Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-04-25

for the comfort of the 'workingmap,
" the cost of living in the United States,
notwithstanding its unparalleled re-
"sources, has become much greater than in
any other country and that this evil is
"not compensated to them by any CORE
"sponding increase of wages, as is clearly
shown by the recent Investigations of the
Massachusetts Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics, which prove that while wages in
"that highly protected State, since the
"beginning of an era of unprecedented in
dustrial activity in 1878, have advanced,
son an average, less than seven per cent.
"the cost Of living to the laborer has ad-
"vanced over twenty one per cent"
That resolution embodies telling argu-
ment against Protection, and one which It's
advocates will find difficulty in answering
But as Professor Sumner observed in his
speech on the same occasion, " The Pro-
tectionist argument presents from time
/" to time constant succession OF varla-
'tions and new phases. There are three
different phases of the question" Thus
the laboring man is told that the tariff
raises his wages. Then there is the poll
tician's standpoint. He claims that it is
'he who has made up his mind as to what
"is the proper grade of comfort and we'll
'' being for an American citizen, and that
"he has so fixed things by the tariff as
to give every American what he ought
% to have" Then there is the employers
view. He says he must have protec-
ton because wages are so high in the
United States that unless he is protected
he cannot compete. In this way, accord
ing to Professor Sumner, AS soon as you
"try to take hold of the subject you are
"met with a series of dissolying views,
&c and when you try to get hold of one of
I" these views you are presented with
another" The Protectionists in short are
continually arguing in vicious circle.
They defend protection on the plea that it
makes wages high, and they at the same
time demand it because wages are high.
Thus it is ct the same time bane and a
blessing, according to them. And with the
same inconsistency they expect US to be-
lieve that employers who are complaining
of high wages, go to Washington to lobby
for the maintenance of the system which
keeps them high.
Professor Sumner puts the case plainly
enough when he says, What you want to
ceiling to straight through all this argument
sis, that Congress cannot give one cent to
anybody that it does not take from
somebody else" Or, as a workingman
whom he quoted put the case in an idiomatic
way: 81 know when two bosses are
running after one man wages are high !;
"when there are two men running after
some boss wages are low." That is the
truth in a nutshell, yetit is very hard to
get people to realize that all restrictions of
trade by artificial methods must result in
lowering the wages of labor, precisely as
putting letters on man prevents him from
utilizing the power of his muscles. But it
is much easier to prove from the actual
situation that the tariff does not benefit
Labor, than it is to establish the same truth
by any process of abstract reasoning. AS
Tennyson says, ThingsIseen are mightier
than things heard )" and when it is
demonstrated that in spite of the tariff the
rate of wages has not kept pace with the
increase of living, the facts must COM
mend themselves to all who are capable of
re fection. Protection is a method of
making. believe in industry, at the expense
of those who cannot derive any profit from
it. It is an attempt to force the growth of
things which will not grow naturally, and
when it is not that, it is systematic plum
der of the many for the benefit of few.
The workingmen of America have by
their votes done great deal to maintain
this mischievous and immoral system, but
when they are made to comprehend the
fallacy of the representations upon which
they have proceeded, they will refuse
longer to injure themselves for the benefit
of others. As regards the protected in.
dustries, one OF two propositions must be
true either they are incapable of support.
ing themselyes-in which case they ought
to be permitted TO perish or they are ca
pable of supporting themselves-in which
case every cent of protection in their favor
is fraud upon the people who have to pay
it. AS a matter of fact, however, many
of these industries are making gigantic
profits out of the tariff, and in SO doing
they are not benefiting American labor one
iota. AS an illustration, take the steel rail
manufacture. 1t has been pretended that
the tariff OF 100 per cent. upon steel rails
was demanded in the interest of working
men. Now in 1850 the actual profit of
the steel rail men was $50, 900, 900,
and less than S5,000,000 was spent
upon labor during the came period
Thus it appears that less than 10 per
cent. of the price of the steel rails went to
the workingmen, yet we are asked to be-
lieve that tax OF 100 per cent. is neces-
ssry in this industry. Who pays that tax
of 100 per cent! 1t is the farmers, the
merchants, the customers OF the railroads,
who have no share whatever in the profits
of the steel manufacture. And while thus
few manufacturers are amassing colossal
fortunes, at the expense of the people, who
are robbed year after year for the benefit
Of this minority, the cost of living is out.
stripping the advance in wages to such an
extent that the condition Of the American
workingman becomes worse instead of bet.
ter, all the time. How long will the ma
iority allow themselves to be thus faeced,
seeing that they have the remedy always
in their own hands
CONSUMPTION.