Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-30
ILLUMINATE your buildings tonight.

THE TARIFF And LABOR QUESTIONS.
Mr.. Garfield is committed to the doctrines
of free trade, says one Republican paper in
the West. Mr.. Garfield is thorough pro-
tectionist, says another paper of like politi-
Cal proclivities at the East. Both are right
and both are wrong. The fact is-and it
can be demonstrated by incontestible evil
dence, that Mr.. Garfield is both free
trader and protectionist The records of
his votes in Congress shows that he has dis
tributed his influence upon both sides of the
tariff question. When the free trade wave
was spparestly on top, MIR. Garfield voted
on that siGe of the house; when the tariff
men applied the screws, he topped over
to the other side. During his Congressional
career he has been all things to all men.
While an honorary member of the Golden
club of England, he has cast his votes in
Congress against the principles advanced by
that organization. Only when the furore
for free trade was at its height did be cast
his vote in favor of tie laborinp and farm
ing community.
A lack of backbone seems to have ever
been one of Mr.. Gar6eld's characteristics.
He has always had desire to be in the
popular current, no matter what that NAV
have been. He has no settled convictions.
but has always been swayed by the political
breezes as the weather cock is swayed BY the
breezes of heaven. If he should, by some
mischance, reach the Presidential office, the
people have no guarantee, from his past
record, that he would remain steadfast in any
given course. It is probable that the pro-
tective interest would invest him with in
fuences that he weuld not be able to resist,
and as conse quence ell executive acts
would be directed towards conserving their
interest. The contrary might but is not at
all likely to be the case. So much for the
tariff.
On the labor question Mr.. Garfeld's
record is consistent. While in Congress he
has voted in favor of the free importation
of coolie and pauper labor from Asia, and
has denounced the efforts of the friends of
the laboriDg men to prevent such importa-
treaty obligations of tho United States,
though other more accomplished lawyers
and diplomats have decided otherwise. Self
protection is the first law of nature in
nations as well as individuals, and if a
country cannot prevent being overrun by a
horde of servile heather, it is not WORTHY
of being sustained. Mr.. Garfield, in his
speeches and votes in Congress, and also in
his letter to Mr.. Morey. has declared that
manufacturers have right to procure their
labor where they can get it the cheapest, and
it is reasonable to suppose that he will use
whatever influence he may possess in that
direction. This means simply that the la
boring men of the country are to be reduced
to the level of paupers that they may ex-
pect employment only when they can under
bid Chinese or African cheap labor. Such a
policy, according to Mr.. Garfield, will tend
to conserve the interests of the manufac-
turers.
The majority of the voters are not manu-
facturers. They have families to support
to feed, to clothe and to educate. They do
not care to have their present wages reduced
from fifty to seventy-five per cent. by being
brought into competition with a race that
can subsist cpon rice and rats. They ap-
preciste the fact that it has been the policy
of the Republican party for years past to de-
grade labor and render it more and more
subservient to capital; and when this policy
is emphasized by the declarations of the
candidate of the party for President, the sus-
picion becomes conviction. No working.
man can vote for Mr.. Garfield without vot-
ing to take bread out of his own and his
children's mouths. This fact should be en-
forced upon the minds of all during the few
remaining days of the canvass.