Putnam patriot., 1910-08-19
 eifer from Rosfon.

party bone of contention.
 For many years the almost wholly l agricultural South was bitterly oppos- ed to the tariff law, as they held that 1t was only benefit 10 the few North ern States. Now that the Southerners they find that the tariff is indispenss- bic to enable them 10 compete with the half-paid labor products of Europe. Ben Butler said: when he was in col lege he WAS for free trade, but when he became a manufacturer in Lowell he invoked the aid of the tariff law. Had he not had this protection he would have been compelled to have shut down his mills. As long as England had a monopoly in manufacturing Il multi
 tude of things, she prospefed, but now in competition with Germany and the [ nited States, with their protective laws, she k on the verge of industrial collapse. 1 heard q British manufac
 iuter say, recently, that a man Had
 asked him if lie could sell his goods at eertnin price. "No,n said he, "un.
 less l cut down the wages of my efn- employees Well said the other man, s'I can import you line of goods from Germany at that price, "Sothing
 under heavens, said this manufactur- CT, "ear prevent one of two results either must cut down the pay of my 1 workmen or shut up shop
 Wages in England, on an average, l are 40 per cent less than in this coun. try, while living there is IT per cent
 less than here, especially in rentals and l In wooden goods. Deducting this IT per cent from 10 per cent, we pay 2 per cent higher wages, OH an average,
 than the English manufacturers. Now Il person who understands afith-
 melie enough to add two and Two, must
 see that our wofkmen eet s23 OH n
 hundred more than their British cous- ins As our import duties pay almost
 wholly the expenses of our govern.
 ment, il shows that foreign manufac- tufers, in order to get into our market,
 must largely support our government. | But even if the tariff was direct tax on the consumer. man with a small l brain must see that he had better pay l5 per cenl for his living expenses if thereby he can get 4o per cent more in
 wages That k the whole theory and justification of the tariff system in Ii | nutshell.
 Even a slight lowering of tariff rates 1 under the last four years of the Cleve- land administration, deluged our stores with the half-paid labor products Of Europe, and shop and mills all over New England were compelled to close Of course tariff law should be framed with the utmost caution and with n lust regard for the welfare of all our States, and. we therefore hall with plea sure the prospect of TaTiti Gommis- sion, composed of experts, te tell ns when n change in the tariff becomes necessary. But very imperfect taFiti law k better than free trade under any of it's plausible subtertuges.
 Just before the tariii of reform measures under Gieaveland. began 10 operate, met an inteligen, English.
 man in Boston. He said he was here on visit and ln few days would return Ia England He said "Non are shutting up our mills and shops all over England by your protective laws, and We want free trade on your part badly. but mark my word, If you adopt the "free trade, or "tariif reform po- Hey, as you are in danger of doing, il will raise h-ll with yous1 And hts rough prediction was fulfilled to the last Jot and uttle.
 About the same time linen manu- l facturer from the North of Ireland told
 me he would al once remove hts plant 1 to Iowa, where he could raise flax much cheaper than in Ireland, if he only knew We would maintain our protect 1 i've system. eMhen in lreland,N he
 said, al am for free trade with you,
 but lf live in the United States
 should be for protection
 When our industrial crash came un-
 der Cleveland, a Rhode Island manu-
 taelurer said To me. "We have never
 had shutdown of our min, or cut
 down in wages for forty years, but the
 boys have voted for free trade, practi-
 eally, aud they mastge without work,
 as we are not running charitable in.
 stitution."
 About one hundred years ago Ireland
 had Parliament Of her own, with \ l protective tsfifi. Manufacturing plants
 were started up. and did well all over
 the island. The British manufacturers
 said to the Irtsh. "it you will raise
 grain, potatoes and cattle, we will far
 nish you with manufactured articles
 cheaper than you can make them. n And to give effect to their orations and essays, with which they flooded Ire
 land, they pu, esu,tso ste rling into the
 Irish Parliament to corrupt legislation in their favor. and they got what they wanted-fsee trade with Ireland. The result we all know. When potatoes