The Webster Meeting

The republican meeting at the Webster town hall came off as advertised. Gorge S. Wheeler failed to appear, from what reason I am unabie to state; but should not wonder if the republican committee had acted on the advice of the Argus, and put a muzzle on him and shut him up somewhere so he could make no more blunders. Mr. McCall, an old-time republican and a veteran in town politics, was calied to the chair. He said there was no need of his stating the object of the meeting, and that it was customary to calt out the little guns first - accordingly he would cali on Mr. John Lawrence. " Mister Lawrence, if yez vvill come up here on to the rostrum, I'ü interduce yez." Mr. Lawrence was introduced. Among other things he said the remedy for the surplus was to use it in fortifying our sea coast and in discharging the national debt by buying bonds at a premium. Revenue must come from somewhere, and he would have foreign manufacturers pay for the privilege of trading here. [He seemed to forget that we, the consumers, are the ones who pay for the privilege under a protective (?) tariff.] He said the rich pay the bulk of the tariff now because only the rich buy imported goods. (This was news indeed; he had probably read in the Detroit Free Press that "the dainty silk hose with which the workinginan's family decks itself pays 50 per cent; the worsted stockings of the millionaire's family pay 73 per cent.") He said a proteciive tariff does not make high priced goods, as it only helps infant industries to their feet, and that competition brings the price down. (This migbt be so if they did not combine and make the trusts and monopolies.) Taken as a whole, Mr. iawrence made a good speech, but he could not resist a few flings at the south in referring to the Mills bill. Mr. Sawyer was introduced and commenced by telling how Mark Twa.n once introduced himself by saymg: ''Ladies and gentlemen, I am Mark Twain. I prefer to duce myself and then there won't be any lying about it." Mr. Sawyer said he was like Mark Twain; he would like to introduce himself and then there would be no lying about it. (Now I am personally acquainted with the chairman, having known him for over twenty years, and although he is a republican I don't believe he would lie.) Mr. Sawyer said this was a funny campaign. (He will not think it so funny after Nov. 6th.) He said the same grade of wool goods can be purchased here as cheap as anywhere. The tariff is not added to the cost. All the wool goods were made here. JNone are imported except a very fine grade of cloth such as is used in making dress suits for rich dudes. We would never have been able to conquer the south if they had had a protective tariffand fostered their home industries. Ot the Mills bilí two things are certain: ist. It is in the interest of the solid south. 2d. It is in thé interest ot the monopolistic manufacturers. Sawyer also said that he didn't believe there was a man in the room who thought we could raise sheep without a protective tariff. He is not postecl it seems, for a pound of mutton will bring more than a pound of beef in the market and it costs less to get it there than beef, so we could afford to grow sheep if they had nothing but bristles on fheir backs. The Mill's bilí puts lumber on the free hst; but this does not benefit us so long as there is duty on manufactured articles made of wood. (He forgets that we common people, farmers, &c, use the raw lumber to make our houses for ourselves, our barns for our stock and fences to inclose our farms, and that the articles ot cabinet ware we have to buy, is a mere bagatelle compared with the rest.) The Mills bill is a stab at us by the solid south. To Ilústrate it puts on the free list brick, vegetables, milk, broom-corn, flax, jute, burlaps, stone, granite, beans, wool and timber because they are producís of the northern states; (any school boy knows better than that) but marble, sugar, rice and tobáceo are to have a duty on them because they are products of the southern states. Tobacco is not an exclusively southern product and sugar - where are the sugar refineries? Most of them are north of Mason and Dixon's line. Mr. Sawyer closed by calling for three cheers for the wool growing interests of the state of Michigan and although he gave the hips in good shape the hurrahs were rather feeble for a house full of republicans.