The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-09-21
Equal Laws for Rich and Poor.
wv. A. Douglass in Free Trade Bulletin

Every principle of justice pro.
claims 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 increased by emf
grafton agencies, of the expense 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 Ill the cheapest mar
ket in the world, but the protection
list government, by means of emigra-
ton agencies and aids to emigrants,
actually assist him to bring that Ia
Dor 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 ola certain rich capital
| list.
This policy benefits the rich in two
ways:
1. 1t reduces his expenses to the
lowest possible point by actually as
sisting him at the public cost to buy
labor in the cheapest market.
2. 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:
l. 1t reduces his income to the low
est possible POINT by compelling him
to compete against the cheapest la
Dor market in the world, and taxing
him to bring emigrants to intensity
that competition.
2. 1t 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 to
sell in the dearest. While the work
ingman is compelled to compete
with the cheapest, and to buy in the
dearest.
The rich man employs the work
man to furnish him with labor, the
poor man employs the rich to fur
nish him with goods. The capital
ist has full liberty TO choose the
workman who will give him the best
service for the smallest pay. The
workman is not free to choose that
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 mar
ket when the laborer goes to sell,
and raising the price of goods when
he goes to buy; lowering the mar
ket when the capitalist goes to buy,
and raising it when he goes to sell
The rich are aided, the poor are
hindered.
Is not this true beyond all posi-
bility of contradiction, that the poor
mans poverty is thus rendered more
intense, while the rich mans wealth
is correspondingly increased?
Gree trade in flesh and blood;
"Protection to the capital that
manufactures;
Competition in labor;
Monopoly in calico and blankets.
There should be either reciprocity
in freedom or reciprocity in tariff
If it is right to protect capital it is
right to protect labor; if it is wrong
to protect labor, it is wrong to pro-
tect capital. If it is good TO protect
the strong, it must be better to pro-
tect The weak if it is wrong to pro-
tect the weak, to protect the strong
must be villainy.