Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-10
PRACTICAL IAaIff VIEWS


The address before the Workipgmen's
Protective Tariff League of this city BY
Hon. Ira n. Randall. Thursday evening
was most excellent one and eminently
practical coming ~ it does from . man
thoroughly acquainted with some Of the in
terests seriously injured in the interest Of
the Wilson bill. For these reasons the ad-
dress in full is presented to the JOURNALS
readers for careful perusal
FsVo,o Citizens:
was invited or solicited BY the score
tary of the Workingmen's Protective Tariff
League No. 5 of Augusta, to address you
on the subject of Protection against the
Wilson bill, upon the lumber Industries of
Maine, and especially its effect upon the
wages Of the workingmen employed there
in"
have thought this invitation over con-
siderably and must confess that am at q
loss to decide why you lighted on me. You
all know l am not public speaker, I have
no oratorical gift, or faculty of addressing
an audience in satisfactory or even intel
ligent manner.
There are doubtless members of your
league present here tonight that can
do better justice to this subject than
I possibly can, however, / will do
the best I can and ask your indulgence
in advance. have heard it ssid that man
is not to blame for what he does not know.
taking that view of the case am, or should
be exempt from your criticisms; but if we
do take that somewhat liberal and wholly
doubtful view, that relieves the trainers of
the so-called Wilson tariff bill, of all blame
or disgrace for that blighting and blasting
infamy now under legal and legislative pro-
cess of being forced on this country.
The great question of tariff 80 framed
a. to consistently and wisely protect, 10
its fullest extent, all of the great and di-
versified industries and the countless lie.
gons OF willing workers in the United
States of America has been Tie on. all alb
sorbing question discussed pro AMI con,
this way and that way, for more than
five years. The Bible says that ''of the
making of many books there is no end"
Our tariff seems to be in q SIMILAR condi-
ton. Daily and weekly papers, magazines
of all grades from high to low contribute
constantly to this never ending subject;
men, laboring men, farmers and in fact no
class withdraw themselves from the con-
tagion; political parties have been formed,
with this subject US their battle cry, parties
have been disrupted and parties elevated
solely on the fancied results of tariff.
Now what does all this prove! Does
it not show conclusively that wise
and profitable settlement of the sub
80 ho dcas hN
this great republic today, than all other
existing questions that are disturbing fac
tor in our material progress9 | think with
out single dissenting voice you will agree
with me that it surely does prove it.
Now, with all that has been said and
written on this subject, the predictions
made in case it was to be free trade, and
the prophecies recorded in case it could be
protection, it does not seem to me that the
English language could be combined in
such manner as to make another intel
ligent and original contribution to the
present gigantic volume of varied literature
on tariff. / speak of this in this manner
merely to show you how utterly weak feel
and how fiat my remarks may appear.
Still 1t is an excellent plan to talk the
matter over, and read all you can on the
subject and draw your own conclusions
with this one sentiment in your minds, you,
the people, are the government, our form
of government is by the people, Of the peo-
pie, for the people, wrong laws will not be
long tolerated by the voters of this country,
provided their votes are honestly counted.
am Protectionist, in its fullest sense,
believe that all the agricultural products,
al the products of our limitlees forests, all
the products of our mills should be pro-
tected against similar productions created
in foreign countries by lower grade OF
people working at starvation scales OF
wages.
America for Americans is my motto.
cannot understand why, or on what line
of reasoning the simon pure free trader
comes to the ultimate conclusion that 1t Is
advisable for us to Land over to foreign
capital and labor the markets of this coun-
try. In the entire history of this country
there has never been attempted another
change Of tariff as radical and destructive
as this.
Very few people realize this fact. As
long as we leave our gates open for for
eign immigrants to come here and share
our normal prosperity, think there should
be no other form of free trade established,
anu even Iu6t lOEm euOuh0 VIC h0NASo'y
changed and revised; this country 10 now
camping ground for the scum Of all Europe,
to them a legitimate and legal field OF
plumber, the victims being our own citi-
"zens and heads Of families as wage earners.
OF course we have all been told or have
read of the great benefits of free trade If
once law of the land; that is, everything
will be cheapened, dollar will buy more,
and as a final result all articles of COM
merce will be 30 reduced that the trade of
this country will no longer be such rich
outlet for the factories Of England, France
and Germany: that by protection we arti-
iicially stimulate or increase the price OF
the necessaries Of life, and that the Mckin-
ley tariff bill virtually makes our govern
ment partner in all protected industries.
They 20 still further and sagely announce
that as soon 40 the scale Of prices IN this
country Is down to the level OF eim-
liar articles in Europe, the markets OF
the world lie at our feet, that we
can then compete with England for the
trade of India, Australia and South Amer
ica, where, they affirm, we are now shut out
by reason of the high prices due to . pro-
tective tariff.
can follow these arguments . part OF