The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1894-02-09
REED ON THE TARIFF.


Done for Labor.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2-In closing the
debate in the house yesterday in op
position to the Wilson bill Mr.. Reed
(Me.) said:
In this debate which has extended over
msn; weeks. one remarkable result has n
read been reached-a result OF the deepest i'm
portance to the country. The result is that the
bill before US is odious to both sides OF the
house. II meets with favor nowhere and com
n,ands the respect Of neither party. On this
side We believe that while il pretends to be fol
protection il does not afford it and on the
other side they ;elieve that while II looks to
WARD free trade, il does not accomplish it
Those who will vote against this bill Will DC
so because it opens our markets to the de
structive competition Of foreigners. and those
who vot for il do il with a reservation that
they will instantly devote themselves to . new
crusade against whatc er barriers are left
Whatever speeches have been made in de
Tense Of the bill on the OF er side. whether by
gentlemen who were responsible 70 the6oWp
constituents. or by the gentleman from West
Virginia, who onght TO have been steadied BY
his sense Of respousi b.lity 10 the whole country
have one and ALL with but rare exceptions,
placed their authors uncompromisingly. except
for temporary purposes, on the side OF unre
stricted free trade
After quoting authorities to show
the prosperity of the country. Mr. Reed
continued:
These quotations also are reminders for you
Mr. neaker. AID all who hear me- to know
that the American who has been long enough
here to know his opportunities has found the
best place for wages in the world Is there
any example in the history of the world OF any
nation situated like ours who has taken the
step TO which we are invited: Some Gentlemen.
perhaps, are hasteaing 10 say that England az
fords US the needed example that We have but
10 turn to her history and find al that we need
by wav OF examples just as in the staten ents
of her political economists we shall find all that
is necessary for advice, for guidance and in
struciion.
After giving statistics as to the rise
of wages, the speaker continued:
The truth Is that this very question Of rising
wages is what makes a good many men free
traders People with fixed incomes think that
anvthing which raises wages is inimical 10
them and manufacturers who have foreign mar
kets are naturally anxious to lave wages on
the foreign standard I confess to you that
this question Of wages is to me the vital Ques-
ton To insure grow h in civiliz1 tion and
wealth. we must not only have wages as high
as they are NOW, but constantly and steadily
increasing. This desire of mine for constantly
increasing wages does not have its origin in
love for the individual but in love for the ma =
| ton
Mr.. Reed eulogized the American
market as being the best in the world,
owing to high wages paid, and declar-
ing that it was now proposed to lessen
the market and lower wages, and con-
Guided by saying:
To add to the interesting imposibllities OF
this contention the orators on the other side
say they are going TO maintain wages How
can that be possible? All things sell at the
cost of production. II the difference between
cost of production here AMI cost of production
in England be not equalized by the duty. then
our cost Of production must go down or We
must go out Our laws have invited money
and men and We have grown great and rich
thereby. The gentleman from Illinois lMr.
Black. has noticed that men come here. and
he does not want them to come: hence he is
willing that our wages shall be lowered to
keep people away Well. this is not the time
to discuss immigration: but while people are
coming am glad they have not yet imbibed
the gentemIns ideas ana nave not yet begun
to clamor for lower wages
But what do you say about the farmer? Well,
on that subject do not profess any special
learning. but there is one simple statement !
wish to NIKE and leave the question there. II,
with cities growing up like magic, manufacture
ing villages dott ng every eligible site, each
and all swarming with mouths to be filled, the
producers are worse OF than when half this
country was q desert. abandon sense in favor
of political economy.
II the hope OF agriculturists is in English free
trade they had bett ponder on the fact that
while the wages OF artisans have increased in
England say s243 per week since 1850 the
wages OF agricultural laborer5 have only in
creased - cents and while the Lancashire ope.
ratives in the factories live as well as anybody,
except Americans, the agricultural laborers are
hardly better OF than the continental peas
antry. England's example will not do for ag
riculture
Here let me meet one other question and let
me meet il fairly. We are charged with having
claimed that the tariff alone will raise wages.
We have never made such q claim in any such
form Free traders have set up that claim for
US in order TO triumphantly knock it over.
What We do say is that where nations have
equal skill and equal appliances and q market
nearly equal so one Of them can hire labor at
one half less, nothing but rim can mainia
the higher wages and thai We can prove
We are the only rival that England fears for we
alone have in our borders the population and
the wages, the raw material and within our
selves the great market which insures to US
the most improved machinery. Our constant
power to increase our wages insures US also
continuous progress II you wish US to follow
the example Of England, say YES, with all my
heart, but her real ex nipple and nothing less
Let US keep protection. as she did, until no
rival dares to invade our territory, and then
We may take our chances for = future which by
that time will cot be unknown.
Nobody knows so we'll as do how much
have failed to present even Of my own compre
hension OF the great argument which should
control this vote. have said not a word OF the
great fall Of prices which have always come
from the competition Of the whole world rem
dered possible by projection and substituted
for the competition Of q single island have
said not a word Of the great differ
ence between the attitude 4 empl yers
who find their own workmen their best custom
ers in their own land and who are tn refore,
moved by their own best interests to give their
workmen fair wages and those who sell abroad
and are therefore anxious for low wages At
home and On whom works unreS trictedly thai
pernicious doctrine-as wages fall profits rise
These and much more have omitted. for there
is q limit to all speaking.
We know. my friends. that before this trib
unal We all OF US plead in vain WHY We fail
let those answer who read toe touching words
Of Abraham Lincolns first inaugural and re-
member that he pleaded in vain with these
men and their predecessors Where ne