Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-10-05
honestly, that protection to American
/ industries is imperativelY demanded.

the truth, the justice and the necessity
OF the principle of protectlo Cor which
the Republican party has cody and
! honestly contented for ma ~ "A year
! and thus gives the lie To the Chicago
/ free trade platform. But while the
/ Democratic tariff law in many provi-
| sion recognizes protection as living
/ principle of national economv, that law
/ is still SO tine sample of democratic
"how- not-to-do-it' as to damage what
| IL even pretends TO protect. 1t is ar
rant botch work.
When the Detroit Free Press, the
| leading organ of Michigan Democracy
talks POLITICS, il eXtols the Chicago
! platform of free trade. But when it
talks BUSINESS, it endorses the doctrine
of protection as necessary for the fos-
tering and upbuilding of American in
| terests.
In its issue of Septem Der s, the Free
Press publishes and editorially en-
dorses an interview with Alexander
| MacGruthar, director of the Standard
Pearl Button Company, of Detroit,
which is a remarkable testimonial to
the justice of protection But the Free
Press was talking BUSINESS at that
time and not PoLGTICs-at least not
Democratic politics, for it was very
good Republican politics.
That interview represents Mr. Mac
Gruthar as very much pleased with the
amount of fraud, robbery and uncon-
stitutiOnality in the shape of protec
ton afforded to the industry in which
he is interested. The Austrian manu-
facturers had found a way of lodging
the old tariff law, by drilling no holes
in their buttons and then importing
them at low rate of tariff as manu-
featured pearl" instead of buttons,
thus demoralizing the markets. The
new law prevents this dodge and thus,
as the Free Press claims, AFFORDS THE
PEARL BUTTON INDUSTRY MORE PRO-
lection THAN THE MCKINLEY LAW
DID.
If the Free Press had been talking
POLITICS it would have denounced this
as IA fraud and a robbery and uncon-
stitutional," but since it was talking
BUSINESS it gloried in the fact that a
local factory had escaped the blight of
Democratic free trade.
Some of the expressions made by Mr..
! MacGruthar in this interview so highly
endorsed by the Free Press are very
pertinent. Since they embody good
Republican doctrine and are also com
mended by the Free Press, the people
can safely rely upon them as aXioms of
sound political economy.
Mr.. MacGruthar says: 1--WE need
| some protection. such as is provided in
| the new bill, for it is difficult to build
up an infant industry. The help have
to be educated and the expenses of
turning out the goods are consequently
greater than they would be if our
establishments had been running for
generations. This is what the Repub-
lican party has claimed for years. And
the Free Press endorses it as good
BUSINESS principle, although it is con-
trary TO Democratic politics.
Mr. MacGruthar again says: 1T is.
of course, impossible for US to compete
with Austrian labor. Skilled labor
over there, 1t has been shown, receives
about 50 per week and our men will
not work, nor should they be asked to
work, for any such figures. The pres
ent tariff bill solves the difficulty
nicely for both manufacturers and
American workmen by providing am
pie protection. leaving 81 ance for
good profits to the manufacturer and
the opportunity to make liberal earn
ings for the workman This Is not a
matter of POLITICS. it is BUSINESS. The
INcpuDllCdu party Has never dNhtu VIC
American workman to work for any
such wages and SO it erected the pro-
tectivc policy as a barrier between him
and European wages The Free Press
commends that barrier on BUSINESS
principles, although it fails TO square
with Democratic politics.
The Legitimate conclusions are plain.
Republican politics and good bust
ness nDliPlgS are SYNONYMOUS.
That is demonstrated by the course
of the Democratic administration in
framing its tariff bill, and has been
conceded by the leading Democra tic
organ Of the state.
Democratic politics not only vary far
from good business principles, but if
carried out are destructive of American
! industries.
That is demonstrated by the coward
| ice of the Democratic administration
| in abandoning its declaration of fraud,
! robbery and constitutionality and
! adopting the Republican principle OF
| protection as the basis of much of its
tariff law. and IL is further demon
stratcd by the admissions of the Free
! Press.
The best interests of the country are
safer inthe hands Of the Republican
party. whose policies are based on
| good business principles, than in the
/ hands of the Democratic party. whose
policies are not only contrary TO good
| business principles but even destruc-
tive of them.