The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1894-05-26
AN OLD sopHlsM.


4 Calamity Howl ir Regard to tho Work
of Farm Reform.
Pope Bob Ingersoll made a speech at
the Nermiilion county republican con
vention the other day. lie said he was
out of politics, aud proceeded 60 prove
it bv saying that he was n republican
and earnestly desired the success of the
party because of the prosperity il
would bring to the country. Then he
turned loose calamity howl, charging
the hard times to the democratic party.
IL was the Same howl with which we
have all been familiar for months
Capitalists were afraid TO invest in
manufacturing because free trade was
imminent and merchants were not
buying because they were waiting for
free trade prices.
Pope Bob is not particular about
facts Being out of politics, he makes
IL his business TO paint future Of iuiag-
iuary ruin and lay it all to the demo.
cratic party llo told the Vermillion
republicans that "a nation which pro
ducad raw material for export would
always be cursed with poverty" That
has been said many times by the sup
porters of the system Of licensed rob
berry, and it doesn't mean any more
when it is said by Bob lngersoll. There
Is no more reason why u country pro
duciug raw material for export should
be any more cursed with poverty than
country producing othe- things OF
nothing at all to export The asser.
tion is sheer assumption, absolutely
without foundation in fact or reason
And the unexpressed assumption
that under free trade this countre
would devote itself to producing raw
material for export and stop manufact.
uring is equally without foundation
Manufactures were established and
prospered in the American colonies
not only without protection, but in spite
of the most strenuous efforts of Great
Britain To discourage aud suppress
them. They have been diversified and
extended and have hourished under all
systems of taxation and with either
much or little Legislative fostering. In
many branches Americans can defy
competition from any quarter to-day
in spite of the disadvantages under
which they are placed by the protec-
blNt ltlAt- htl dlt uON tN bOA biiE
brass. carriages, ears, clocks and
watches cotton goods, manufactures
of ilaX, hemp and jute, manufactures
Of iron and steel, leather, boots and
shoes and many other articles of man
ufacture which are objects of leyisla-
tive solictude and protection. 1t is
utterly irrational to assert that under
free trade we would stop manufacture
ing things that we are nov exporting
and selling under great disadvantages
in open competition against all the
world.
The American people are ingenious,
inventive, energetic, enterprising and
capable of obtaining the maximum of
product at n minimum expenditure of
labor and other productive means
Among such n people manufactures
need no encouraging by legislation.
They cannot be suppressed. They Will
be diversified and prosper even in spite
of adverse legislation. Such people
have no reason to fear free COMPETE
tion in their own markets Those of
them who are engaged in manufacture
ing ought to be ashamed TO ask protec-
tion. They ought to be too proud to
beg favors upon what amounts to Il
plea of inferiority and incapacity.
They ought to welcome free trade with
all mankind and give their attorneys
some better business to do than that of
revamping the worn-out and disreput-
able souhisms which still serve the
/ purposes of the cowardly tramp system
Of protcctionism Chicago Herald.