New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-02-07
TOM REED ON THE TARIFF.
The Ex-Speaker Makes a Speech on the
Wilson Bill.

bill on Friday T. B. Reed summed up
from the Republicans. A portion ofhis
speech follows:
In this debate which has extended over
many weeks, one remarkable result has
already been reached. a result of the
deepest Importance to this country.
That result is that the bill before us is
odious to both sides of the house. 1t
meets with favor nowhere, and COM
mands the respect of neither party. On
this side we believe that, while it pre-
tends to be for protection, it does not
afford it, and on the other side, they be-
lieve that while it looks towards free
trade, it does not accomplish it.
Those who will vote against this bill
will do so because it opens our markets
to the destructive competition of for
elgners, and those who vote for it do it
with reservation that they will Instant
ly devote themselves to new crusade
against whatever barriers are left.
Whatever speeches are made in defense
OF the bill on the other side, whereby
gentlemen who are responible only to
their constituencies, or by the gentlemen
by their sense of responsibility to the
whole country, have, one and all, with
but rare exceptions, placed their authors
uncompromisingly, except for temporary
purposes, on the side of unrestricted
free trade.
1t is evident that there is no ground
for that hope entertained by so many
moderate men that this bill, bad as it
is, could be a resting place where our
manufacturing and productive industries,
such as may survive, can re-establish
themselves, and have sure foundation
for the future, free from party pickering
and party strife. Hence, also there can
be no foundation for that cry so insidu-
ously raised that this bill should be
passed at once, because uncertainty is
wo1se than any bill can possibly e
Were this bill to pass both branches to-
day uncertainty would reign just the
same. So utterly undisputed and so
distinctly visible to every human being
in this audience. has been our growth and
progress, that whatever the future of the
industrial system of this country may be,
the past system is splendid monument
to that series of successful statesmen
who found the country bankrupt and
distracted and left it first on the list of
nations.
Is there any example of any nation of
the world, situated as ours, who has ta-
ken the steps to which we are invited?
Some gentlemen,perhaps are fastening to
Say that England affords US the needed
example, that we have but to turn to her
history and find all we need as example
Just as if in the statement of her political
economists we shall find all that is nec-
essary for guidance and instruction. Mr..
Speaker, have looked there and I am
amazed to find how little the example of
England can teach.
After quoting statistics to show the
great rise in wages since 1860 Mr.. Reed
continued:
The truth is that this very question of
raising wages is what makes a aood
many men free traders. People with
fixed incomes think that anything that
raises wages is inimical to them, and
manufacturers who are in foreign mar
kets are naturally anxious to have wag-
es on the foreign standard. 1 confess to
you :hat this question of wages is to me
the vital question, To insure our growth
our growth in civilization and wealth we
must not only have wages as high as
they are now but constantly and steadi-
ly increasing. This constantly increasing
wages does not have its origin in love for
the individual, but in love for the nar
ton. r.
Mr.. Reed eulogized the American mar
ket as being the best in the world, owing
to the high wages paid here, enabling
working men to purchase largely of. the
comforts of life. Instead of increasing
this market, he said, by leaving it to the
steady increase Of wages that the figures
of the Aldrich report show SO conclusive
II and which have not only received the
sanction of the members from New York
and the secretary of the treasury, but the
democratic bureau .of statistics. Our
committee propose to lower wages and
SO lessen the market and then divide
that market with somebody else, and all
for the chance of Upettinp the markets