The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-19
A GREAT CURSE.
PROTECTION PAMPERS AND sNER-
.
YATES INDUSTRIES AND DE-
BAuCHES POLITICS.

The whole System Severely Arrnigned by
Franklin Pierce-With Free Raw Ma
terials our Machine Made Goods Would
Soon Capture tho World Increasing Cost
Of Government - Mad Protection Riot
VIII soon De Over.
The principal speaker at the annual
dinner Of the New England Free Trade
league, held Oh May 8. was Mr.. Frank
lin Pierce of New York. He handled
his subject without gloves. He said in
part as follows:
Not only arc the farmers beginning
to appreciate the truth that protection
robs them and their families, but our
manufacturers, as the products OF their
looms exceed the demand Of the home
market, are understanding that pro-
tectivo tariff. especially upon their raw
material, is against their interests.
"Ta,c present population of the world
is about Z. 400, 600, 900, and only 400,-
OO0, 900 use machinery at all. The rest
do rheir work by rude tools guided by
the hands, and we, the Yankee nation,
who have revolutionized the world by
our inventions, who use machinery to q
greater extent than any other people.
we refuse to allow the raw material
which these 1000, 000,0 Of nonma-
chine uxing people create, to enter our
ports in exchange for machine made
products, except upon the payment Of
excessive duties, while the more inteli-
gent Of our manufacturers are clamor-
ing for free raw material and saying,
Give us free raw material, and we
will conquer the markets Of the world.
Instead Of seeking the markets of
The world. employing millions Of men
now lying idle, making the margin Of
profits less but the output several times
greater than at present, getting thereby
. steady market and continued service
for our laboring classes, our trusts and
combinations are hiring their competi.
tors to close their factories and throw
tens Of thousands Of laboring men out
Of employment
1--WE have only to get freedom of
trade and we can capture the markets
Of the world in many lines. Whist the
Englishman is to the German the
American is to the Englishman, and
just as the German Is crying out against
competition with the machine made
goods and high priced labor of England,
just so would England cry out against
competition with the machine made
goods and the high priced labor of
America, were duties upon all raw ma
terials removed.
I'VE Americans walk faster, talk
faster, work faster, do everything fast
or than any other people on the face
of the earth. A people Of the greatest
natural vigor and the greatest enter.
prise in the world, we have pampered
our life and emasculated our strength
and largely impaired the virility Of our
national life by protective tariff.
Manliness asserts it's mastery in the
same way in manufacturing as it does
in every walk of life. The men i'm pro
fessions who ask no favors. but get out
upon the dusty arena and fight for a
lead, ase the men who gain strength by
every effort. Give US 10 years Of free
trade, and we would capture from Eng.
land onefourth Of her vast trade. Give
US 20 years Of free trade. and we will
lead the world as exporters.
"The protective system has debaucb-
ed public men and corrupted public
life. Give any body of men, however
pure, the power to take 800, 900, 900
from tho pockets of the millions ana
transfer it TO the pockets Of few men
through an act of Legislation, and you
have created corrupting power which
will destroy tho virtue and the patriot
ism of that tody of men.
"We shall never get rid Of the evils
which have described until every dol
lar raised by taxation is paid into the
national treasury; until we stop entire
ly this practice of allowing the right of
government to tax property to be used
for the purpose Of allowing the manu-
facturer to prohibit importations, form
trusts and rob our people Of hundreds
of millions of dollars each year.
"The remedy is in direct taxation.
Every man has o right to know exactly
what he pays toward the expenses Of
government, and direct taxation is the
only means of stopping the lavish ex-
penditure of public money.
"For period of ten years between
1871 and 1900 incinsive, with tariff
of 81 per cent upon foreign imports,
and at the very time when we were go
ing TO the great expense of establishing
our government, the cost Of government
was only $lS.6S per capita for the ten
years. From 1861 to 1850 inclusive, IN.
der tariff for levenue only, the cost of
government was only e2l. SO per capita
for the ten years. From 1871 to 1880
inclusive the actual running expenses Of
government had risen to $780, IL per
capita. more than six times the amount
required under tariff for revenue only,
and during the last ten years the cost
Of government has been increasing.
"As a nation we can stand this lavish
expenditure Of the peoples money, but
we can never stand tho luxuries, the
iniquities. the lack Of patriotism which
great wealth, quickly acquired. In sure
60 bring.