The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-09-13
THE TARIFF IN FRONT.
Republicans Should Stand by
Tariff Legislation.
Advice of Col. Robert p. Porter to the
Protection Press-There should.
BE No Compromise on
That Issue.

Before the New York State Repub-
lican league at Binghamton on Thurs
day, September 5. Col. Robert p. Por-
ter, of the Cleveland World, addressed
the convention in part as follows:
II believe that the first and most importan ne
duty Of the republican press at this time Is to
keep the tariff issues In front; to keep before
the people Of the country the fundamental dr.
ference between republican and o demo-
cratic tarif law This is an issue that the
democratic party is trying its best to smooth
over and put In the background For this rea-
son al2ne the republican press Of this country
should push II to the front and hold 1t there
There can be no compromise with our enc
mics on the tariff question. The real demo-
cratic leaders stand to-day on the tariff Ques-
tion as they have done In the past. Let re-
pubhcans, therefore. stand firmly by the leg
islation which brought about the MONDAY sun
Of prosperity In 1892 1t Is our duty to defend
that act. 20 hold that position against all as
saults OF the enemies OF American enterprise,
American labor and American homes.
THAT act as It stood on the statute books
represented the broadcast craftsmanship. It
extended the. free list. reducing the average
sd valorem rate on all imported merchandise
a tribe over 20 per cent, less than half the av
erage rate Of duty during the war 1t gave the
masses o: the people the great boon OF free SUI
gar 1t gave the manufacturer free raw material
wherever this could be done without destroy
ing an American industry or impoverlshing
American labor. IL reduced duties wherever
it was possible without injury to American
manufacturers. 1t fearlessly increased duties
wherever by so doing 1t was possible to estab-
lish on this side of the Atlantic an industry
employing American labor and American cap
ital 1t strengthened the administration of
the customs laws By substituting specific for
r-~Iz H.
sibilities OF fraud 1t adjusted rates OF duties
to the needs OF business with the one patriotic
aim OF employing the largest amount of Amer
lean capital and the greatest number OF Amer
lean artisans for the benefit OF the home
market.
What we're the results, No sooner was the
law enacted than the current began to run In
our direction. the direction OF the United
States Mills. factories and workshops began
TO spring up all over the country Many large
industries removed their entire plants to this
country. The manufacture OF tin plate, OF va
rious other metals. Of pearl buttons of lace.
OF plush. and a hundred other commodities.
was established. Wages stifened Additional
hands were employed New factories were
built The country was prosperous The
working people we're employed. The cost of
living was not increased. because we have the
testimony OF the most radical free traders in
1893 to the effect that never In the history OF
the country was the American workman able
to purchase so much for a given sum OF money
as during that period
Had this policy been allowed TO stand this
prosperity would have continued. The de-
preston and ruin OF 1851 would have been
sverted Business interests, as q rule. dis
count legislation. The very hearts core OF
the country-our ildustres-was threatened
.he moment Grover Cleveland took the oath
Of ONCE. The change was swift from pros
yrft n
It literally paralyZed the nation Before this
cyclone Of financial disaster and distress dem
ocratic statesmen stood aghast. The self-in-
fatuated and self -consecrsted pomposity OF
Buzzard's bay alone locked down with calm
indifference on the carnage the threat Of his
policy had wrought and denounced anything
short OF the free knife to the hilt an oct Of
'perfidy and dishonor'
The act thus chriStened IS well named 10
IS neither an honest free trade measure. q
straightforward revenue act. no: a respecta-
BILE protective tariff. 1t is traitorous to Amer
lean interests. perfidious in its sectional dis
ordinations, and dishonorable in its adminis-
trative features. which encourage undervaiua-
ton and pus premium upon fraud. Unless
repealed. or materially strengthened. from a
protective point OF view, this vicious legisla-
ton will undermine the whole fabric OF Amer
lean industry. and IN so doing confer no benefit
upon any American interest.
In Its most dangerous provisions IL has
started up British mills night and day to the
detriment of American labor and the destruc-
tion Of American industry, and in its least
dangerous provisions 1t barely acts as a bar
rier to the flood OF foreign competition which
threatens. should prices increase and pros
perity return. Il was destructive legislation.
not constructive. II will turn no industry in
TO our channel. but send many elsewhere. II
gave the people no boon, such as free sugar.
but took that away at the behest OF the sugar
refiners, in placing It on the dutiable list. and
thus forfeited and maintained shameless
1t did not help the American
farmer. but Injured him. by putting wool, after
q century OF protection. on the free list"