Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-08-12
New Series---Vol. lit, No. 3S.
= = = e G. 4 z E 8 3 E.
DEMOCRATIC PROTECTION.

| OENRttCnARzS
The comments which have been made on
the British Water Pipes for carrying water
to Washington City, have brought out
reply from Chief Engineer Meigs, who has
salary of $4,000 or $4,000 a year, in which
appears the following paragraph:
While the officers of the Government have
no right to ray out more Of the money in
| trusted to them, in order 10 secure American
iron, the manufacturers who complain have q
perfect right 10 abate their prices, so as to
keep the work In this country, and they would
show more patriotism thus, than by complain
ing of the contractor who follows his interest,
or of the engineer who has done his duty"
In reply to which the Easton Daily Times
says The English of all this is to this
effect: that whilst the officers of the Gov
ernment are allowed to expeud millions of
money in contracts for supplies for the Ar
my employed against Utah, from which the
friends of the Administration could realize
large profits, Cor stealings,) the Government
cannot accept a contract for an article of
American manufacture, which wou3 give
employment to our depressed laborers and
mechanics, unless the American article
| could be furnished at price equally as low
as the foreign article, produced by labor
that is employed at the standard of value
which Mr. Buchanan advocates as the prop
er standard for this country" ten cents
per day"
"The manufacturers" we are told by
Mr.. Meigs, "have perfect right to abate
their prices, so as to keep the aeork IN this
country" That is, the American manu-
facturer, in order to secure employment for
the industrial classes of this country, must
reduce the price of his article of produce;
and as he can do this only by reducing the
wages of the producers, he must cM d0aon
the laborer and mechanic to the rate of
compensation paid to the same classes IN
Europe, to wit TEN CENTS Per Day
The Government cannot give you any pro-
lection against the competition of labor that
is down to the starvation point; and if you
cannot afford to work for the prices that
are paid to English colliers, and English
furnace hands, and English moulders, &C.,
&c, you must not hope for employment.
The Government has millions to bestow
upon tororites, in fraudulent contracts, but
not one cent per pound for American pro-
ducers of iron pipe. They must fall al
price, or the Government will 90 abroad
for its supplies. American mechanics, how
do you like the protection and encourage
mant our Government is disposed to extend
to you? With your collieries lying COM
paratiyely idle; your furnaces blown OUT
in short, the whole industrial population of
the country lying fat on its back, how do
you like to be told that unless you can af-
ford to come down in your prices, the work.
upon which you depend for subsistence will
be taken from you and given to the laborers
of Europe? You would strike against
reduction proposed by your employer; will
you submit to reduction by Government,
or will you strike against the Government
that dares to propose it-strike for protec-
ton against the pauper labor of Europey
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