Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-03-06
Aailp Hfl1atbtf 5onrnai.
Augusta, Monday Morning, Mar. 8.
The LabOring Mans Party.

The republican party is the best party
in the country for the laboring men, 1t
started In opposition to the Southern idea.
that labor is degrading. and slavery the
condition designed by the Almighty tor
the laboring class. In 1860 it carried the
country in the Presidential election in
opposition to the extension of slavery in
to the territories. The Southern slave
holders, enraged at the election Of
republican President, and the prospect OF
the government being administered by
Mr.. Lincoln's administration in accord
ance with the platform of freedom and
equal rights for all in the territories, rose
in arms against the government After
four years Of bloody war, the upholders
of servile labor were vanquished, their
slaves were emancipated, adding four
millions 10 the ranks Of the free laborers
of the nation. The result Of the war was
the elevation Of labor everywhere. The
sundering of the chains Of the colored
laborers Of the South lifted labor in the
North higher in the social and political
scale.
With the war, came the protective tariff,
country we're fostered and protected
against the great capitalists and
pauper labor Of Europe. Senator
Frye's speech from which we have
published liberal extracts presents the ben
efits which have resulted to our working
people and our industries from that meas
ure. In Europe men work for pauper
wages, women work at carrying bricks and
mortar for masons and doing any outdoor
drudgery, and little girls are glad to
work in the brick yards carrying clay
upon their heads to earn few cents
day to keep soul and body together in
their miserable homes. But in this coun
try our protective tariff comes in and for
bids that our laborers shall be brought
into competition in our markets with the
pauper labor Of Europe. and hence our Ia
borers and mechanics are able to obtain
homes, good living, good schools, and
whatever is necessary to render them in
telligent and happy citizens. If labor is
not paid better in this country than in
Europe, why is it that every year wit
nesses swarms Of erhigrants from every
European nation coming to our shores to
seek work for their hands. and sending |
back of their earnings as soon as they can |
to help their relatives and friends cross
the Atlantic to join the ranks of labor |
here?
The republican party has proved itself
the friend of laboring men. The colored
people of the South have been freed from
bondage, and through the encouragement
which the protective tariff has given to all
our industries. agricultural. manufacture
ing and mechanical. it has provided great
channels for labor into which willing
hands may enter and receive fair remuner-
alton for their work.
The democratic party is the foe of pro-
lection. 1t stands ready to allow Europe
to flood this country with the products of
pauper labor. before which many of
our industries must inevitably fail. and
our workmen be reduced to the degraded
level of laborers in Europe. Free trade
is delightful and fascinating in theory.
but in practice it is paupersm and stsrva-
ton, as our Canadians neighbors have
proved and England and Germany are
finding out.