Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-04-07

soon as the markets srem against them,
they rush 10 Congress for further help.
They are never content with the pro,ec-
tion they have; they are always eager for
more. In this dependence upon the Gov
ernment bounty the persons protected
learn to distrust themselves; and protec-
tion therefore inevitably destroys that
manly sturdy spirit Of individuality and
independence which should characterize
the successful American business man.
3rd. Il is said that protection gives in
creased employment to labor, and en-
hances the wages of workingmen. For
a long time no position was more siren
ously insisted upon by the advocates of
the protective symtem than that the
wages of labor would be increased under
it. At this point in the discussion shall
only undertake to show that it is impos-
sible that protection should produce this
result. What determines the amount of
wages paid? Some maintain that it is the
time that the labor is done. Under this
theory it is claimed that at any given time
there is a certain amount of capital to
be applied to the payment of wages, as
certain and fixed as though its amount
had boen determined in advance.
Others maintain that the amount OF
wages is fixed by what the laborer makes,
or. in other words, by the product of his
work, and that, therefore. his wage is de-
termined by the efficiency of the labor
alone. Both these views are partly true.
The wages of the laborer are undoubtedly
determined by the efficiency of his work,
but the aggregate amount paid for labor
cannot exceed the amount properly
chargeable to the wage fund without in
little time diminishing the profits OF pro-
duction and ultimately the quantity OF
labor employed. But whichever theory
be true it is clear that protection can add
nothing to the amouSt of wages. 1t can
not increase the amount of capital appll-
cable to the payment of wages, unless 1t
can be shown that the aggregate capital
of country can be increased by legisla
ton; nor can it add to the efficiency OF
labor. that depends upon individual effort
exclusively. A man who makes little i'll
a day now may in year make much
more in the same time; his labor has be-
come more efficient. Whether this shall
be done dependents upon the taste, tenn
permanent. application, aptitude, and skill
of the individual. No one will pretend
that protection can increase the aggre,
gate of these qualities in the labor Of the
country. The result is that it is impossi'
BILE for protection, either by adding to the
wage fund or increasing the efficiency OF
labor, to enchance the wages of laborine
men, a theory which l shall shortly
show is incontrovertibly established by
the facts.
DIRECTIONS TO PROTECTION.
| will now. Mr. Chairman, briefly
present few of the principal objec-
tions to tariff for protection. AS has
been shown, the basis Of protection is
an increase in the price of the protect.
ell products. Who pays this increased
price? shall not stop now to consio.
er the argument often urged, that it il
paid by the foreign producer, because
it can be easily shown to the contrary
by every ones experience. L shall fol
this argument assume it as demon
strated that the increase in price which
protection makes is paid by the con
sumer. This suggests
THE FIRST GREAT OBJECTION
to protection, that it compels the con.
sumer to paw more for goods than they
are really worth, ostensibly to help the
business of producer. Now, consum
ers constitute the vast majority of the
people. The producers of protected
articles are few in comparison with
them. 1t is true that most men are
both producers and consumers. But
for the great majority there is little OF
no protection for what they produce
but large protection for what they con
sumo The tariff is principally levied
upon woolen goods, lumber, furniture
stoves and other manufactured articles
of iron, and upon sugar and salt. The
necessities of life are weighted with
the burden 1t is out of the necessities
of the people, therefore, that the money
is realized to support the protective
system. say, Mr.. Chairman, that 1t is
beyond the sphere of true government
tai power to tax one man to help the
business of another. 1t is by power
taking money from one to give to an
other. This is robbery, nothing more
nor less When man earns dollar
) it is his own, and no power of reason
ing can justify the Legislative power IL
taking it from him except for the use'
Of the government.
: Yet. Mr. Chairman, the present tar
if takes hundreds Of millions Of dol
lars every year from the farmer, The
) laborer, and other consumers, unde
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