The Penn's Grove record., 1897-07-02
senator smith For Free Hides

vi lI6 uluCo ih4poASNe
country made an occasion for our lion
orable Senator James Smith to make q
speech in favor of free trade in hides
In his speech, a copy of which we re-
ceived in advance, which was sent for
home laudation, We CLEAN the follow
ing points.
Hides have been on the free list since
1872 when they were worth 80 cents u
pound and are now worth only loo.
The importation of hides has increased
from S11, BAG, 9S4 in 1872 to s2O,2l5,9S2
in 1896. AS the price has decreased
about half the importation has about
quadrupled. He claims the duty Will
bring disaster on the leather interest OF
the country. The export OF leather
goods has increased from S3,6S4,029 IN
1872 to $40, 242, 756 in 1896. When we
remember the product has been reduc,
ed in price one half by contraction OF
the currency the export has increased
about 1900 per cent. You will n
American shoes in England, Germany
and France and in the Orient.
Before leaving this contention L
will frankly admit that there may have
a time in the United States when a
tariff such as is proposed might be
found to be of material benefit to the
farmer and butcher of our country.
But, sir, that time has long since pass
ed, The farmer and the butcher of
this country are not to-day %independ-
ent sellers of their products, and en-
abled as such to take into considera-
tion every part of the cattle in the max
ing up of its value. They have long
since given up their every right in this
respect to the aggregated capital of the
great companies of this country inter-
ested in cattle, who are, beyond ques-
ton, like all other trusts, the legal OFF
spring and fostered children Of excess
i've protection. Before they came into
active life the rancbman, the farmer,
and the butcher of this country were
ranked among the best and most indie
pendent of our citizens, but since this
oyerprotscted power anne into being
the lands of the farmer and ranchman,
together with the stocks upon them,
both vegetable and animal, have be-
come encunbered, in fact, are battered
away to the controlling capitalists be-
fore they are in marketable condition.
The interested companies buy the cat
tie at their W price, and no legisla-
tiOn that you can enact in this bill will
alter that condition; and certainly The
enactment of this bill will not tend to
that end. With this immense power,
then, controlling so per cent Of the cat
tie and hides of the country, it is rea-
sonable to suppose that because you
impose upon foreign hides a tax of 20
per cent that the controllers Of the i'll
terested trusts will give the benefit of
any of that 20 per cent to those from
whom they are buying cattle OH the
hoof under the conditions that now
prevail2"
He quotes various papers to show
that the tariff will be detrimental tc
the leather manufactures in their ex'
port trade; will increase the price Of
footwear; and not benefit the farmers,
The Shoe and Leather Review says,
I'VE believe that the depression in the
cattle industry was caused IS--~Ssrpro,
duction."
We can remember when the rich
grazing lands of P~ilesgrove and Man
ningt0n were covered with the lowing
herds, when our home butchers bought
the cattle, butchered them and the cit
liens of Salem county sat down to the
first table of juicy beef stake. Now the
herds are gone and the farmers get the
POOREST beef. Free trade on hides has
killed them. Now that a tariff has
been put on hides, Of course. the farm
ers of Pilesgrove and Warrington will
soon be raising cattle for their hides
which represents about s per cent. of
the value of a steer.
AS Mr.. Smith believes the sugar
trust should be protected why not the
cattle trust. If they are protected Of
course, they IA pay the farmers more
for their steers. AS we have IAN lover
production" Of beeves and hides why
not keep the pauper hides of South
America out. OF course Mr.. Smith be-.
lieves the tariff will hurt the leather
manufacturers of Newark. We dom
see why our manufacturers should be
concerned about making cheap shoe,
for the people of England, Germany.
France and China. But what puzzles
us is how can the Newark manufactur-
ers OF leather compete with Tie pau.
per labor of those foreign countries and
the manufacturers of glass, iron, pot
terry, cotton and wooden goods cannot.
Mr.. Smith says "all trusts are the
legal offspring and fostered children o.
excessive protection" As this country
exports thousands of cattle the stock
yard trust could not have been built
up by protection as it continued under
a Wilson free trade ~ tariff.
Senator Stewart, of Nevada, followed
Mr.. Smith with an extended arraign'
ment of the Money Trust, which he as
serted was the worst of all trusts.
Mr.. Allen declared that the country
was ''rotten'' with trusts, every article
we eat and wear and use being con
trolled by trusts.
If we remember correctly when the
money trust was attacked last year Mr..
Smith took to the woods. The money
trust is the mother of all trusts. Burst
that up and all other trusts will go tC