The Indianapolis journal., 1894-04-07
MR.. REED EXPLAINS.
Extract from Tariff Speech That Was
Improperly Construed.

WASHINGTON, April 6.-NIr. Reed has
sen. the following letter TO c. L. Vaughan,
at Hutchinson, Kan, in reply to one for
warding an extract from q speech of the
former:
MY Dear Sir-Your favor received.
have noticed the paragraph you sent me.
making it's way over the West. 1t was
first started by member Of Congress in a
speech In Denver. l was somewhat sur
prised when / read it, for, of course, sep
entirely incorrect idea The passage oc-
CURED in short extemporaneous speech
with no point elaborated. Ii was when the
attempt was being made to secure the aid
of New England By sacrificing the inter
ests of the West under guise of giving
New England free raw material by remov-
course such a free list would be very at
tractive to New England. If she
acted from pure selfishness But | took
statement. but which the audience | ad
pressed perfectly understood, to point out
how short-sighted it was for New England
to accept the bribe. Already many Massa-
chusetts manufactures had legitimately
gone West, and more must do SO. the
stances, perfectly understood by my audi
ence, short-sighted men were trying. by the
promise OF free coal, free iron ore and free
wool. to persuade New England that she
pointed out to them that the legislation ten
dered them was foolish. that the low
uuIeS OF the w llSOn Dill WOulQ destroy tnelr
manufactures in common with others, and
that when they were once destroyed they
would be rebuilt under the re-established
protection nearer the market and nearer
the material as cheaply as in New Eng
land. In short, If New England helped
ruin the country, the ruin would be first
and most complete for them on their un-
kindly soil. Such, in my judgment. would
be the fact, and this ruin the country can
not afford, no matter where the destroyed
manufactures are. An idle factory goes to
pensiVe plants and to throw away all the
capital involved would mean that the
United States and. most of all, New Eng
land. would have to halt in its progress un-
til ali these vast sums were re-earned and
Tenvested.
Manufactures are now steadily and le-
ward under the present system, and doing
so as fast as is consistent with solld ma
terial growth. Massachusetts men and other
men are already transferring part of their
capital, and In due time without shock the
Western and Southern manufactures will
business of the country. The manufacture
ing OF coarse cotton cloths has already
gone from New England to the South. The
mighty and omnivorous West is truy great
in all that will make riches and consumaole
wealth and, If this destruction called the
country will prosper and capital and labor
will not be wasted.
las l said to Massachusetts,, 1 say to all
other parts of the country. that enlightened
selhshness teaches the doctrine OF live and
let live"
You will notice that the member OF
congress IN question: instead or quoting
the paragraph in question here in Wash
ington where ii could be met went three
thousand miles TO air 1t. / am surprised
that any man, East or West, should deem
IL worth while to credit me with opposi-
tion to the Wilson bill because IL would
build up manufactures in the West, when
everybody knows IL will destroy all manu-
factures. 1t is the desire and expectation
of protectionists that the West and South
will follow or even SurpasS the example
of New England in developing manufac-
turing Industries. they are now fast do
ing. The Wilson bill will bring the South
and West into competition in manufac-
lures, with wages much lower than their
wages. instead of competition with the
higher wages OF New England. as now"