Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-02-02

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| in asy fuch form Free traders bare SET
/ u. that clain1 for Us ia order 70 trian-
phantly knock il over. What we &c say -,
that where twp naii5ns hare equal skill and
equal appliaaces and market OF nearly
sac, sed one of them can hire labor at one
kaif less, nothing bat tariff can maintain
the Iii her wages, and that we can prove.
ssIf there be two bales of goots side by
side, made by the came kind of machinery
and with the labor Of the human being in
both of the same degree Of skill. AMI II the
labor Of one bale coa's only half, fjr ex-
ample. as much as The other, that other bale
can never be sold until the extra cost OF
the costlier labor issqueezsd out OF it. PRO-
vi led there is an abundant supply of the
product of the caesper labor. If the bale
w ith the cheaper labor Of England In 1.
meets the bale with the desrer labor of
America in IL, which will be bought at cost
of pfoducilons leave that problem inst
there. rhe sale cf the Eaglish bale will te
,nly limited by England's produ ton.
There IS still another argument which
Il sire to present ont of the large number
yet unused. What has made England rich 7
II is the immense profits which come of
converting raw mate rial iato m ,nufactured
goods. She is huge Workshop, aoirg The
most profatle work of the world. changing
raw m terisl to flushed product So long
as she can persuade the rest OF the world to
engage in the work which is the least profit
able and leave her the most enIiching she
can well be content.
Let me give one item, and the figures
shall be furnished by the gentleman
from Alabama (Mr. Wheeler), who TOLD
me in your presence that the value of all
the cotton raised in the United States was
only $500, ,OO0, coo, while t',e finished pro-
duct of that cotton was sl,750 900 900
When cotton leaves the field 1t is worth
$500 900, 600; when it leaves the m II it is
worth six times as much. On our own
cotton crop alone we might in time make
the profits on billion and half of manu-
factured goods. For is there anything to
prevent such result in protective tariff.
Some men think, indeed, this bill and
its authors speeches proceed upon the sup
position that the first step toward gaining
the markets of the world is to give up our
own, Just as If fortified army, with ene-
mics on all lanks, should overturn its own
breastworks as the first preliminary to a
march into the open. Even the foolish
chivalry of the Marquis de Montcalm.
which led him to his death on the heiahts
of Abraham, had not that crowning folly.
Such is not the history of the world; sucl
is not even the example or England.
Tariff duties, whether levied for that
purpose or for revenue, become dead let
ter when we are able to compete with the
outside world.
"We are the only rival that England
fears, for we alone have in our borders the
and the wages, the raw material,
and within ourselves the great market
which insrres to us the most improved ma
chinery. Our constant power to increase
our wages insures US also continuous pre-
gress.
"If you wish us to follow the example
of England, say yes, with all my heart,
but her real example and nothing less. Let
us keep protection. as she did, until no
rival dares to invade our territory, and then
we may take our chances for future
which by that time will not be unknown.
"Nobcdy knows so well as | do how much
| have failed to present, even of my own
comprehension, of the great argument which
should control this vote. | have said not a
y ord of the great fall of prices which has
always come from the competition of the
whole world, rendered possible by protec-
ton, aud substituted for the competition of
q single island. have said not word of
the great difference between the attitude of
employers who find their own workmen
their best customers in their own land, and
who are, therefore, moved by their own best
to give their workmen fair wages,
md those who sell abroad and are, there
fore, anxious for low wages at home, and
On whom works unrestricted!y that pernic-
ous doctrine as wages fall profits rise.
"A!l of us plead in vain. Why we fail
let those answer who read the touching
words of Abraham Lncoln's first inaugu-
raj, and remember that he plesded in vain
= ith these same men and their predeces-
sors. Where he failed we can't expect to
succeed. But though we fail here today,
like our great leader of other
Jays, in the larger field before
The migh,ier tribunal which will finally
and forever decide this ques ion we shall be
more than conquerors; for this great ma
lion, shaking Off rs it has once before the
of lower civil zation, will 90 on
aud ful6ll its high destiny, until over the
South as well as over the North, shall be
.pread the full measure of that amazing
prosperity which is the wonder of the
world.
MIR. Reed concluded his remarks at 80
amid deafeniug applause and cheers from
the galleries and members on the tl,or.
Mr. Crisp took the floor. In his speech
he said: Neither the farmer nor customs