21 



square foot; from passage of this bill to establishment of factories in the 

 United States the price was about $2.50 per square foot. The price 

 at present is about 80 cents per square foot. And you will please remem- 

 ber that no part of this large reduction is due either to improved meth- 

 ods or improved machinery, but solely to sharp competition of Amer- 

 ican factories. 



In 1882 there were in round figures 3,050,000 square feet of polished 

 plate-glass imported into this country. This glass, at prices ml ing be- 

 fore the Morrill bill, would cost $4,575,000; before the competition of 

 American factories, $7,625,000; now, $2,440,000. 



The difference is very large; and bear in mind that the difference above 

 shown is but for one year, and to multiply it by 10 will give a fair idea of 

 the amount saved to the consumers of our country by home competition 

 in plate glass. To go more into details, the treasurer of one of the Amer- 

 ican factories has in his possession the books of a firm of glass dealers 

 doing business from 1863 to 1870. I compare herewith prices per square 

 foot then and now: 



1863-'70 S3 05 226 81 66 $339 S3 26 $209 $207 



Now 93 95 76 1 04 97 73 92 



1863-'70 . 1 68 1 98 2 11 3 67 2 62 1 74 1 88 



Now ^ 93 97 88 1 07 97 94 69 



Please also bear in mind that prices named from 1863-' 70 were the 

 prices the firm of glass dealers paid for its goods. The prices named for 

 the present are present prices to consumers, and for comparison from 20 

 per cent, to 30 per cent, should be added to the prices of 1863-' 70 to 

 cover freights, insurance, profits, &c. 



The reduction in the price of certain lines of goods can not better be 

 illustrated than by the statement of facts appearing in the report of 

 our foreign commerce. In the fiscal year ending June, 1883, we exported 

 and sold abroad: 



Wood and manufactures of wood $20, 9%, 804 



Iron and steel, manufactures of. 19, 240, 894 



Manufactures of cotton 12,951,145 



Leather, and manufactures of. 7, 923, 662 



Agricultural implements 3,883,919 



An aggregate of .'. . 64,995,924 



Without my going into detail, all who hear me and who read what I 

 may say will understand the above exportations include and are made 

 np substantially of those articles of which farmers and farm laborers are 

 the great consumers and of a large portion the only consumers. How, 

 then, does the tariff advance the price to them, since by American com- 

 petition, American thrift, energy, and ingenuity, our people undersell 

 their foreign competitors outside of the jurisdiction of our tariff laws 

 in foreign markets? 



It is a well-known fact that as to very many lines of goods, and es- 

 pecially in those consumed by the agricultural and laboring classes, we 

 do not need protection, and the articles might properly be placed upon 

 the free-list; and except for the great difficulty in drawing statutes 

 which will describe and observe the distinctions, and for the further 

 reason the present laws do no actual harm, would be. I have said the 

 laws imposing customs upon goods we export da no harm. A tariff 

 debate does not justify that remark, since participants in it will attempt 

 to prove that burdens are imposed by our system of protection by as- 

 serting the price of certain goods are increased thereby, when thej 



