Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-09-17
The Ruin Of Radical Rule.


THE RICH MADE RICHER AND THE POOR
PooRER-wHAT A LEADING REPUBLI.
CAN NEWSPAPER SAYS OF THE REV..
VAL OF SLAVERY IN NEW ENGLAND.
We take the following article from the
New York Erening Post, leading Re-
publican paper.
Seven hundred Chinese laborers have
been brought across the continent to Mas
sachusetts, TO take the places Of v iite men
in some of the shoe shops in that State.
Leather is protected" against foreign
competition, hides are protected" shoe.
thread, lasting elastic fabrics are "pro.
tected;' oils and chemicals, all the mate
rials used by the currier aud tanner, are
protected" The morocco man ufacturcrs
arc to be protected, in the bill now before
the Senate. All the machinery used in
the manufacture of boots and shoes is
made from protected iron and steel !;
the clothing manufacturers who supply the
shoe-makcrs are protected" the fish and
potatoes they eat are protected"
But the men and women who make the
shoes are not protected" On the con-
trary, they have been robbed for a term of
years, and now they are to be kicked out
and the Chinese are put in their places.
For while every kind Of material or tool
which has been used by the Massachusetts
shoe. maker has been made unnecessarily
dear to him by the tariff, in order that
somebody else might enjoy the monopoly,
the Chinaman who is now imported to
take the place of the Christian New Eng
land shoe. maker, comes in free. The
tariff does not touch him; it makes every
material Of industry dear, but it cheapens,
pauperizes labor. This is what is called
protection"
Why are these Chinese brought to Mas
sachusetts? Because they promise to work
for less wages than the New England men
and women can afford to take. Why are
wages lowered? Because the tariff, franz
cd in the interests Of the mouopolists,
makes all the materials of industry dear
The people of the United States now have
fewer shoes and boots to wear, in proper
ton to their number than they had ten
years ago, and the exports of boots and
shoes has almost ceased.
Yet there is no branch of Industry in
which there have been greater improve
ments, or more complete substitution of
machinery and hand-work. A workman
can now do at least twenty FIVE per cent
more work in day, and of much better
quality than he could ten years ago; yet
he gets no greater comfort for his days
wages, in fact, not as much as then.
We have this strange result coming
with improvement and inven ton the peo.
pie less we'll shod, the workmen more poor
ly paid, if wages be measured by what
they will buy.
What do the high tariff monopolists
care! Their pockets are full; Meir
wealthy sons and daughters live in luxury ;
their agents are in Congress crying out for
yet higher tariff; and Meu have been
cunning enough to persuade the President
and tile Republican majority in Congress
that the country is prosperous" because
they the monepolists are getting .fattte,
duly.
Was it for this that Congress guar.
ranteed the bonds of the Pacific Railroad
and gave it millions of acres of land-that
the high tariff monopolists might, when
they had starved aud robbed the white
workingmen and women as long as they
would bear it, bring in the pauper and
heather labor of China to fill the work.
shops from which Christian men and wo.
men have been driven?
We are to have Congressional election
this Fall. Will any man say that the peo-
pie should vote on any consideration for a
candidate, no matter whether he is a Re-
publican or Democrat, who would per-
petrate this shameful and injurious system
of high tariff protection, which is driving
Christian New England workmen and
workwomen from the shops where they
seek to earn their living, and putting in
their places pauper barbarians Of China
Make the material and tools used in the
shoe manufacture free; strike them out of
the tariff, where they produce no revenue
that We cannot easily spare, and not only
will wages rise at once, but the business.
one Of the largest and most important in
New England, aud one, too, which has
never been protected, will revive at once,
and the foreign trade which the tariff has
lost US will be regained. while the opera.
tives will receive proper wages. Let the
Christian societies combine with the shoe
manufacturers in New England to demand
this of Congress; and let them refuse,
this Fall to support any one for Congress
who will not pledge himself to insist. in
Congress. on the immediate repeal of all
duties which make the manufacture OF
shoes dear, and thus lower the wages Of
the operatives. No man has q right to
call himselfa Republican, or to be sup.
ported by the Republicans, who would
perpctuate for day this gross wrong to
New England working men and women.