The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-10-19
Address of the Hon. w. L.
Douglas, Ex-Gover nor o f
Massachusetts, at the Dinner
of the Committee on Tariff
Reform Of the Reform Club
in the City of New York.
MR.. DOUGLAS ADDRESS.

in consenting | informed your
tariff committee that | was not
an orator, not speechmaker,
not politician; only a plain man
of business.
| have carefully observed and
studied the tariff question for
many years-not from a political
standpoint, but from the stand
point of a practical business prop.
osition. The tariff question, like
the money question, should not be
one Of politics. Ii it could be
divorced from political cause and
effect, it would surely be settled
and settled Alright i'll very short
time. Unfortunately, however,
there is no hope of political di-
vorcement, and we must meet the
issue as it is and use the means
al our command TO correct what
| believe 10 be the greatest tax
alton evil to which the mass of
the people are subjected.
THE MASSACHUSE IDEA
Massachusetts. like the whole
of New England, is more remote
from the raw materials, foods
and other supplies of this country
than are other States. She Is
also nearer, commercially TO the
raw materials. foods and other
supplies of foreign countries
than in any other section of the
United States. She Is also more
dependent than are most other
sections. If Massachusetts could
not obtain food from outside Of
her borders, she would starve aud
her mills would stand idle. AS
the center of population aud in
dustry moves westward Massa
chusetts' position becomes more
Isoia,ed, both from her supplies
and from our home markets. She
must, if confined 10 this country,
get her coal. lumber, wool, rides
leather, iron and steel, copper,
etc, from more distant points,
and she must send her manufact
ured goods farther TO market,
paying the Increased irelg hts
both ways.
Because of her extensive sea
coast and fiue harb0rs, it is
cheaper for Massachusetts TO
bring in many kinds of foreign
made goods than to pay Trans
portstiOn charges on goods from
the Central and Western States.
Massachusetts is the commercial
gateway, and Boston the natural
seaport, of Montreal and Canada.
Nj Massachusetts aud New England
should obt in coal, lumber aud
many other materials aud sup
plies from Canada and other tur-
eign countries. She would eX
change large quantities of man
ufactured products for the raw
materials Of these foreign coun
tries. But Massachusetts is not
permitted to enjoy the benefits OF
location bestowed bS nature.
The protective tariff wall utter
feres and deprives US Of access to
our natural raw materials aud our
natural markets. This fact makes
the tariff more oppressive and
CALLING to Massachusetts than TO
most other States. 1t c0mpels
us to pay much higher prices for
our raw materials than NE should.
| want to consider very briefly,
the effect of certain duties upon
Massachusetts and her Industries.
1t is about these that l know
most.
The people Of Massachusetts
are vain enough to think that
in industrial prOgres IN mechau'
zeal devices, III manufacturing
processes. and in business meth.
DDS generally, we either lead the
world or are i'll the front ranks.
Although we pay higher wages,
daily, weekly, or yearly wages,
than are paid by our competitors,
either i'll this or in foreign coun-
tries, yet, because of our adj
vanced processes and methods,
the labor cost of producing most
of our most important products is
as low as in any foreign country.
Ger ainly neither our manufact-
nrers nor their employees are ask
ing any tariff favors of our gov
ernment on account of labor.
What we want, and all we want,
is a tair iield and no favors; a
chance to get our supplies and
food stuifS at the same low prices
paid bp our competitors; a chance
to take advantage of the OPP
pOrtunities of production and dis
tribution with which nature has
provided us. Give us these and
we can overcome the natural dis
advantages Of location, as wei
as the higher wages that We pay
Remove the protective tariff hand
leap aud give us free access tC
the raw materials and we will
held our own. not only in on