The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-07-17

ernment-Mad Protection Riot VIII
Soon BE Over.
The principal speaker at the annual
dinner of the New England Free Trade
league, held on May 8, was Mr.. Frank
lin Pierce, of New York. He handled
his subject without gloves. He said in
part as follows:
Not 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
is about 1,400,000,000, and only 4o0,-
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 1,000,000,0 900 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 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 there
by a steady market and continued serv-
Ice for our laboring classes, our trusts
and combinations are hiring their COM
petitors to close their factories and
threw 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. A people of the greatest
natural vigor, and the greatest enter
prise in the world, we have pampered
Dur life and emasculated our strength
md largely impaired the virility of our
national life by protective tariff.
asserts its mastery in the
same way in manufacturing as it does
n every walk of life. The men in pro-
LESSONS who ask no favors, but get out
lpon the dusty arena and fight for
cad, are the men who gain strength by
very effort. Give us ten years of free
rade, and we would capture from
England one-fourth of her vast trade.
live us 20 years of free trade, and we
viii lead the world as exporters.
1.-THE protective system has de-
'auched public men and corrupted pub
ic life. Give any body of men, however
'ure, the power to take 500, 1000
rom the pockets of the millions and
ransfer it to the pockets of few men
through an act of legislation and you
ave created corrupting power which
7ill destroy the virtue and the patriot
SIN of that body of men.
I'VE shall never get rid of the evils
'hich have described until every dol
If raised by taxation is paid into the Z
atlonal treasury; until we stop entire
this practice of allowing the right of
overnment to tax property to be used t,
'r the purpose of allowing the manu- :
lcturer to prohibit importations, form /,
'usts and rob our people of hundreds
millions of dollars each year.
The remedy is in direct taxation.
very man has right to know exactly :.
hat he pays toward the expenses of !,
'vernment, and direct taxation is the :
lily means of stopping the lavish ex-
'nditure of public money.
For period of ten years between
81 and 1900 inclusive, with tariff :,
sh per cent. upon foreign imports, :
I'd at the very time when we were go :,
g to the great expense of establishing
IT government, the cost of govern
ent was only s1s.6s per capita for the
n years. From 1851 to 1860 inclusive, a
der tariff for revenue only, the cost p
government was only s21.ss per cap o.
Tor the ten years. From 1871 to 1880 1t
elusive the actual running expenses e.
government had risen to $136.41 per "
pita, more than six times the amount W
luired under tariff for revenue te
ly, and during the last ten years the in
st OF government has been steadily is
.reasing. b<