The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-02

man does not attempt, the gentleman mas not
to-day attempted, to reply to the real argu-
ments that are made in favor Of freer
trade ana more liberty to commerce. The
gentleman refers TO the progress OF the
United States. he points to the rate OF wages
In the United States, he points to the aggre-
gated wealth OF the United States, and then
says: IAN this we owe TO protection" But
he gives you ho reason why we owe 1t to pro-
lection. He says because we have protection
in the United States, because wages are high
in the United States, therefore protection
makes high wages.
SUNSET con QUOTED.
Mr.. Crisp said that this form of argu-
ment had been met and overthrown years
ago by the gentleman from New York, 5.
s. Cox, from whose well-known speech on
this topic MIR. Crisp quoted. The gen.
tleman from Maine, not in his argument,
but in that more carefully prepared state
ment, which he has given to the country
as the views of the minority of the com
mittee on ways and means,
among other things insists
that whatever impost duty or impos-
ition is put upon the foreign goods that
are brought into this country is paid by
the foreigner. The gentleman constituting
the minority of the committee at another
period of discussion in that report, say
that the consumer here pays the tax
The gentleman from Maine and
y .
when dealing with the people of the
United States on great question which
affects the income, happiness and COM
merce OF all our people, to make state
ments inconsistent with each other and
inconsistent with every well esta olished
idea of present economy, and yet that
distinguished gentleman presumes to
lecture this side of the House, forsooth,
because we do not measure up to his
standing in shaping legislation for taxa
tion.
THE MINORITY REPORT.
Reading from the minority report to
support this statement Mr.. Crisp pro-
ceeded:
Let us see the report again, because It is
the carefully prepared view Of the minority
OF the committee on ways and means. not an
utteranee given out hastily in d9oate, but
carefully prepared in the closet and sent out
to the country as their views. This report
says that the protective tariff on
plate glass, and on cotton ties
but the protective tariff on steel rails and on
spool cotton increases the price to the CON
sumer. Laughter on the democratic side. |
They say that putting lumber on the free list
licans put sugar on the free lis it greatly re
duced its price, Applause on tle democratic
side. They say that the protective tariff on
leaf tobacco has given the farmer a better
creased the price of ciTaTs.
But the most wono1. III eject Of this tariff.
the most inexplicaale ase that has ever come
under my observation, is the effect upon
say that putting raw wool on the free
list and reducing the rate on
wooden goods will reduce the price
that the farmer gets, will reduce the wages
that the spinners and the weaver gets, AID
yet will accomplish only an imaginary and
inhn1tesimal difference In the price OF cloth
ing. Now, II the manufacturer gets his wool
cheaper, and If he gets his wages cheaper,
let me ask you my friends, why it is he ought
not to sell products cheaper. Applause.
ALI sunshine and prosperity, the speaker
said, was claimed as results of the pro-
tective tariff; but when there were
strikes in protected industries, when
Raunt famine stalks abroad in the land,
then you charge these upon the shadow
of reduced duties by the Wilson bill.
"You cannot thus escape" declared Mr..
Crisp, from the responsibility for con di-
tions which are clearly the result of your
own policy"
THE HOME MARKET ISSUE.
Proceeding to a discussion of the home
market issue, Mr. Crisp said it was a
failure, as demonstrated by the expert
ence of the country. A century of pro-
lection had not developed home market
Tor more than one-third Of the cotton pro-
duced in this country, The tarif and the
market do NOT add cents value to the
production of the agriculturists. This
assertion the speaker illustrated by
the experience of the wheat grower
of Minnesota or the cotton
grower of Georgia, who, when he sold his
products in Liverpool and bought goods
with the proceeds there, must pay half as
much again as the cost of the articles
abroad to the United States as tariff
tax. Neither the farmer nor the customs
officer will be able to realize the truth Of
the statement the gentleman from Maine
that 1.-THE foreigner pays the tax" These
laws, the speaker said, were for the bene-
fit, and the benefit only, of the manufac-
turer. Applause.
The gentleman from Maine had declared
that the corn laws, although passed nom
inally in behalf of the English farmer,
were really for the benefit OF the aris-
tocracy, who were the land owners. LET
me tell him also that the tariff laws,
nominally in the interest of the working
men, are really for the benefit OF the
manufacturer.
Referring to the Aldrich report, quoted
by Mr.. Reed, Mr.. Crisp said that the gen
tleman from Maine had not told all that
that report showed. In fifteen non-pro-
tected industries the wages of workmen
had been increased, while the wages in
fifteen protected Industries had been de-
creased. Applause.
UNFAIR TO THE PRODUCER.
Discussing the home market, Mr.. Crisp
said the effect of the tariff laws upon the
people of the country was to compel the
producer OF the United States to sell in
the cheapest market and buy in the dear
est They constantly reduced the pur-
chasing power of the bushel Of wheat
sold by the United States farmer, be-
cause in purchasing with the pro-
ceeds of that bushei, his liberty to buy
where he pleased was restricted, and he
was compelled to pay tribute to the
American manufacturer. Until the con-
sent of the people of the United States TO
be taxed for the building up OF the privi-
legged classes of industries had been
gained. gentlemen would never oe able 10
retain in peace and quiet the principle of
the protective party.
"The people until lately have not been
able to discuss clearly the economic ques-
tion, but since we have been able to 90
before them on this matter. they have re-
sponded TO our views of the question
Heretofore they responded to the appeal
oh, vote as you shot and they
antagonize the interest OF the
south That argument had again been
raised by the gentleman from Maine in
his speech to-day, thirty years after the
close of the war. He had been unusually
free, at least, in his public utterances
from appeals of that kind. and it is a con-
fession that his argument Is weak indeed
when he must abandon the field of reason
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