The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-06-18


dinner of the New England Free Trade
league. held on May s, was Mr.. Frank
lin Pierce, Of New York. lie handled
his subject without gloves. lie said in
part as follows;
mot only are 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-
tective tariff. especially upon their raw
material, is against their interests.
THE present population of the world
IL about l,400,O00.000, and only AGO.
100000 use machinery at all. The rest
do their 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 a
greater extent than any other people,
we refuse to allow the raw material
which these 1,O00OO0.0O0 of non-ma-
chine using people create. to enter our
ports in exchange for machine-made
products, except upon the payment of
excessive duties. while the more intelli-
gent of our manufacturers are clamor-
Ing for free rTw 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 there
by steady market and continued serv-
ice for our laboring classes. our trusts
and combinations are hiring their com
petitors to close their factories and
throw tens of thousands of laboring
men out of employment.
I'VE have only to get freedom of
trade and we can capture the markets
of the world in many lines. What 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 Eng
land, 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
materials removed.
I'VE Americans walk faster. talk
faster, work faster, do everything fast
er than any other people on the face
of the earth. \ people of the greatest
natural vigor. and the greatest enter
prise III the world. we have pampered
our life and emasculated our strength
and largely impaired the virility of our
national life by protective tariff.
Manlincss asserts its mastery in the
same way in manufacturing as ii does
In every walk of life. The men in pro-
fessions who ask no favors. but get out
upon the dusty arena and fight for a
lead, are the men who gain strength by
every effort. Give us ten years of free
trade, and we would capture from
England one-fourth of her vast trade |
Give us 20 years of free trade. and we
will lead the world as exporters.
1.-THE protective system has de- |
bauched public men and corrupted pub
lie life. Give any body of men. however
pure, the power to take SlO0,0O0,O0O |
from the pockets of the millions and
transfer it to the pockets of few men
through an act of legislation and YOU
have created n corrupting power which
will destroy the virtue and the patriot
Ism of that body Of men.
I'VE shall never get rid of the evils
which l have described until every dol
ar raised by taxation is paid into the
national treasury; until we stop entire
y this practice of allowing the right of
government to tax property to be used
'or the purpose of allowing the manu-
acturcr to prohibit importations form
trusts and rob our people of hundreds
If millions of dollars each year.
THE remedy is in direct taxation.
Every man has n right to know exactly
What he pays toward the expenses of
and direct taxation is the
'nly means of stopping the lavish cx-
'enditurc of public money.
"For n period of ten years between
791 and 1900 inclusive, with a tariff
Il sis per cent. upon foreign imports,
nd at the very time when we were go
ng to the great expense of establishing
ur government, the cost of govern
nent was only Sis.6s per capita for the
en- years. From 1851 to 1850 inclusive.
nder tariff for revenue only, the cost
4 government was only s2l.ss per cap
In for the ten years From 1871 to 1880
Inclusive the actual running expenses
I government had risen to $l36.41 per }
apita. more than six times the amount
cquired under tariff for revenue
My, and during the last ten years the
ost of government has been steadily J
'.As nation we can stand this lavish :
Expenditure Of the peoples money. but
e can never stand the Injuries. tho
iiquities. the lack Of patriotism which e
reat wealth, quickly acquired. is sure !.
} bring. !
eve can be robbed by n protective
riff and still live. but when the rob- !
ar takes the money and buys special Q
gislation and turns il over TO cam
aign committees to buy votes with,
he very life Of free government is as \
,iled. Nations do not go down TO death r
the momentous sweep of battle. 4