Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-10-22
Shall They Continue? = Republican Plat
form says No-Chicago Platform and
Ozndidats Says Yss-A Few Quotations
from Bryan's Speeches.

/ per cent.
(2) II has increased the imports OF
many farm and pasture products, in
Guiding almost everything that is
raised in Michigan. OF wool alone the
imports during the fiscal year 1894,
which was the last full year of the Nc
Kinley tariff, were 55,l52,5s pounds.
In the calendar year 1895, which was
the first full year under the Wilson
tariff, they were PAS, $3.50, PIT pounds, an
increase of 1913, s36, 632 pounds, or ISL
per cent.
(3) BY its depressing effect upon
manufacturing industries, especially of
wooden goods and iron manufactures,
it has greatly injured, and in some
eases destroyed, the home market,
which is the most valuable market for
the farmer.
az IL has been especially disastrous
in its c feet upon the lumber and iron
interests of Michigan. which in 1892
were employing more than 1O0, 900 men
at good wages, and which were large
consumers of almost everything that
was raised, for man or beast. These
industries are not, now, employing one
fourth as many men as in that year,
and their consuming capacity is re-
duced in even greater proportion.
One of the main questions in this
campaign is whether the tariff policy
which has been thus destructive of
American industries and of home mar
kets shall continue.
| ha lot 60 A
renew and emphasize our allegiance
TO the policy of protection as the bull.
wark of American industrial independ-
ence and the foundation of American
development and prosperity. This
true American policy taxes foreign
products and encourages home indus
try; it puts the burden of revenue on
foreign goods; it secures the American
market for the American producer; it
upholds the American standard of
wages for the American workingman;
it puts the factory by the side of the
farm. a0d makes the American farmer
less dependent on foreign de mand and
price; IL diffuses general thrift, and
POUNDS the strength of all on the
strength of each. In its reasonable
application it is just, fair and impartial
equally opposed to foreign control
and domestic monopoly, to sectional
discrimin ton and individual favor
itism. To all our products
to those of the mine and the field as
well as to those of the shop and factory
to hemp, to wool, the product of the
great industry of sheep husbandry, as
well as to the finished woolens of the
mills-we promise the most ample pro-
| lection"
! The Chicago platform, upon which
Bryan is running, holds that tariff
duties should be levied solely for the
purposes Of revenue" and adds, until
the money question is settled, we are
opposed to any further changes in our
tariff laws, except such as are neces-
caused by the adverse decision of the
supreme court on the income tax"
Mr.. Bryan himself is even more
strongly opposed to protection than
are the various parties which are sup
porting him. Ills chief reputation in
congress was made by his tariff
speeches of March 16, 1892, and
January 10, 1894. In these speeches
he denounced protection in every
form, and in the 1894 speech he
advocated every reduction in the tariff
that was proposed, his only lament be-
ing that the reductions did not go far
enough. Here are two extracts from
the 1892 speech and columns of the
same sort of stnH might be quoted:
II desire to say that l am in hearty
sympathy with the majority of the
committee in its decision to attack the
tariff in detail; and | think that the
bills which have been reported and the
bills TO be reported wilt fully answer
the argument OF the gentleman, that
we are making only "a slight assault
upon the system.
1.-The reduction which we have made
in the tariff upon manufactured articles
is a great reduction in existing sched-
ules. IL is not as great reduction rs
might be made. | believe that we
have left far more tariff than can be
shown to be necessary to provide for
any difference. If there is any differ.
ence, between the cost of manufacture
here and abroad. But | am led to
agree to this moderate reduction Of the
tariff upon manufactured articles for
two reasons: First, because, in going
from vicious system-and | believe
that our present system is vicious
system, created by the necessities OF
war and continued by favoritism-be-
cause, say, in going from vicious 70
IA correct system, the most rapid pro-
gress can be made by degrees"
The following is from the Congress
sional Records report OF Mr.. Bryan's
speech Jan. 10, 1894, when the Wilson
bill was lnder discussion.
Mr.. Bryan: II have said that the
purpose Of the protective tariff was 10
transfer money from one mans pocket
TO another mans pocket. | want TO
show to you and to this committee
that it is the only purpose protective
tariff can possibly have. Why do you
impose a tariff? You impose it upon
tho theory that you cannot produce in
this country the article which you
protect as cheaply as IL can be pro-
/ l..~-I ahrOaH anI vA,, mt 81. o.. 4 -