Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-07
The Harrison and Cleveland Records.


The Washington Post, which is I'M
der Democratic ownership, and which
is one of the ablest of the newspapers
that view the tariff question from the
Democratic standpoint, heartily agrees
with the Lewiston Sun that we should
check the present use of our forests fol
commercial purposes by admitting
Canadian lumber to this country free
of dutr, as was done under the Will
son law. In this position the Post is
not wholly diSinterestcd. No lumber is
produced in the District of Columbia
and, therefore. no interest OF that sec
tirn would be unfavorablv affected by
putting it upon the free list. In the
State Of Maine, however, the situation
is quite different. Here the lumber
industry, with its allied wood pulp and
paper industry, constitutes the SeConG
largest industry in the State, and is q
very vital factor in its prosperity. II
represents an invested capital OF
So, 49, 16G. comprising S73 prosperous
mills. employing, directly and indirect,
~ more than 25.co0 mon, cxpendine
more than $10.OOa0C a year in wages
these sums may seem of no great
moment in the large and wealthy city
of Washington, with it's immense Gov.
crnment patronage. but to Maine they
are of very great importance, and any
policy which tended to diminish then
would be a body blow at the prosperity
OF the State.
The Post calls us to task for re
forring to the Wilson tariff law as {
free trade measure. 1t is true tina
this term, as used by us, and as com.
monty used in our country, does no
signify free trade as it exists in Eng
land. Free trade, as we know it in thi.
country is really "a tariff for rcvcnu,
Democracy which in any tariff rcvi
sion under its control. ''first'--to us,
the language Of John BigcloW in Mon
days Eastern Argus takes its firm
stand against the doctrine Of protcc
ton for the sake of protection" 1t i!
the traditional policy of party Which
is willing to raise a portion of oul
national revenues by q tariff on i'm
ports. but is utterly and irrevOcably
opposed to the principle of protection
to American labor and American in
dustry, under which our country ha!
attained its present splendid growt!
AMI prosperity.
TIL, Post calls attention to the fac
that the cotton interests were protect
ed in Tie Wilson bill. This is true
The South was in power in Congress
It's members of the House and Senat
We're quite willing to afford very adc
qUato protection to the mills that man
ufacturcd this great Southern staple
but they put lumber which mean
the prosperity of the American mall,c
for cotton did to Alabama or Georgi;
or Virginia., upon the free list. 9TH
journal ought to know" says tn
Post, that the Harrison administra
ton got rid of an immense surplus be
| cause the Nc kinley law did not afforc
sufficient revenues to run the govern
| mcnt." We Know that tho Harrison
| administration had Il surplus of sos.
| noo.0oo when it came into power. am
that during its term of office it pal,
| $40 nOo. 0OO on the national debt Which
task if. as the Post asserts, tn
| Mckinley law did not afford Sufli
| Cicnt revenue 10 run the government.
| This record shows also that when tn
Harrison administration "got rid "
| the surplus it applied it IL a yer
| worthy purpose. The Cleveland ad
mniStration may. as the Post asserts
have inherited an empty treasury" a
a result of Mr.. HarriSonS large rcduC
ton Of the national debt, hut it Ger
| tainly inherited no debts. At the clos
Of Mr.. Clcvcland's four years Of ser
vice, during three and a half of whic
| the country was under the burden q
| the infamous Wilson law. his admins
| tration went out Of Office amid tn
| plaudits of the people. including til
| larger portion of it's own politica
party, leaving not only IAN cmpt
treasury" but also a national debt in
creased by $262 .0co, OOO, ana the mos
| wide spread hard times that the coun
try had known in more than a geneT
alton. 1t was ap era of closed factu
ricS, idle labor, and public sou
houses. 1t is true that certain trcatic
negotiated by Mr.. Kasson under TIL
| reciprocity section of the DinS!ey lay
failed to pass the United States Senate
| where a tWO-thirdS vote is neCeSSar