Show LEADERS and ana arguments against a protective tariff we have given froni from time to tafile tile utterances of divers P republican publican te state statesmen emen in opposition to a high protective tariff we have wondered how their statements could be reconciled conci led with the present policy of that party but no one as yet lias has offered a suggestion su estion the mystery still continues arid and the republican reputation for inconsistency is not confined to local politics but to tile the national conduct of the party below we offer eomy new republican arguments t in strong opposition to the measures they advance today it will be well for our readers to keep all those these together and look them hem over during b leisure hours THE V U S SUPREME COURT composed Compo cd of ofa a republican majority and the highest authority on lucli questions of law in this country laid down this opinion in the 20 wallace page to lay with one hand the power of the government on the property of the citizen and with the other tia to bestow it upon favored individuals to aid private enterprises and build up private fortunes is is none the less a robbery because it is lone done under the forms of law arid and is called a taxation and a little further on it adds there earl can lie be no lawful tax which is not laid for a public purpose our friends will tell us this thi is true but as the bounty bount fed or protected business indirectly contributes to tho the welfare of the community the taxes taken for it must be for a public purpose but in that blame decision on the same page tile supreme court makes answer to that claim in words if it basail ha said that a benefit results to th the c local public by establishing manufactures the same may lie le eaid of any adiv other business or pursuit shiell employs capital or labor the merchant the mechanic the innkeeper the banker the builder tile alie steamboat owner are arc equally promoters of the public good and equally deserving the aid of the chii zens by forced contributions and the wit whole ole matter is L up in in these words I no line can bo be d drawn rawn iu in alvor or of tile manufacturer which would not open tile the coffers of the public treasury io 10 the importunities of two thirds of the business inn in n of the city or town till THE SENATE on finance composed principle lie ply of c republicans Republican st and r depre e IT e ent antina 1 alon to t o i republican ica I 1 ubo body dy made a rep report ortin in 1888 in which the following 0 truths were asserted it is undoubtedly true that american workmen and anech mechanics have greater intelli intelligence ence activity and enterprise and that these qua qualities lites more than offset the advantages es of association hui bur rounding soundings roun dings 0 s and the inherited skill of generations which the operatives of great britian possess this taken with t ive assertion of that 0 greatest of ic publican leaders JAMs JAMES G B LAI sr in his report as secretary of state made june 25 1831 1881 rn must st forever silence those buncomb bunC orators who lay stress upon the fact that wages aro are higher in ill america than in Eo england gland the republican statesman used these very cry words in ill that report undoubtedly the inequalities in the wages of english and american operators are more than equalized by the greater of the latter latac and their longer 0 houri of labor I 1 THE republican LICAN commission el especially ally chosen by the representatives of that party to ascertain tho workings of the tariff and the tendencies of protection made this report in 1882 when it was taken up ill and commended by loth both republican and democratic papers r generally after a thorough investigation vesti 0 gation aaion this report was made tile the commission ate aie convinced that a substantial reduction of tariff duties is demanded not by a mere indiscriminate popular clamor but by the best conservative opinion of the country countr in the mechanical and manufacturing industries especially those which have been long established it would seam that the improvements in machinery and processes made within the last 20 years and the high scale of productive riess which lias has become a characteristic of their establishments would permit our manufacturers to compete with their foreign 0 rivals und under er a substantial reduction of existing duties concern concerning ing this aliis report ct of f the tariff coin inia sion THE NEW YOUK YORK TRIBUNE the greatest organ of the republican party said in iii art an editor editorial ial tile the report is a bravo brave 1111 and honest effort to do just what tile the needs and interests of the country demand the commission recognizes izes tb that it excess excessive ivo duties tend to bring the american system into discredit to endanger its tal litY arid and to render hid estrial enterprises uncertain and unnecessarily risky anil and costly t J reform of tile the tariff would be boot of incalculable benefit to the country WM M Ile republican publican secretary of S state tate under brayes said in ill his IH B report dated may 1879 the average american performs from one arid and ore one half to twice as much work in a given time as the average european workman this lie proves by quoting nt at considerable abl 0 1 length e nath from statistics yet the republican 1 party endorses the mckinley 1 bill which raised the tariff much higher than it was when the above statements were made arid and stump cp speakers eakers point to tile the wages of or american workmen as 1 I drulis fruits of their tariff leisl legislation atio n 8 |