Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-03-01
LET LABOR LISTEN.
-AE ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE
AMERICAN PROTECTIVE
TARIFF LEAGUE.

Welfare Of Our People-The Rev.
olution Against the Wilson-Gor-
man Monstrosity Proved That the
Voters Favored Protection and
American Markets for American
Products.
The annual address Of the American
Protective Tariff League, prepared by
Hon. Joseph E. Throop, of Pennsyl-
vania, at the request of the Board of
Managers, is as follows:
To the American Voter:
Since our last annual meeting much
has occurred to justify the organization
and continued work of the League.
The protracted discussion of the
tariff by the enemies of the protective
system, who had been intrusted by
the vote of '92 with the entire control
of the Government, and the wide
spread suffering which resulted
through their vicious distortion of
facts, had tendency to cause the
more timid protectionists to become
discouraged, and they seemed willing
to compromise on almost any terms.
Some Senators became so alarmed, as
the condition of the country continued
to grow worse under the strain, that
they feared to resort to extreme meas
ures to prevent the passage of tariff
reduction law, lest their constituents,
in their anxiety for ''peace at any
price, might not sustain them.
We felt this depression, fear and
uncertainty, but knew that the battle
was for the industrial welfare of our
people and the country, and we
strongly urged Senators to resist the
tariff reduction to the uttermost, be-
lieving that a few weeks of uncer-
tainty we're far preferable to several
years under a bad law. All did not
resist as we had urged, and the result
is the burden of mongrel tariff law.
This law affords inadequate protection
to our workingmen and industries,
fails to renew prosperous times,
and does not afford enough revenue
to meet the expenses of the Govern
ment.
The League had to contend against
the discouragements referred to, but
its officers felt that the cause which
we advocated was the peoples cause
and that the appeal should be made to
the peoples representatives. Efforts
to gain needed support were system
atically pushed; means of reaching
the people throusn-the press of the
country were largely increased; facts
showing the results of tariff tinkering
were carefully gathered and widely
circulated; wholesome truths were
constantly presented to the thoughtful
voter to show him the dangers which
confronted him. The wisdom of this
course has been fully vindicated. The
revolution which took place in the
public mind, as shown in November
last, has never been equaled in our
political history. Catch words or
phrases no longer blind the people.
Such slogans as 'The Tariff is Tax
''Robber Barons," Taxing the Many
to Enrich the Few" ETC., no longer
have effect
The newly invented phrase, ''Tariff
agitation must be suppressed because
it Injuries business" is purposely
misleading snare of the enemy. The
people know that all American inter
ests grew and were made stronger
during the discussion of the law of
1890, more and more as il was made
manifest that safe protection of our
industries would prevail, and not
single American interest was injured;
on the other hand, after the election
of 1892, as it became more and more
certain that protection would be weak
ened, industry after industry felt the
blighting effects of threatened free
trade, which eliminated in the pas
sage of the Wilson-Gorman mon,
strosity.
The people are in favor of proteo-
tion. They are determined to have
the American markets for American
products. If those who should be
their leaders and champions lack cou--
age, the American voters do not.
Now that calm review of the situa-
tion can be taken, it seems proper to
express clearly the views and policy
of the supporters of the League. We
believe that our country has varieties
of soil and climate enough to produce
nearly if not all that we, as people,
need, and that hidden beneath the
surface are mineral resources sufficient
to add to our comfort and wealth. We
believe in developing these under an
American policy and an American sys-
tenn of wages. We believe in con-
sidering first our own markets, the
best in the world, and protecting
them; then we favor trading with for
eign Nations where the result is trade
and not simply purchase-ln other
words reciprocal trade. We know
that if we produce what we need and
sell it within ourselves. we, as Ma
tion, have both the products and the
money-the wealth-wh lie if we per-
NIT other Nations to produce and sell
TO US, we may have their products, but
they will have our money.
Protection laws are not sectiona.
put apply in their benefits to all por-
tions of our land. The people by their
votes have indorsed this law. For the
first time in many years the ''Solid
South" has been broken and protec-
ZIONIST Senators have been elected
from the South to help restore the
United States Senate to the friends OF
protection. The people have learned
chat no wall divides the North from
the South. the East from the West.
The tariff laws which have encouraged
Industries in the North are neeessary.