The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-05
DEMOCRATIC DOCThENR.

Equal Laws for Rich and Poor.
Every principle Of justice proclains
that there should not be one law for
the rich and another for the poor. IF
the laborer, when he sells his labor,
must not only endure the full force of
foreign competition from all the globe,
but also have that competition increas-
ed by emigration agencies, of the ex-
pense Of which the workman pays his
share, then on what principle of justice
should rich capitalists be saved from
foreign competition?
When the capitalist wants to buy
labor, he has not only full liberty to
buy that labor in the cheapest market
in the world, but the protectionist
government, by means Of emigration
agencies and aids to emigrants, actu-
ally assists him to bring that labor
here to compete in the labor market,
thus helping to keep down wages to
the lowest possible point.
When the laborer goes to buy he is
prevented in every possible way from
buying in the cheapest market. He is
hedged in by a barbed wire fence,
bristling with taxes, to compel him to
buy of some rich capitalists.
This policy benefits the rich in two
ways:
lst. 1t reduces his expense to the
lowest possible point by actually as
sisting him at the public cost to buy
labor in the cheapest market
I'd. 1t increases his income by rails
ing the price Of the goods he has to sell.
1t correspondingly Injuries the poor
man in two ways:
1st. 1t reduces his income to the
lowest possible point by compelling
him to compete against the cheapest
labor market in the world, and taxing
him to bring emigrants to intensity
that competition.
I'd. It increases his expenses by
raising the price of what he has to buy.
Thus the rich capitalist Is aided to
buy in the cheapest market and sell in
the dearest. While the workingman
is compelled to compete with the
cheapest, and to buy in the dearest.
The rich man employs the workman
to furnish him with labor, the poor
man employs the rich to furnish him
with goods. The capitalist has full
liberty to choose the workman who
will give him the best service for the
least pay. The workman is not free
to choose the capitalist who will give
him the best return for the smallest
pay.
Is not this policy an interference in
the market between the laborer and
capitalist, lowering the labor market
when the laborer goes to sell, and rails
ing the price of goods when he goes to
buy; lowering the market when the
capitalist goes to buy, and raising it
when he goes to sell?
The rich are aided, the poor are him
dered.
Is not this true beyond all possibility
of contradiction, that the poor mans
poverty is thus rendered more intense,
while the rich mans wealth is cores
pondingly increased?
Free trade in flesh and blood
Protection to the capital that man
ufactures
Competition in labor;
" Monopoly In calico and blankets" +"
There should be either reciprocity In
freedom or reciprocity in tariff. II 1t
is right to protect capital it is right to
protect labor; if 1t is wrong to protect
labor, it is wrong to protect capital. If
it is good to protect the strong, it must
be better to protect the weak; If it is
wrong TO protect the weak, to protect
the strong must be villainy.-[Ex.