Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-08-22

million men out of employment and their
families begging bread! Will any one
/ 1t not for n great army of bituminous
coal miners who are receiving such COM
pensatisn as enables them to contribute {,
iplar a Week ftir tiie maintenance ~
not the mother of trusts. though il is the
parent of conditions that make it profita-
bic for capital to combine and congenia
for labor to organize.
I The Republican party in my State re-
Gently reaffirmed the tariff platform Of
1901. THIS has caused considerable com
ment. 1t has been misrepresented NOT
quite as persistently. but in the same
iderli Mckinley at Buffalo has been mis-
Represented, mis- quoted. fniseenstrusd
and mis- applied. This platform was
unanimously adopted both years. ft,
Every man in the United States. Rapub
iican and Democrat. believes in the truth
of its utterances. 1t declares .'in favor Of
such changes in the tariff from time to
time as become advisable through the
Trogress of our industries and their
changing relations to the commerce of the
world is there any one who is not lin
favor of such changes in the tariff from
time t. time are adviSable7r T am
willing the jury shall be p.olled on that
proposition. So say we all. 1t also da-
clares in favor of any modification OF
tariff schedules that may be required to
prevent their affording shelter to monop-
oily" And again, we all say AYE. sir
to the proposition. There may be quite
q radical difference of opinion as to the
truth of the implied admission that the
monopoly. but there would be no differ-
ence of opinion about removing it if it
did afford such shelter
A few days ago the butchers. in con-
ventias assembled, declared in favor of
;sbolisEing the tariff on cattle and meat
to the end that this supposed shelter for
the alleged meat trust might be removed !,
but | am disposed to think the good
farmers of my state would vote quite
unanimously against such an experiment.
BY the trend of the speeches made at
sentiment. wellnigh universally expressed
there. that meat is being mohopolized by
the great packers. But L happen to have
d tenant out in iowa, who has a fine
bunch Of cattle, on which no packer holds
a lien of any kind, and he writes me that
he is willing to sell them to butchers If
they viii pay as much as the packers
offer. | am quite sure the people would
as soon buy this meat of the butchers as
of the packers. Thus there is afforded II
splendid opportunity for any one to make
all kinds of money, If he VIII but give
and give the people as much beef for
their money. Suppose we take the tariff
off beef, and then suppose the herds OF
are brought in by the hundred thousand
They will find their way to the stock
Yards, and the butchers will be compelled
to bid against the packers then, as now.
No; the removal of the tariff on live stock
and meat would not restore the butchers
to business. 1t might ruin the farmers
but the packers could stand it: for moth
ing less than organized capital could en-
ter the import meat business with pack
ing houses in foreign countries, refriger-
ating ships and other expensive equip
ment | happen to know that at least
one. ard | understand, two. of the big
packing houses have had men looking
into the South American field for more
tnan two years. The farmer, as it is, has
ample reason to be apprehensive.
L haze taken occasion to look this mat
ter I'D since reading of these resolutions,
and | think | can find reasons for the
present price of meat other than the pro-
lective tariff. | find that there were re
ceived at the stockyards In Chicago III
beeves and 10000 less hogs than in the
same month one year ago. That means
1000 less animals per day. The @ road
alone, during the entire month. brought
from the Southwest, where the corn crop
was a failure last year, 1900 less fat
steers per day this year than last.
Let no one understand this to be de
fence of the packers. or an eXtenuation
of theil offences. A suit is now pending
against them. and if the allegations of
the petition are sustained (and that
seems probable) they are going to have
trouble. and it will take q. very much
more acute form than it would to say TO
the farmers of the United States that
their industry shall be opened to compe-
tition from the unlimited ranges OF South
The senior phil Armour told me that
he got rich, while young man. by
Watching the iron and coal miners. He
said: Whenever these men Were at work
used 20 pack every ham | could get my
hands on, and my old partner would say,
Phil. you will break US up l would an.
swer: No Those fellows are working.
But when the coal and iron workers Were
idle | used to sell everything l could dis
pose of " ;,tts
The secret of American prosperity, gem
tlemen. can be couched in four words
"'They are working" And they means
everybody-farmer and artisan, mechanic
and me "chant, the man at the forge and
the man in the field-and they are all in
terdependent
AWAY back in 1916 Daniel Webster. in
the course of a three days speech against
pealed the protective tariff act which
bore the signature of old 'Tippecanoe,
Utter ed this maxim: When there is WORK
Tor the hands there viii be bread for ,,a1' the
to see to it that the next Congress is Re
publican by a large majority-so large
that there shall be ample courage to do
that which is deemed wisest and best.
Then let these representatives of the peo-
Dle from the manufacturing districts OF
New England, from the coal regions Of
PENNSYLVANIA, Indiana and ONO. and the
iron producing regions of Michigan. ana
The iron producing districts of Ohio ana
PENNSYLVANIA. the agricultural districts
of tie Middle West, the stock regions OF
the mountain states and territories, the
rice and cotton states of the South. the
fruit and lumber districts of the Pacific
Coast. get together, and if they can agree
tlpop one or dozen items in the present
tariff schedule that can be reduced, let
it be done. and done without three months
of acrimonious debate.
Certainly no man will contract for the
construction n any great building while
Congress is considering y bill that has
for its object the cheapening of iron ana
steel and granite and marble and glass
and lumber. No factory will lay in a
very large supply of material pending n
three months debate on a bill proposing
n reduction of the tariff on hides and
wool When | was a boy we could al
WAYS tell when the old miller was pick
ing his burrs, because the mill was shut
down / anticipate there Will be found
those who will not favor shutting dow II
the mil! while we are turning out as good
a quality of -four as at present. especially
if it is likely to take very long to repair
conditions.
In conclusion Secretary Shaw urged the
great importance of starting the younS
men right Much of his address was di-
rected to this portion of his audience.
"A friend of mine" he said. went to
the Civil war and won some distinction
commanded a battalion. He returned ia
civil life and anna ssed a fortune. He was
n magnificent man. in every way, wei be