, 1877-10-06
Political Blindness.

One of the planks Of the New Jersey
republican platform reads as follows :
" We point with pride to the evidence
which the history of the republican party
affords of its devotion to the interest OF
labor 1t has secured to four millions OF
oppressed peoplea proper reward for their
toll, and, through the agency OF reason
able tariff, has sought to protect American
workingmen against the i'll paid labor OF
foreign lands that the past record OF the
party is guaran ee that the future policy
of the party will be one of justice to the
workinsman, as well as to other classes OF
people, and which, by the adoption OF
wise financial measures and encouragement
of industrial interests, willso far as 1t can
be accomplished by legislation, tend TO
open new avenues for the use OF capital
and the employment of labor.
A more striking illustrations OF political
blindness than this it would be dittcuit to
find. If there is any part of ITS record OF
which it has cause to feel ashamed, the
republican party has that cause IN regard
to the tariff, and political conventions
must indeed be destitute OF Judgment
which challenge criticism of this part OF
the party's history, and boldly point to 1T
as proof that the party has ever been
devoted to the interests of labor For
the tariff is more directly and fully re-
sDonsible for the paralysis of commerce
and manufactures now existing than any
other cause. But for its accursed tram
mels the country would long since have
recovered wholly from the panic of 1873.
To its blighting operation We owe the fact
that We are still grasping and staggering
along in a vain effort to recover our lost
prosperity. To it We owe the fact that
four hundred furnaces, representingSlOO,-
OOO, 600 of capital, are idle to-day that
hundreds of thousands of workingmen
are struggling with destitutiOn; that the
markets are glutted with the products of
the country, and that they cannot be sold
abroad.
Nor is it in better sense or better taste
to refer to "the i'll paid labor of foreign
countries" The time has passed when
our demagogues ccdld sneer at the
"pau2er labor Of q Europe with any eff
feet for ne have pauper labor enough and
to spare at our doors, and we owe 1t to pro.
lection. This is what narrow and unscien-
tif;c policy has brought US to. Devised
under the pretext Of protecting American
workmen from the pauper laborof Europe
it has SO protected them that they are with
out work Of any kind, and would gladly
change places with that pauper labor they
have been taught to despise-
What is the truth of the situation IN
which protection has landed us England,
with her system of free trade. is steadily
reducing her pauperism. The United
States, with its tariff system, is as steadi-
ly increasing its pauperiSm- England,
with all the world for market, grows
in prosperity year by year, and its work
ing classes grow with it. The United
States, confined to it's own boundaries for
a market, finds its production oYerdone
is compelled to cease manufacturing be-
cause it cannot sell what it has made
and while its warehouses are running over
with goods, thousand of its industrial
classes are without bread. This is the way
the republican policy of protection has
protected American workmen against
the hurtful competition of the i'll paid
labor of foreign countries" Truly 1t is
an exhibit which politicians would do we'll
to conceal and to ignore if they wish the
workingmen to believe that they are in
decd "devOted to the interests Of labor.