Mr. FOSTER. The honorable Senfrom Wisconsin says that NewYork is a suburb of the Northwest. Well, that is an honor for NewYork to have arrived at. He must settle that with the honorable Senators from NewYork. Mr. President, I am not aware of being actuated by any local or sectional feeling in this matter. It seems to me, from what is said on all sides of the Chamber, that thero is a necessity 1st of all upon us that we should reduce the cost of living. There is no greater necessity now in this country than that we should reduce the cost of subsistence. If any man can name anything more required than that I should like to know what it is. Now, to reduce the cost of subsistence, I submit that we begin properly by reducing the price of salt directly. The honorable Senator proposes to raise the price by putting the duty at 30 or 40 cents per. in order to protect home manufactures. Mr. President, there is danger lest home manufacturers should get protected to death. That is the greater danger today in this country; not that the home manufacturers will not have protection enough, but that they will be protected so that they will be extermi nated. The greater danger is in that direction today, and unless we can so vary our system as to make the cost of living in this country less than it is now it is as idle to talk of protection and of prosperity to our business, they will soon be unknown in the U.S.A. Sir, I do not, I cannot, believe that the manufacture of salt in this country, where, as the honorable Senator says, it can be manufactured so cheaply, requires a duty of 200%, to protect it. The honorable Senator talks about eastern manufactures to be protected. I ask him what article manufactured in the State of Connecticut, except salt, has a protection at all to compare with the protection on salt today] is over 160%.”. The most skilled and intelligent labor of Connecticut, where the workmen are paid 3 and 4 dollars a day, is not today protected by a duty of 40%. This is more than 4 times as much; and yet the honorable Senator says it is impossible for them to manufacture salt without a 4 fold increase of duty. I trust, sir, that this duty will be reduced, not because it is a western interest, for I was quite hesitating whether I was not attacking a home interest, but if it were it would make no difference, because as I believe we have got to begin by reducing the cost of living, and unless we begin there our attempt to protect the labor of the country will be quite idle. We shall protect labor best by making subsistence cheaper; and unless we can make subsistence cheaper we may cover our laborers and their employers over with the mantle of protection, but it will be certain death to both.