Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-12
Lacey Believes That Protection
Can Win Fair Fight.
WANTS OLD TINE .REPUDLICANISM
iowa Congressman Delivers Eloquent
and Comprehensive Address or Tar
if Affairs at Penrose Republican
Club Banquet in Philadelphia.

40 oPSh loSS. IL 10 lllS dJlCllpl W
callze the benefits of protection that is
the chief danger to which the beneficial
policy is exposed With these words
Congressman John f. Lacey briefly
summarized the question of pro-
lection that has for years been an i'm
portant consideration in the affairs of
this government. Ottumwa republi-
cans and republicans of the sixth dis
trict listen to the utterances of their
representative, in congress with great
interest and have manifested consider
able enthusiasm over the address
made by Major Lacey at the banquet
OF the Penrose club in Philadelphia re-
Gently
Lacey's Speech.
The Courier herewith publishes the
full text of the address in which Major
Lacey said:
MI. Toastmaster and Gcntlemen. There
Is nothing new under the sun, and If we
go back over hundred years to the foun-
dation OF our government we will find that
the tariff issue was created by the first
congress of the United States The first
I'M "iii'h 'ttttlbe d ltW WIS cnuDtPr one CT
the acts of the first congress which pro-
vidcd method of administering oaths to
the president and to the federal officials,
fiudlng the senators and representatives
i'll congress The officials next entered up.
on the consideration of a tariff bill with
the recital that Whereas it is necessary
for the support of government. for the dis
charge of the debts of the United States,
and the encouragement and protection of
manufactures, that duties be laid on goods,
wares and merchandise imported
This subject was promptly brought be-
fore congress by no less Il parsonage than
James Madison and the second hill that
was enacted into law in the United States
was this protective tariff act. That bill
became law July 4. 1880. a fit celebration
of our commercial independence.
And so at the very threshold of our ma
tional history the tariff question became
one of the most vital interest.
That was an era of good feeling. George
Washington was president, Thomas Jcfrer-
son, secretary of state and Alexander Ham
ilton, secretary of the treasury The two
great rivals, Jefferson and Hamilton. sat
at the same council board as advisers of the
father and founder of the republic.
Hamilton, the Financier.
Here were two great men whose names
ultimately became associated with two
great opposing ideas of government One
of the central features of the policy of
Hamilton is a cardinal principle Of the
faith of the republican party of today
HamitOn's early death at the hand of
Burr was calamtylthat affected the his
tory of the republic. He was young man.
but his greatness was so recognized that
he was rendered the high office of chief
justice of the United States, and to his
declination of that great position we owe
the selection of John Marshall. the ex-
FOUNDER of the constitution. His system
as secretary of the treasury remained in
force until 1894 for more than one hundred
years. In 1884 our democratic opponents
demanded that the party in power might
be turned out so that the cash might be
counted. The treasury was turned over to
the democratic secretary, and discrepan-
cy of two cents was found In the cash and
this error was accounted for by the find
ing of the missing sum on the floor where
the elusive coin had accidentally fallen.
But in 1894 when the present accounting
system was adopted the essential features
of Hamilton's method were still preserved
His Principles Enduring.
"Hamilton's true greatness and the mer-
its of his policy have pressed themselves
upon the country with greater force as
the years have rolled by. The abuse or
misuse of the principles of his opponents
led to the combination of the free trade
and states rights idea, and led ultimately
to the bloodiest war of modern times. The
pendulum has swung backwards and for
wards from 1889 to the present time Con-
sress has alternatcd in the direction of
free trade on the one hand, and pronounc-
ed protection upon the other You nav
tell by examining the concentric rings in
the trunk of n tree which years were
growing and prosperous ones and which
| were marked by aridity and sterility So
If the commercial history of this country
is carefully considered the narrow con
centric rings of national business growth
show the years where the principle of free
trade has held sway.
THE doctrine which our opponents as
sumo to believe is stated in the langua ge
of MI Jefferson as equal rights to all
and special privileges to none. This
phrase sounds well and embraces a policy
of fairness and equality which commends
itself to all men. But the extent of the
application at once eXcites controversy
Shall we give special privileges or rights
to our own people which we deny to the
foreignerS The republican policy is to give
equal rights to our own citizen and special
privileges to none. Every tariff law pro-
tecting any industry opens that industry
to all of our citizens alike. There are no
special privileges. And experience has
| taught US that the upbuilding of any in
dustry in this country enures to the bene-
| fit of all.
Solid Foundation.
The policy of protection has good scrip
| tural grounds for its support in st. Paul's
| first epistle to Timothy:
''But If any provide not for his own and
| specially for those of his own house, he
hath denied the faith, and is worse than
an intide.'
Good as Theory.
whilst free trade is beautiful in theory,
| Ii is in this country ruinous in practice.
| Only once in forty years has tho party of
| free trade succeeded in controlling at the
same time both the congress and the pres
| idency. In 1884 the great exponent of pro-
lection, Mr.. Blaine, went down in defeat
before the rising star of Clevelandism
| But the congress WAS not in harmony with
| the President and no trial of the policy of
the democratic party could then he made.
Mr. Cleveland served through his term
with the republican tariff law In full force.
| But after four years of Harrison and the
Mckinley law the delnocratcy won again
| and came into power fully able to carry
out their favorite policy. The republicans
| have been charged by their opponents at
various times with not redeeming their
| promises and by failing to enact the prom
| ised laws. But the democratic party
| shocks the country most when it carries
| out its pledges.
Experiment Enough.
I