Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-09-18
Tine Tariff and W0rkingm en-


ThS Tariff and WOrkingmsn.
The real truth Ia that intslligen
business men have good reason to re
gird the Democratic party IS hostile l.
their interests, and having this con
Viction it is their duty to make tn
fact known to their workingmen 80 tina
theymay vote for their common interests
Much is said about the tyranny of tn,
employers over their workingmsn in re-
gard to politics, but il that question
was followed out to its legitimate re-
suits the conclusion must be arrived al
that the employer has perfect right tc
try to control his workingman's politi
cal opinions. The country is full to.
day of political demagogues who have
no other interests whatever in politics
than to hold the Offices and live upon
their emoluments, who are trying to
change the views of all with whom
they come in contact, to suit their own
individual purposes The workiugmen
are appealed TO almost frantieally to
vote this way or that way in order to
save the cOuntry-or to make change,
but if an employer, who has hundreds
OF hands under him, whose prosperity
depends upon certain political
measures of legislation, attempts
to reason or convince his hands that it
is to their interests to vote in sucL
a way that mutual prosperity might b.
continued, what howl Of indignation
would issue from politicians in condem.
nation Of any attempted interference
with what they call the freedom
thought aud conscience. Politicians
may plead for and even try to purchase
votes with money, so that they may be
elevated to soms political Office, but
manufacturers and others whose BUSH
ness depends upon protection to Amer
lean industries must not lift finger or
a voice to convince workmea that il
is to their interest to vote for the party
that off,rs such protection without be-
ing denounced as intern eddlers in
mems private opinions, and Of attempt.
ing to tyrauizs over their workman.
We are as much as anybody opposed
to any interference which would appear
like coercion, but any one has perfect
right to try to convince man that
his interests lies in a charge of his vote.
There are very strong reasons why an
employer of workmen should 20 even n
little farther than that, but we are
afraid that while attempting to give
these reasons our purposes will be
purposely misconstrued, and all the
little fry Of Democratic political dema
gogues from the Gazette down will
raise the cry that the REPUBLICAN, is in
favor of discharging every poor Demo-
crat from his job II he does not vote the
Republican ticket. However We will
attempt an illustration and we hope e
the great ship building firm of the t
Harlan & Hollingsworth company will ,
excuse us for making use Of their firm
name and the name of "a we'll known
employer in their yards in making
this illustration. AS we have alcsady
said the Harlan & HollDgsworth Co.,
ID at the head and front of the iron
ship building firms in this nation and
besides this they are engaged in the
general manufacture of m achinery and
oars. They employ thousand hands.
sometimes more, sometimes less. Their
business is kept active and remunerag
tive by a protective tariff. II free
trade was the rule the work Of the Hsr-
Ian x Hollingsworth Co. would be- done
in Europe by hands who are paid thir-
ty per cent. less wages than the II. & H.
company pay in Wilmington. If this
work was done in Europe, there would r
be no work here, and these thousand i
hands would have to seek labor in +
Europe also at less wages than they t
get here. The fact is that without this I,
protection to American industries they Il
could not live in Wilmington at all a
Having made this sufficiently plain we 81
will go little farther. n
The Republican party:is in favar of a
this fullest protection to American in @
du tries. 1t is through that protection v
hat such firms rs he Harlan & uoI. "