Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-28

about one quarter of a BILLION
dollars worth. Clearly those goods will
take the place of one quarter of
BILLION dollars worth of goods that
might be produced in this country.
That means just so much less pro-
duetion, just so much less employment
for labor, in this country. Everyone
can see that; but the fact is that IL
means more than that. The profits OF
the farmer are to be reduced to fur
nish cheaper food. That leaves him
able to buy less than now. The fac
tories of this country must cut prices
to meet the reduced rates established
by this bill, and that means loss of
profits or lower wages, or both. If we
assume that wages are not to be re-
ducei the owners of the factories will
have less money to purchase goods
with, and the weaker concerns must
go out of business. That means sur
plus of labor on the market-and
Gregory Kings tables show with ter
rhle precision how little a surplus is
required To depress the market. Then
the mechanic finds that while he can
make the Maine farmer sell him food
products at the price established by
foreign competition, his opportunity to
labor. and his wages, are determined
by he same competition, and the
twenty-five cents he cuts from each
hushel of the farmers potatoes once a
fortnight, is cut from his wages every
day-and the number of days he can
work each fortnight is reduced.
But the advocates of this bill try to
lit toll 10 nv
claiming that we shall find foreign
markets to replace the home market
W Mich admittedly this bill sacrifices.
That is, instead of keeping to ourselves
the great purchasing public of pros
porous Americans, We are to give for
eigners free rein here, and try to find
better market among the slit-eyed
Orientals, most of whom cant get hold
of two dollars in a whole week. Great
business sense, that.
AS an excuse for this act they say
they want to get after the trusts. Are
the Maine farmers a trust2 What are
they after him for? Are the scattered
manufacturing plants of Maine a
trust? What are they after them for ?
We are talking about Maine. It's
Maine and Names people we want to
stand by. During the last period of
Republican supremacy the value of
Maine farm lands has nearly doubled
Do you want to cut those values down
again. Cheap Canadian land will do it.
Look at the census returns before
you vote. From 1900 to 1910 the num-
her of savings bank depositors in this
country increased from six million to
more than nine million; their deposits
rose from two billion to more than four
billion dollars; farm values have risen
from seventeen billion to more than
thirty- five billion: capital invested in
manufacturing plants has risen from
nine billion to more than eighteen bill
lion dollars, the number of employees
has gone up from five million to seven
million four hundred thousand, and
their wages have gone from $11.411.
100000 to s20,092, 00o. OO0-the greatest in
oreases in the history of this or any
other country.
Now is indeed time to recall those
words of James G. Blaine:
I'VE should not divide when the
prosperity of this country is involved
An American is a great deal bigger
man than either a Democrat or a Re
publican. l think any Democrat on
any Republican makes himself smaller
if he will stand in the way of American
progress because it will help his party