The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-11-12
INDUSTRIES MENACED
The ProtsctIonIsts Threaten Free Raw
Materials.
FREE RAW MATERIALS pyHATTHEY WANT
A Return to the High Tariff Policy
or Congressman Reed ana GOV.
Mckinley Would BIO II Serious
Blow 20 Manufacturers ana Work.
ari~ralnI
ifiSriiei.

As evidence Of tho danger threatened
American manufacturers and working
mon by agitation against the new thrift
tho official returns of trade show that
the imports OF FREQ raw materials of in
dustry in tho seven months ended in
July amounted i'll value to Sl05, 32, 554
against $G2, .S9S in the correspond
ing period Of 1894, says the Philadelphia
Record. This enormous increase in tho
imports Of the crude materials Of manu-
factures bears emphatic testimony to
tho rapid growth of American indus
tries in the new era of freedoms that is
opened TO them. These raw materials
consist of wool, hides, hemp, flax, jute,
wood and many other articles which
cannot BIO obtained in sufficient album
dance in this country. When dutios are
imposed on them, as i'll tho Mckinley
tariff, their importation is INSTRUCTED,
and American manufactures consequent
ly langush.
While the threats Of the protectiouists
arc mainly directed against FREQ wool,
thoir policy threatens MI FREQ raw ma
torials. There is rs much reason for I'M
posing high protective duties on hides,
skins, flax, hemp, lumber, otc, rs on
wool. 1t is not forgotten that when the
Mckinley tariff was i'll the committee
OH ways and means majority of the
committee proposed 10 put Il protective
duty on hides. The chief influence in
favor of this duty was the great dressed
beef combination i'll Chicago But tho
angry protests Of the tanners throughout
tho country and of tho shoemakers in
Massachusetts drove the Republicans in
congress from their purpose. Hides
were struck out of tho bill, and the
duties Oh wool were heavily increased
Many sincere protectionists deplored the
inconsistency Of ~ measure that taxed
the raw materials of the wooden manu-
facturcrs and gave tho manufacturers Of
leather goods their materials free These
honest protectionists could not see why
tho hide Of an OK should not DO taxed,
| MS we'll as the wool of sheep.
If the Republicans obtain sufficient
| power to rc-cnact tho wool duties, rs
| they threaten, consistent policy will
require them to restbre tho duties on
hides, flax, hemp, lumber and all other
raw materials of American industries
| Every protectionist must recognize
that it is rank injustice to single out
tho raw material of the wooden manu-
facturers and exempt the rest from taxa
ton. Besides as long as any raw ma
tcrials remain FREQ they are object les
sons teaching the benefits of free trade.
While free wool is openly threatened
all other free raw materials arc covertly
menaced i'll the Republican attacks oil
tho new tariff Should tho followers Of
Governor Mckinley and ex-Speakcr
Reed ever be permitted to frame another
tariff bill, they will slash the free list as
it mover was slashed before. Tho manu-
facturers and workingmen Of the coun-
try whose materials arc wool, fax,
hemp, jutc, hides, wood, dyestufTs
chemicals, etc, cannot too earnestly
consider tho inevitable consequences of
n high tariff reaction. 1t must he evil
dent to these and to all other manufnc-
turers that their interest in maintaining
Tho industrial peace is bound up with
the policy of the Democratic party.
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