Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-28
PROTECTION DEFENDED
Representative Dick Replies
to Chairman Griggs.
TIN PLATE IN OHIO
DEMOCRATIC PROPHECY THAT
WAS NOT FULFILLED.
He Contrasts the Condition Under Free
TIN PLATE IN OHIO
He Contrasts the Condition Under Free
Trade With the Present Prosper
ity of the Country.

How democratic tariff revision arguments
are to be met by republicans during the
Forthcoming campaign is indicated by
talk this morning with Gen. Charles DICK
chairman of the Ohio republican state COM
mittee. Gen. Dick was shown the inter
view with Chairman Griggs of the demo-
cratic congressional campaign committee
printed this morning, on the subject OF TIN
plate
1T is very kind he remarked, as he
glanced over the interview, flor prominent
democrats like Chairman GEggs and Col
Bryan thus early to announce free trade
and free silver as the paramount issues OF
the campaign"
The Ohio chairman sees nothing novel in
the democratic position, and believes that
republican training for many years past
places members of that party in excellent
position to make answer to arguments IN
support of such doctrines.
Tin Plate in Ohio.
Chairman Griggs' talk on tin plate re-
minds me-" continued Gen. Dick, "of an in
cident that occurred in the course OF an
Ohio campaign ten years ago, when the
democratic governor. then a candidate Tor
reelection, with William Mckinley as his
opponent addressing a meeting at Niles,
Ohio, one of the prosperous manufacturing
towns of my district, where is now located
one of the largest tin plate mills OF the
United States, stated that no man then
living would ever see the time when SIN
gle pound of tin plate would be manutac-
tured in this country, for the reason that
we did not have the material nor the skilled
labor competent to produce 1t.
LAS many will remember, tin plate was
a leading issue in that campaign, put, de-
spite this positive assertion and adverse
democratic predictions, the industry was es-
tablished, 40 600, 600 pounds were produced in
the year 1894, and the output has steadily
increased, until in the year 1900 1t aggre-
gated 67S, 100000 pounds. employing on a
remunerative basis millions of capital and
tens of thousands of American laborerS.
Ten years ago the democratic party con-
tended that we could not make tin plate
at all in the United States. Today the
leaders of that party complain because we
make so much of it, under the republican
policy of protection to American industries
and at such prices that, in the face of for
eign competition, we are able not only TO
supply the demands for home consumption,
but to sell our surplus product in the mar
kets of the world.
Benefit of Protection.
THE democratic discussion of tariff reVls-
ion will serve an excellent purpose in re-
Winding the voters of all parties of the dis
NAL and unfortunate conditions which pre-
vailed throughout the country from 1888 10
1897 under democratic free trade, and to
forcibly call attention to the marvellous
growth of an unprecedented prosperity
which has come to US since the rehabl1ta-
ton of republican policies Immediately sue
ceeding the Inauguration of William NC
kinley as President of the United States.
His Inauguration was quickly followed
by the substitution of protective tarit
for the democratic principles of free trade,
under which the country had experienced
unexampled suffering, and by the enact
ment of legislation firmly establishing the
gold standard as the basis or the currency
of the nation
1.-The changes which have followed in the
condition of the business of the country
and of all of our citizens not only fully
Justify that action, but have proved the
most remarkable in the history of this
country From a condition of the greatest
business depression, lack of employment
and suffering among those dependent upon
our indu~rieS, the country quickly passed
to state of the greatest business activity
in which employment was given to all who
desired it, and at wages higher than ever
before known. With this came an unusual
demand for the products of the farm, the
forests and the mines and the development
of the manufacturing and other industries
heretofore unknown. The home markets
for manufactures were fully supplied, and
the surplus products of the workshops were
sent into the foreign markets, until now the
expectation of manufactures constantly eX-
ceeds Importation, condition never known
in the history of our country prior to 1897.
Meantime the manufacturers demand for
the raw materials not produced in the
United States has so increased that manu-
facturers' materials now form about one
half of the total impOrtations of the coun
try The demand of the busy and we'll
paid workman for the products of the farm
has stimulated production that the value
of farm products has doubled, while the
product of the mines has also greatly in
creased. With the surplus which these
enlarged operations in the field and mine
and factory have furnished. our domestic
exports have come to exceed those of any
other country of the world and the United
States has permanently placed herself at
the head of the worlds great exporting
nations. The balance of trade in our favor
has become the greatest known, not only
in the history of the United States, but in
the history of nations. The excess of ex-
ports over imports in the 10S years from
1880 to March 4, 1S97-from the first year
under the Constitution to the Inauguration
of William McKinley-waS $3S3, OPS 497
while the excess in the five years from
March 4, 1897, to March 4. 1902, was s., 7OS,-
O10, 497, or more than seven times much
in this five years period as in the entire
Jos years preceding. The excess over i'm
ports in each year since 1897 has been
greater than that of the entire Jos years
prior to 1897.
Prosperity in All Industries.
1.-The prosperity of the people which has
accompanied this activity of production,
manufacturing and expectation has been
equally marked in every branch of indus
try. Wages have advanced, the number of
persons employed has greatly increased,
the products of the farms have doubled in
value, and the earnings and savings of the
people have largely increased. The deposits
in the savings banks of the country, those
repositories of the surplus funds of the