The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-29
FALACIES CRUSHED
BY SIMMONS LOGIC
Pritchard's S Prosperity Claims
Met and Answered.
HIGH TARIFF is OUR FOE
Il Keeps the Produces Of our Mills out Of Foreign
Markets While Protected Trusts Rails,
Prices Of Living to 0per,
atIYeS.
(speeial 10 News and ohserrer !

Especial to News and Observer
Asheville, N. c., Oct 2S.-The county
court house was filled to overowing to-
night with an audience composed of rep-
| resentative citizens Of the town including
large number of ladies to hear senator
Simmons discussion on the political sit
uation. 1t was a stirring and eloquent
appeal for Democracy and was received
with the warmest applause. The Senator
was introduced by Judge Charles "a.
Moore. His speech was confined prin-
cipally to national issues. the tariff,
| trusts, etc, although he touched at times
upon State issues refuting all the charges
made by the Republicans that the pres
ent State Democratic administration had
been an expensive one. We have made
large appropriations for schools pensions
and asylums, he stated, and if the Re-
! publicans dared TO openly come UP and
declare they were not in favor of these
appropriations then instead of carrying
the State in the approaching election by
sixty thousand majority we would carry
it by one hundred thousand majority.
| The great Republican argument, he de-
| clared, was prosperity. The three recog-
nized tests of prosperity were first in the
| bulk of exports, second in a circulating
medium and third in the per cent of in
crease He cited facts to prove that Eng
| land, japan and France were more pros
ferrous than our nation According to
their per cent of increase that there were
six nations more prosperous than Gus.
| Under State issues he discussed tb~
hard times in North Carolina under the
! Populist regime. 1t was the hard times
/ he said under Harrisons administration
| that gave birth to the Populist party in
| this State and Marion utlcr sang one
I direful song of woe, tight money, bank
ruptey, low cotton panics, ETC., and yet
! Pritchard has been going about the State
declaring from place to place that Har-
/ rison's administration closed all in
scene of splendor and prosperity.
Senator simmons began his speech by
referring to the revolution Of 1898 and
the adoption of the amendment He said
the amendment was the greatest single
| bit of legislation in our history 1t
promises more for the material. moral
and intellectual prosperity of the people
than any other measure ever passed. He
said he wanted TO claim credit to the
Democratic party for the passage Of this
| great measure, but as Senator Pritch-
ard, in keeping with his propensity for
claiming, and the lilly whites were show
ing decided disposition to claim credit
for not only the amendment but for the
revolution of 1893, ne would let that pass.
He discussed the prosperity and adver-
/ sity arguments of Republicans among
the lines of his former speeches. He
showed that the general average of the
! farm price OF the staple products Of the
/ farm, cotton, corn, wheat, rye and son on.
taken altogether, ranged higher during
/ Cleveland's second administration than
McKinley's administration. He showed
/ that neither the cotton mills nor the cot
: ten mill operatives in this State are pros
perous and that the lack of prosperity
| in both instances is directly traceable
to the high and often times prohibitory
rates of the Dingley tariff.
The mills are not prosperous because
producing more than the home supply
and the high Dingley schedules keep them
out of Foreign markets. On account Of
! the lack of prosperity in the mills, they
! cannot advance wages to the employees
while protected trusts advance prices Of
/ living to operatives.
He showed that the high priced lum-
! ber market of the United States was not
caused by the Dingley Tariff. but made
| the Dingley Tariff of no effect to keep
out foreign importations, that, therefore,
the duty on lumber was a pure revenue
tariff.
| He showed that North Carolina con-
sumes annually twenty-three times as
much wool and minerals as she produces,
and if the duties on these articles in
crease the price to the consumer, it
means that for every dollar that comes
into the State on account of the tariff
duies. twenty three dollars go GU.
He said two hundred protected trusts
had sprung up since c<inley's election.
/ The fact that after paying freight across
the ocean, they undersell the foreigner
in his own market, must convince every
sensible man that they do not need
protection against these foreigners in
cur market. -
His argument in reference to trusts
was on the same line as his former
speeches.
A new feature of r. Simmons speech
on national affairs was his reference to
/ Mr.. AIoody's claiming credit for high-
priced cabbage and Senator Pritchard
claiming credit for high-priced truck
and tobacco on his eastern trip.
The papers report that while Mr..
Moody was making speech in one OF
the mountain counties the other day,
claiming everything for the Dingley
Tariff, someone in the audience asked
How about cabbage?" Thinking this
question was a friendly suggestion and
that the price of cabbage was high Mr..
Continued on Second Pagel