigner pays the tariff, and that we must have a tariff to enable us to pay our laborers more wages than foreigners get.
 Examine all the claims of the protection ist and see If any of them are entitled to live moment before an intelligent audi ence. When you seek to restrict trade. by tariff legislation you may expect inconsist- encles. You speak of cheap cotton. The populists say the democrats made it cheap, but why the democrats want to make iG cheap when they own all the cotton can't bama own nine bales where the populists own one. You have no home market for cotton. The 100 years has given you no market. The price is fixed In Liverpool. The democrat would could, but he can't do it. If you will go with him though he will decrease the price of what you have to buy and then your cotton will buy just as much as if the prices of both were higher.
 Now, if you bring goods to this country they must come through port of entry. If you don't pay your goods are confiscated, and you will go to jail If caught. Honest men will pay it. All democrats are honest. But MT. Mckinley says the foreigner pays the tariff; then go to him and get it. They say this protective tariff brings down prices in this country. Then, why is it free trade brings prices lower in other countries. Who gets thebenefit of the protective tariff? Democrats do not advocate free trade, be-