Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-10-15
SIXTH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN
OPENS THE CAMPAIGN, AT
ALLERToN.
PROTECTION rs PROGRESS
Major Lacey, in an Eloquent Address,
Shows That Tariff For Protection
is Stepping Stone to National
Prosperity.

shows That a TarT For Protection
| is Stepping Stone to National
Prosperity.
Allerton, Oct. 13.-(Special) BE
fore a large and intensely interested
audience, John f. Lacey of the Sixth
district, opened the campaign here
this afternoon. He spoke principally
on the tariff, saying in part:
The question of protection and free
trade arose when the union was form
| ed. When the first congress met I'M
der the present constitution. it passed
its first bill providing the form OF
oath to be administered to the con
gress and other officers under the ma
tional government
| The second bill was bill to raise
revenue and encourage the industries
of the United States. Washington
was President, Jefferson was secre-
tary of state, and Alexander Hamilton,
secretary of the treasury. stood spon-
sor for the doctrine contained in that
early legislative enactment. Hamil-
ton was not thirty years old, but he
| founded our treasury system, and his
methods remained without change I'M
| til 1894, more than a hundred years.
Even under the act Of 1894 most of
| Hamilton's system was retained.
speak of Hamilton, for he it was who
| founded our protective system.
| States rights and secession became
later on the allies of free trade.
Since 1889 the pendulum has swung
| first one way and then another, some
times for ample protection, sometimes
| strongly in the direction of free
trade
The maxim of Equal rights to all
and special privileges to none has
been made to do duty in favor of the
foreigner and against the citizens OF
the republic. The maxim sounds well,
but it is perfectly right to deny, with
in our borders, to the citizens of 9TH
er lands, the benefits which we afford
our own people.
1.-THE American SYSTEM"
The exigencies of the treasury, af-
ter the most bloody and costly war in
all history, from 1852 to 1889, prevent
ed any serious attacks upon the sys-
| tenn which had been built up and sup
ported by the necessities of the ma.
tional government That policy has
been well denominated by Clay as
the American system"
| But the question again comes to
| the front. The only victories which
our opponents have won in the ma
tional elections since the civil war,
have been won upon that issue.
Pittsburg has Jared no better than
Birmingham; Atlanta has received the
same treatment as Lowell; Columbia
and Lawrence have shared the same
benefits The south has voted persis-
tently against its own interests and
yet Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana
have been as carefully protected as
New York, Massachusetts and Penn
sylvania Protection is for the whole
people. The silver issue is dead, and
even Mr.. Bryan does not mention it
| in his speeches.
"Imperialism."
| The paramount issue" of ''imper-
ialism" could not be made paramount
| by party declaration in platform.
Even Aguinaldo is not longer either a
| hero or an issue.
| Issues cannot be made to order.
| They grow out of conditions, and
come up, unsought, from the people
| They cannot be created and handed
down by party leaders. And SO,
whether we will or not, we find our
selves confronted with the same old
doctrine that has done duty in so
many campaigns from the days OF
| t, hn Df JcE low
has not been many years since the
Mckinley law attempted to naturalize
| the tin plate industry. 1t was de
nounced as a"bogus" industry" in the
report of the democratic committee
on ways and means in 1894.
For several years our opponents per-
sisted in the denial that any such in
dustry had grown up in cur midst
But when it could be disputed no long
err they changed front and the charge
was at once made that the tin plate
business had gone into trust.
The 'lmpollte" Tariff"
The calamitous period of 1893 to
| 1896 was SO deeply felt by all the
| people that it could not be disputed
and the attempt was made with great
vigor and ingenuity to blame the con-
ditions upon the crime of 1873" COM
mitted more than twenty years before.
Six and a half million voters accented
that piece of political special pleading
as true history and showed their faith
in their party by voting accordingly
in 1896. Our opponents in 1892 want
ed lower prices, and they elected Mr..
Cleveland on platform of tariff re-
form, declaring a protective tariff not
only bad and impolite, but unconsti-
| tutional. This was done at the time
| that the Mckinley act had demonstrate
ed its value by splendid results.
For the first time our exports had
reached the billion dollar mark, and
the balance of trade was S2O2, 900 900
in our favor. But that was only ten
years ago and we remember what
followed. Can appeal to your recollec.
ton instead of going into written
history.
Free Silver FaIIacy.
In 1892 the slogan was 'low prices
and tariff reform" Tariff reform
and low prices came, and Mr.. Cleve-
land soon issued S262,000,000 of bonds.
nominally To maintain the gold re-
serve, but in fact to pay the running
expenses of the government. 1896