Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-24

| Mr. benson (Ala.) said he had been
taught that the democratic party was a
tariff party. and he had learned that under
Andrew jackson. Free trade is icen-
tiousness, he said, protection is a despotism
and both are unjust. He was not a protec-
ZIONIST and not a free trader, but he was
an Andrew jackson democrat daughter
and applause1
| In reply to a question he said he was a
protectionist to the extent which would
give equality for American labor and Amer
lean industry. Republican applause) In
reply TO the question as to what kind of q
protection he wanted in particular, he said
ne wanted protection on iron ore. Give
US protection" he said. "and leave the con-
| sequences to God and the American peo-
pie" Republican applauseJ He held that
IRON ore was not a raw material for the
reason that there was a large expenditure
OF capital in machinery for raising ore and
Tor similar purposes.
Mr.. Tawney Against Free Ore.
| He was followed by Mr.. Tawney (Afinn) },
who said:
The only beneficial result which is claim
ed by its friends will follow the passage of
this bill is that 1t will tend to expand the
market for American products by increas-
Ing our exports. An increase in the de-
mand for these products is expected 10 fol-
low. This proposition, SO far as IL relates
to the subject under consideration, is not
| supported by any facts which will Justify
| the conclusion stated. 1t rests solely and
alone upon the bare assertion of the gen.
| tlemen who make II. We have never ex-
ported a ton of iron ore except that during
| the period from 1852 to 1890 a small auan-
/ tity OF a peculiar quality containing a large
percentage of manganese went abroad. But
since lS90 the expectation of even that
quality of iron ore has entirely ceased SO
| that today there is no foreign market for
| ton Of the iron ore produced in this coun-
| owners mi .,,1
| those engaged in the production of the ore
depend entirely upon the American market
| How then is the market for that ore to
expand or the consumption of American
ore to be increased by saying to Mr.. Rocka-
feller. Mr.. w. c. Whitney and others who
| are largely interested in the iron mines of
Cuba, or by saying to the iron miners of
Spain and other foreign countries:
THE republicans for thirty years have re-
stricted the market for the sale of your
| iron ore in the United States by requiring
the payment Of IS cents per ton duty; here
| after you may bring your iron ore into the
| markets of the United States without any
restrictions whatever" Instead of expand
ing the market for American ore which, IL
must be conceded, is the American market
alone, admitting foreign ore duty free will
| affect that market in about the same way
that eating a green persimmon would affect
the mouths Of the gentlemen who advocate
the adoption Of this policy.
The more I, reign ore we import the less
ore we will produce. If you decrease the
production, you must either destroy the op-
portunity for employment or decrease the
wages OF the miner: to the extent that the
opportunity for employment is DESTROYED or
the wages Of the miner reduced you destroy
the purchasing power OF his labor and thus
anect in1uriously all classes of business de-
pendent upon this particular industry
This is necessarily so for the reason that
we export no iron ore, and our Importation
Of that commodity will certainly increa Sc
Mnen the owners Of foreign mines can come
INTO the American market free Of duty
Mr. Tawney then spoke at length of the
iron industry In his state and what II would
develop to IL there was a continued restric-
ton or foreign Importation, but he pointed
OUT tne disaster that would result by re-
moving the duty from iron ores In con-
cluSion he said:
The effect OF free trade upon the d.ve,on-
ment OF the iron ore industries of the north
sss ives. anu upon the industry itself may be
ascertained by the facts as they exist to-
oay In the iron districts of Michi-an Wis
co1sin and Minnesota. The iron dis,ric,
OF tne latter state is subdivided into sever
snrn,sS,n' ana shows the possibilities for
luLnisnlng employment for labor of each
miner under conditions fairly favorable
Sohtrasted with the number of men acr,naI
iy employed in each case
In all 1900 men could be aavan,.aa,,.,.-
employed where 800 actually find worS
Mr.. Baldwin ON the Other STA.
Mr. Tawney was followed by Mr. pa,s
WIN 'Minn), whose views were diametr,cou,,
opposed to those OF the preceding speaker
onee' Tree ore he feared no competition
anu ne favored commercial union x,,.h
Nahaoa' ana commercial union was hu,
~No.her name Tor free trade. Under fraer
cohuitions or trade in iron ore a sacond
Fittsours could be built up in the west
:" answer 10 question he said he bad
no doubt that the stock exchange of D,-
MrTawras signed nee the petition presented by
or II that they had not sent n to thsa,r snu
ocrauc representatives. but had sent IN 70
ahotner Representative who lived go ,,,,,
away. democratic laughter and applausea
saio ne was speaking for the miIlion
ana half Of iron workers I'm N,nnasn,n
ana not Tor the twenty men who ou.na5
the mines. His speech was freouentiv ;n
was y oy Democratic applause and he
was pesieged by questions from Mr. Taw
mey ana others on the republican side OF
tne rouse He was followed by Mr. For.
man uli) In support of the bill
Mr.. simpsons Remarks.
Mr. simpson kan) said IL there was
any state in the Union which could with
stand the competition of foreign ores # was
'he state OF Minnesota. The Mesaba iron
ore deposit In Minnesota was SO rich and
80 easily mined that it was only necessary,
70 ois on night crust Of clay. which COW
cred the deposit, when it could be shovslaa
re
deposit was controlled by the Standard
OH Company and that it was SO easily
mined that 1t could be dug out with a
steam shovel. He had read an editorial
from prominent republican daily in Min
neapohs In which IL was claimed that
Minnesota needed no protection on iro,
ore. and in spite of the higher wages paid
IN the mines of Minnesota and the COST on
transportation Minnesota iron ore co,,id
De SOLD cheaper in Pennsylvania than
pennsylvania iron ore
MIR. Simpson appealed for free raw ma
terial and attacked the combines and trnsts
articles. "a 'Nose
Reformers I'm Spots
He was followed by Mr. Clark Mo, who
delivered one of his characteristic spee,bes
He said that the Wilson bill had been crit,-
cised by the republicans and by some dis
gruntled democrats, because IL WAS no,
perfect: but if the ways and means com
mittee had failed to make a perfect bin a.
was because 1t was not possible bv a fau
weeks OF unremitting toll to remove ,hs
denominations of thrty-seven years
some OF the members on this side s.ia
=. MI. lark, are reformers in spots. and
mere are only three members who have the
coufaee OF tnelr convictions and had given
.ne welgnt OF their influence toward putting
on the free list articles In the production
OF which they or their states were interaS,-
ed Those disinterested patriots were the
chairman OF the committee Mr. Wilson :.
MI Rayner and Mr.. Tom johnson. Can,
pause The man who is willing to reform