The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-01-03
For the Sentinel.
Tariff Duties and Protection.

turing establishments? An affirmative an
swer to these questions, has been taken |
for granted, by the whole school of pro-
tectonists in this country, w hen most OF
them must know, from their own expert
ence that it is not true. We say indeed
that protection enables the employer TO
give high wages for labor; but does it COM
pei him to do SO? or is their any thing else
accompanying protection that compels him
to do SO? The laborer is compelled to
pay protective duty to his employer by
the direct operation of a law that is imper
alive and bin ding. But where is the ''Be
it enacted &c. that compels the employer
TO increase the wages of labor in proper
ton TO the protection bestowed on himself.
y o such enactment exists, or ever has eX-
listed, and the consequence is that the poor
laborer must depend, for his protection on
the dubious chances of a priUafe contract
with some avariclous speculator who
makes use ofhis necessities, to compel him
to labor necessarily for the meagre pittance
of what supports life.
1t is said that contract Is mutual
agreement between two parties, both OF
whom must be able and aCiIing to make
a contract, and if either is compelled a.
galnst his consent, TO agree to a contract,
he is said to be under duress, and the
contract is therefore voidable by law
This is what the law says; let US now see
what 1t actually does in relation TO poor
man contracting for labor, whereby toearn
la livelihood for himself and family. He
has nothing on which to depend for bread
but his labor, and if this fail he has no re-
| he IN n
manufacturer to contract for labor, ard he
must have it, or his family will suffer-
The employer taking advantage of this
necessity offers him an inadequate price
for his labor, and he dare not refuse to ac-
cept it, or he is told that he cannot be em-
ployed. He is therefore compelled under
duress of starvation to take the meagre
offer or let his family want.
But here the slavish panderer TO the in
fiuence of wealth, will mock and insult his
necessities by telling..h him that he is '.free-.
man. he can 60 elsewhere and obtain bet
ter wages. But has he the means to 90
elsewhere or even remain where he is
unless he is at work. And if even he has
the means to remove to another establish
ment, he there meets the same terms he
left behind him and his condition is moth
ing better. Many of our manufacturing
capitalists are formed into corporate com
panies, and establish uniform rules of op
pressing labor, and are able to crush any
minor establishment that would dare to
pay higher wages than they do. And
where they have not arrived at this dis
unctIon OF corporate companies they hold
secret meetings for the purpose of estab-
fishing the amount of wages TO be paid;
thus leaving the poor laborer no resource
but to take their pittiful offer, or starve his
family.
And here the law very charitabiy pre-
sumes that, ''of his own free WiN and
pleasure, and without any restraint, force,
privation or compulsion whatever" he has
entered into a contract to labor for such
and such wages, and compels him TO abide
by its terms, no matter how hard or uni ust
And if laborers initiating the example of
their employers, combine together and
agree not to work for less than just rec
ompense they are liable TO prosecution
under the old English tyrannical and bar
barous law of cospiracy, and may be fined
and mprisoned-imprisoned like thieves
and maafactors, for trying to guard their
Just rights, while capitalists are allowed to
combine in the same way, for the purpose
of defrauding them of their hard earnings.
This is the way in which protection is
parcelled out to laboring men. by the great
| friends of American industry. 1t is some
consolation however 10 the honest laborers
of the country, that the democratic press
| is pouring the vials of its Indignation on
this fraudulent policy, and all kindred
measures; bur there are some exceptions.
Measures Of this kind are "Mercuried"
forth from Pittsburg and "Echoed' from
Johnstown as the true, prlmatIve puncl-
plies and practices of American democracy
But neither the original sound nor the
echo can make any impression on the ears
of true democrats. Such organs are but
small pebbles in the way Of the great
wheel of human progress to be ground
into nihility, as it rolls forward in its ire
sistabe course.
Nature believe has made, and intended
the interests of capital and labor to be iden
teal, but partial and unequal laws, such as
protective tariffs, special acts of incorpora-
ton &C., have prevented the order of ma
ture and made their interests directly OPP
posite. Accordingly, in this matter of mu-
tual contract as it is called, between labor
er and employer we see their interests are
diametrically opposed to each other. 1t
is the employers interest to hire labor for
the least possible amount of wages, while |
If IS the interests of the laborer to have the
highest price for his labor; and yet at this
onI;rbtened dav and i'm this free country. |