The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-11-15


The great argument addressed by the manufacturers to
the aborng people Of the United States enlist them in
favor Of high tariff is, that it is the only means by
which American labor be protected against the COM
petition Of foreign labor How far this system is carried
out, and how efectuay American labor is protected by
high tariffs, may be seen from the following extract
which we copy from letter written from Lowell by a
correspondent of the New York Herald. The writer
says:
The wages Of female operatives in the factories
were reduced about rs per cent ago, which Of
course by diminishing the of the operatives has
riously effected the retail trade of Lowell In consequence
OF the reduction OF wages last year. many OF the American
females let the mills and this year Il has been found dbl
cult supply the with hands, formerly
from New England consequently, to fill up the vacancies,
the Irish emgani population has been resored TO- and
probably fourth OF the nine thousand female operatives
now in the mills at Lowell Irish The number OF male
operatives Is four thousand, Of whom still greater
proportion Irish and other foreigners.
Every intelligent person, at all acquainted with the
stale OF things al Lowell. and in other large mannfactu
ring towns Of the East knows that the statement which
have copied above literally true The policy Of the
manufacturers has constantly been reduce the wages
OF the operatives, and, as the American operatives
driven off, to supply their places with operatives imported
directly from Europe. the neghborng British provinces
This reduction OF wages is effected in two ways OF
which is by direct reduction OF the amount, and the
next by requiring each girl to attend additional
Der OF looms by which greater quantity Of cloth is
produced without an increase Of wages. This system
has PROFESSIONALLY driven away thousands OF American
girls, whose places have been supplied by the lrsh BY
operatives directly imported from England and by girls
procured in New Brunswick and Canada
And this the way the American labore is protected by
the manufacturing capitalist who is eernally demanding
of his government the privilege Of punderng the great
mass Of the American people under the form Of high
duties upon foreign impoatons, which, Of
bes him to compel the pay higher price for
the domestic articles coming in competition with articles
imported from abroad Let this system of policy advo
Gated by the manufacturers and the wing party continue in
fierce fifty years longer in this country, and the American
labores will be driven from employment in factories
and foges and their places supplied by foreigners they
will be reduced to a condition as helpless and de-
porabe as the "paupers OF Europe" The best
protection for labor is that policy which secures
the markets OF the world for those commodities
which American labor and capital can produce cheaper
than other nations That system Of policy stimulates
productions and thus generates demand for labor in
pursuits in which will be most profitable securing to
it, OF course higher rewards Both the laborer and con-
benefited by such policy, while but the
capitalist derives benefit from the mscalled protective
system, which is but another name for depreciation and
piracy, under the form Of law, upon the laborng and
consuming masses.