The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-06-06
LABOR AND PROTECTION.

There has been published an opinion of
Mr.. Hewitt of Pennsylvania, protected
iron manufacturer and one of the largest
les are due to high protective tariff. He
takes the indisputable ground that pro
lection increases the cost of living while it
does not the price of labor, and trouble is
ex-senator Mcdonald in regard to the
great strike. Mr.. Mcdonald says he fully
agrees with Hon. A. S. Hewitt in attrib-
uting the cause of the stri Ike to the present
high tariff. He says Mr. Hewitt is pc
culiarly fitted to speak on the question,
for the reason that he is largely interested
in iron manufacture, and his convictions
were from personal experience. Mr.. Nc
Donald thought the country was not in a
position to see clearly the effect of the
high tariff on its industries. The demon
stration was positive that protection
does. not protect. Iron manufact-
urers were especially concerned in the adj
vocacy of protection theories. Iron is
doubly protected, first in the import duty
of 100 per cent; and second, by, patents
on steel rails owned by the companies
forming the American Iron and Steel asso-
Citations. Yet the wages of men employed
in the thirteen mills owned ~ them did
not rise, Notwithstanding the immense
profits resulting in the boom in railroad
G,111 y, &c
had not Injured to the benefit of the labor
ers, although the cost of living had appre-
ciated in every way. Mr., Mcdonald cited
an instance developed in suit in Philadel
phia, which showed a profit in one mill of
300 per cent. Mr.. Mcdonald did not
think it was anomalous for men
to strike on a falling market. Great
bodies move slowly, and with extraordinary
high prices for all the necessaries of life,
and the fact in the face of the workmen
that the profits out of their toll by mill
owners had been tremendous. 1t was nat
ural that they should strike, and strike
hard. He thought the manufacturers
were in good positions to hold their end
of the fight, for the reason that railroad
building had suddenly stopped, AMI they
would be enabled to dispose of their sur
plus stock. Crude iron, which had been
going into steel rails, could now be put
into other manufacturers. Consequently,
the end of the strike could not be predict
ed. The cause of high prices he attribut-
ed to the short crop, and he believed there
would be revival of business should the
fall crop be a good one. Short crops in
America and fair crops in Europe cut off
export The coin balances were against
u.s. Gamblers hold the surplus profit, and
make quotations. The prosperity of the
country rested upon its expectation of its
product, and free trade, it was to be logi
eally concluded, would be blessing to the
aborer as insuring him wages commensu-
rate with the cost of living, and would be
regulated by natural laws of competition
The Brooklyn Eagle of recent date,
has an editorial article on the subject of
labor and labor strikes, which should be
read and pondered by every man who
earns bread by the labor of his hands At
ter speaking of the disturbed relations of
employers and employees in the various
labor centers of the country, and the con-
diets pending and threatening, the writer
says: We have all the conditions out of
which these conflicts between capital and
abor naturally springs-namely, an in
lated currency, causing an advance in the
price of the necessities of life: vast com
Dinations holding enormous quantities of
food for speculative purposes; a state of
foreign trade requiring us TO ship gold in
stead of commodities; the importation of
thousands of laborers every week. and a |
,arif which the wit of man would be taxed
n vain to improve upon as a means of mis-
Erecting, disorganizing and robbing
he industry of the people. When it is
stated that American produce is sold for
within three years over $500. cocoon has
been added to the volume of the circulating
medium, and that our tariff has operated to
vast and specimen monopoly,
bhC AOSoCAiCA oeSCl SOAlpdHyt WHICH yIGluS
81 per cent. profit on the investment, no
more need be- adduced in proof that the
of labor here is abnormal and
advantageous to all who work for wages.
Ofthe utter futility of strikes nothing need
be said to any one familiar with the princi ]
pies of political economy. There is in this
country at least, evidence of things to wit
That the laborer has real grievance and
Ices not know the right remedy Every
10 called successful strike necessitates an
Increase of price in the articles so affected,
md this, in turn leads to a similar change
N all the other branches of trade, so that
he outcome is a nominal gain accompan-
ID by corresponding de-
;rease IN the purchasing power
IF the money paid. Wherever the APP
parent victory in any isolated instance
nay be the grand result is the impoyerish-
nent of the laborers of the country, con-
'idered as a whole, by the sum lost during
he period of idleness. This it seems
hopeless to impress upon the minds of the
men most active in the various labor
eagues. Not to fall in with their folly is |