El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-08-14

JAMES L. SLAYDEN.
sections. We of the west were in d
pretty fix to aid in -sriff reformation
with our principal commodities upon
the free list while other sections were
amply protected.
II really believe that duty upon
wool of about three fourths of the pres
ent levy would be better for our peO-
ole. Its moderation would exempt it
from continual assaults, and reason
able permanency is greatly to be desir-
ed.
FREE RAW MATERIAL HUMBUG.
"rhe free raw material humbug is
finished. 1t started in New England
and was forced upon the democratic
party by Mr.. Cleveland and his per-
sOnal friends. 1t was sectional and it
was protection run mad. | would like
to have some man give me an accurate
definition of free raw material-tO tell
me where the line of demarcation be-
tween the raw and finished product is
to be found. Coal is the manufactured
product of the miner, wool of the flock
master, and hides and cattle of the
graZer. On the other hand wool, for
example is the raw material of the
weavt +, whose finished product, cloth,
is the raw material of the tailor.
TAX laws-and a tariff bill is moth
ing but tax law-should be fair as be-
tween citizens and the raw material
scheme was grossly unfair to the weak
producer and showered favors upon
the strong manufacturer. | was
gratified to find in private couversa-
ton that nine out of every ten de-
mocratic congressman, senate and
house, with whom | talked on this
question condemned it as policy. Its
pO n a ion "a for
while it was good for the wooden man
ufacturer it was death to the sheep in
dUstry of West Texas. | was specially
plea. ed at MIR. Bailey's courageous
and eloquent denurciation of it in his
great spe ech. His speech on the
shameful partiality OF a law which
protected the manufacturers and failed
TO protect the wool grower was ap-
plauded to the echo, and, so, 1 say
again, the free raw material humbug
is dead.
LOCAL BENEFITS.
Nov, to answer the other half OF
your question: l think the Twelfth
district will be benefited by the new
law. For the first time since 1872,
when the republican party and the de-
mand of the New England shoe and
leather trade put them on the free list,
hides are prote cted. That will help US
a great deal. Our cattle are prot ected
against importatiOns from across the
Rio Grande by revenue tariff. Wool
has been selling at quite 30 per cent
more than last year and will sell still
higher when the enormous stock
brought in in anticipation of the en-
actment of new law shall have been
exhausted.
HIS VOTE ON THE TARIFF BILL.
l. ~ Ill
was consistent with the platform upon
which you RAMP was asked.
Certainly, or l should not have so
cast my vote. My idea of a platform
is that it lodges an obligation upon the
candidate. His acceptance of the can
didacy is a promise to try to make the
platform the law of the country. The
Chicago platform condemned discrim-
mating duties, which was blow al
the free raw mater al fallacy. The
state platform endorsed the national
claration of principles especially called
for a tariff upon imported cattle, hides
and wool.
These three writings were my au
thority for my campaign pledges.
told he people that ii they would elect
me to congress L would avail myself oil
the first opportunity to vote for an i'm
port duty which would give them the
same measure of protection given othel
interests. In spite of the enormous
EN- barrassment of going against the
majority of my party l redeemed my
pledges. 1t is true tina. l aid expec
when | made these pledges that Mr.
Bryan would be the president and tina
| with the relief from an equitable tariff
| would be coupled relief by a refOrma
| ton of our money laws. But the greco
of certain mOnopolizing classes, thu
fright of the foolish and the yenalit.
of the purchaseable voter postponed
the greater reform until 1901"