The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-10-30

country Is very touching having W!th!
three months past taken every tack known tc
the politics OF the time, in the vain hope OF
striking a popular tide, meanwhile placing
themselves IN the most grotcsque and neon
gruouS attitudes some of the republican ora
tors ana editors are now devOting themselves
to the tariff, openly avowing the high'tarlll
predictions OF their party (athongh their
candidate for president is a free trader and /.
member of the Golden club Of Londor) and
calling upon the working classes to vote
against the party that proposes to make this
country II dumping ground for the surplus
productions of the Over-wOrkcd and under
paid laborers of Europe meaning the demo
cratic party. THIS inslnuatlon against the dem
ocralic policy is scarcely less ridiculous than
the selfassumed championship of the rcpubli-
can party Of the laboring peoples interests.
There are two fatal defects in this rcpubi-
can logic. The first is that protective tariff
protects, not the mechanic or laborcr but the
manufacturer. No matter how large his pro.
fits, The employer only pays the regulation
price for labor, and the assumption involved
in the republican argument that he divides up
the surpusa9e produced by protective tariff
among his wOrkIncm is rather too "gauZyn to
deceive the stupidcst bockhcad that ever cast
Il ballot. The second mistake is in the sup
position or allegation that the tariff for rev
enuc only" which democrats almost unani
mously favor means competition with Euro
pcan labor. The assumption bears upon its
face the evidence of its ialsity. \ tariff for
revenue will leave ample margin for wages
fully equal to those now paid or ever paid 1t
viii take nothing from the toling millions nor
from the national treasury, but will do away
to Il great extent with that unwisc, uni ust and
un American practice of fostering monopoly
by special legislation and cnriChlng a few
corporations ut the expense OF the country at
large.
The democratic party has declared tor
tariff for revenue and is beyond doubt prepar.
ed To- abide the result Of an issue made directly
on the tariff question Nor need there be any
fear of the result Dcmagoglc appeals 10 the
working classes to desert the party that for
nearly Il century has stood between them and
oppression, both industrial and political, will
fall rs flat and harmless upon the air rs the
cries OF "a new rebellion" and rebel claims"
Meanwhile it is Interesting TO note that on the
tariff question there Is no more unity of sent.
ment among the republicans than upon the
other living issues Of the day. Tho Globe
DemOcrdt says: -
The magnificent mass meeting Of business
men IN Philadelphia on Monday night to cx-
change views and arrange action regarding
the presidential election had an omlnous
meaning for the free trade and low.wages doc.
1nHc of the democracy. Representatives of
all the great mcrcantile and manufacturing
interests Of the country delivered addresses of
warning against the danger to our prosperity
involved in the possibility Of q democratic
victory in The present contest These words
of warning, addressed especially to the work
ingmen Of the North, will nOt fall upon un
needing ears. The Farmer, the mechanic and
tl,n ,,.tlr l,I, 1,-;. I.
butter of their hard earned bread by ecvating
to power II party that proposes TO make this
country dumping ground for TIE surplus
productions OF the over.worked and under
paid laborers OF Europe The American
worklngman who votes for Hancock, votes
not only to reduce his own wages, but also to
lessen the possibility Of his obtaining any
wages, by destroying several OF our most i'm |
porlant branches Of manufacture. We do not
think there many workinsmcn IN this country |
who are foolish enough to cut their own noses |
OIL in that way SelfIntcrcst, AS well as pure
patriotism, prompts the workingmcn to vote
the republican ticket, and there can he no
doubt that a vast majority Of them will do
their duty to themselves aud their country in |
November"
The New York Eoentag Pest, journal !
whose rcpublicanlsm antcdatc5 the birth of
d.l
are greater than the Globe Demo.
crats are ever likely to become, has THIS to
say:
There Is one point III which Mr.. Carl |
Schurh ia rather the advocate and the partisan
than the statesman We refer to his careful |
of the fact that the party, which
ON the whole he prefers, is so largely and unc.
quivocnlly devoted to the doctrine of protec-
ton MIR. Schurz is u convinced and proclaim,
ed frcc.lrader who knows that our existing
revenue system is conceived in sin and shapen |
In iniquily. He is aware that the people of
THIS country are paying hundreds Of millions
OF dollars annually to monopoles; that under
prctcM OF encouraging domestic industry, |
they are uerangng, wasting and fleeing 1t |
with the free hand of robbers and spoilers |
lie is aware that many republican speakers in |
the Held are not simply silent IN regard to
this wicked abuse, but are open mouthcd in |
its vindcatlon and detense but he enters no
protest nor SO much as dlsCloses the fact The
people who listen to him are left to the belief
that prominent and leading frectrader sees
nothing to apprchend in the ascenGcncy OF
men who are the devoted friends Of gross
scheme of injustice and wrong. 1t is not only
II president that is to be chosen ut the coming
election but members of congress also. Are
these Of no consequence? Are the people to
receive no instruction from those who profess |
to DC enl ightcncd in matters OF prlnclpleg He
would be heard with equal pleasure if he
should tell the multtudcs which gather about
about him that revenue reform Is no less I'M.
portant and imperative than currency or civil
service reform. How, indeed can he refrain
from urging his hearers, IN their selections of
members of congress, To pay attention to this
among the other issues? As the canvass is !
now conducted the democrats, we fear, will
run away with the independents, who hold
their fidelity to the principle of freedom of ex-
change of more worth to them than their
fidelity to party"
In the same paper, which Is ardently sup
porting Garfield because no doubt it believes
he is n sincere eetrader, Mr.. j. s. Moore, a
prominent statlsticlan, writes:
"What are the real facts as to wages In
1870, when everything was inflated and wages