Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-01

Of all evil. 1t promised to repeal that lar,
and give us the blessings of the ex-C0nfed-
crate and British system of free trade.
What has the Mckinley bill done and
what has Democracy done: Let each be
known by the fruits which it has borne fol
the good people of our beloved land.
The Mckinley bill did all its friends pre-
dicted for it, and more. 1t was enacted q
an American measure. Its purpose was 70
foster American industries, to develop
American resources, employ American Ia
Dor, and pay American wages. To do this
was simply to continue the policy OF the
Republican party, which had made us pros
porous beyond precedent for thirty 1.-TWO
yesrs.
knowing that of all Injuries idleness is
the most costly, and that in the general in
dustry of the people applied to the Dormant
resources of the country il to be found the
only prosperity which can be achieved, we
sought in the Mckinley bill to protect our
people in the pursuit of every useful voca-
ton.
! And the, result has proved the wisdom of
our effort. Immediately upon the enact
ment of that law, new enterprises sprang
into life all over our land. Old ones re-
ceived new strength and vigor. An impetus
was given to business of every character.
Confidence was inspired by the assurance
that the competition of foreign pauper labor
could not lay destroying hand upon the
industries of our people.
When they who control the councils and
direct the action of the Democratic party
struck at the nations life they aimed hardly
more deadly blow at it, and during their
four yesrs' struggle to crush and crumble
into pieces the American Union, they in
flicted hardly more loss and injury to the
whole people than has already been done
by the threatened enactment into law of
the policy which this Wilson bill processes
to represent.
The people are everywhere up in arms
against it. They feel its effects as the ex-
perienced mariner feels the coming storm.
hardly think Mr.. Wilson appreciated,
when he stated that thousands upon thou
sands of remonstrants from the ranks of
labor against his bill were but the obedient
creatures of their employers, and signed
these circumstances at the latter's COM
mand.
That was perhaps the only reply which he
could make 10 them, but it. was not what
they had right to expect, and it was I'M
true.
He has not lived in the right latitude to
know the spirit and intelligence of the self
respecting American workingmen in the
North. They are not "dumb driven cat
tie like so many Of the unfortunate labor
ers with whom he has been accustomed to
associate. They are not controlled by their
~ inc biy,n
else, outside of the services which they en-
gage to perform for the wages which they
receive. They know their rights and their
wants, and understand how their welfare is
to be affected by the Wilson bill much bet
ter than the gentleman himself does. In
deed, they have already tasted the bitter
fruits of this bill beforehand, sufficiently to
convince them of its malignant character
and the injury which it has in store for
them. They do not mean to have it with
out protest, nor at all if it is in their power
to prevent it.
Indeed, they know the truth of the state
ment of Americas grandest statesman, Mr..
Blaine, in his Twenty Years of Congress,
that the tariff is almost entirely "question
of wages" Our spindles may turn, our
mines may be operated again, or mills may
turn out their product, our farmers may
still till their fields, and business may again
be resumed under free trade, but it can not
come about under tariff forrevenue only,
which shall open our markets to the free
competition of half-paid foreign labor, with
out reducing labor to half pay here. The
Ak which the Wilson bill raises to strike
down American industries will lodge in the
heart of the American workingmen.
But though he will be the principal and
far the greatest sufferer, he will not suffer
alone. Upon his welfare all prosperity in
large measure depends. He is the largest
consumer, the saiaried otfi cial and the
capitalist who only consumes, suffers when
the toiler loses.
You have never seen labor in lively de-
mand and wages high but the whole people
were prosperous. You have never seen
wages low and enforced idleness among
workingmen but dizziness and depression
reigned in all pursuits and vocations.
What, then, is the lesson? 1t is clear. 1t
is that Congress should so legislate as to
give every willing hand enough to do, so
far as legitimate legislation can do it; give
the work we have to do to our own people;
let them instead of the foreigner make and
produce what we consume, and use our own
resources so far as we have them to use;
and happily the variety of our resources is
almost universal, as in extent they are in
exhaustible.
Under the administration of the govern
ment by the Republican party the United
States treasury never was empty. Its bot
tom was never seen. After providing for
the enormous expenditures of great war
we found the government owing $2,75G,-
900, 900 of adjusted indebtedness. 1t owed
more than $3.50, 000, 900 in claims. 1t was
paying an annual interest upon its debt of
SI5l, 000,0 900. Under Republican policy it
has promptly met its expenditures, paid
more than $3.50, 100000 10 claims, reduced
its al iusted debt since 1865 from SO, &c.,
900 600 to little more than $500 900, 900,
aud its annual interest account of $751;
100000 to hardly $50 100000, and after
thirty. two years we turned the government
over in a sound and solvent condition to
the Democracy.
You, gentlemen, took the reins, holdiog
up the whip of free trade as a menace TO
the country. Within ten months we find
the treasury depleted, the secretary of the
treasury in time of profound peace pro-