The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-06-14


strikes to get share of the profits. The
truth is that the profits are largely Wis
ionary. An unnatural imitation stimulates
supply, but opens no foreign markets for
manufactured articles. The home demand
is soon stocked, if not overstocked; and
the manufacturers believe that they can
better wait and sell surplus goods than in
crease wages. 1t is the old story, repeated
in our country every decade; and it is due
to the fact that prohibitory tariff at once
| increases all prices and expenses and shuts
off all foreign markets. Our Pretectionist
friends point to the prosperity of the coun-
| try as conclusive argument IN favor OF
prohibitory tariff That country is not
| truly prosperous in which industry is chron-
ically affected with chils and fever, with
alternate depression and stimulation.
| Such strike is not conclusive argument
| against prohibitory tariff; but it does
demonstrate that prohibitory tariff does
| not insure secure and permanent pros
| perity.
We are glad there is one religious news
paper which does not see any beauty in the
plumber of poor christians by rich ones in
broad daylight. One of the best of our
| western republican papers is also getting
its eyes open. 1t is the St. Louis Globe
| Democrat, and it says:
1t would be interesting to know just
| what the parties to toe unfortunate strike
which has begun think of the tariff, APP
| ropos the existing state of things. Men
who ought to know better, not content
with taking the tariff at what it is worth
and stopping there, spend their breath in
arguing that all of the country's prosperity
| and none of its adversely is due to protec-
| ton. The workman has been told from
time immemorial that he would have high
wages as long as there was high tariff;
but at the moment when everything else
is highest, and his earnings go the shortest
distance, he finds that the tariff or some
thing else mas gone back on him, and that
| his wages cannot be raised. The employer
| has likewise been led to understand that
the boom of the last few years was due to
the customs laws, but though the duties
are as stiff as ever he finds himself unable
to pay his laberers the better wages which
they ask, and his furnace fires therefore go
out. Not one or two, but several trains
Of events have led up to the look
out which now extends all over the
country. Both the employer and the en-.
I-ploye know very well what the tariff has
done for them, but at times like the present
they cannot be blamed for inviting the doc
tors who prescribe more tariff for every
ailment to throw their physic to the dogs.
We might quote much more testimony
from good sources, bat we prefer to let our
readers know that the workingmen them
selves, SO long deluded, are beginning to
see the light at last. A curious result of
the strike in Pennsylvania has been free
trade threat in the shape of proclamation
to which every labor leader in some dis
tricts has subscribed. This free trade mani
festo in the heart of protect;onist state is
as follows:
After a while, when asked by their
tariff favoring employers to take part in a
tariff demonstration, or to carry tariff
motto, we will ask back what benefit to US
is a tariff on coal and iron, while our labor
is unprotected; to be attacked and pauper-
lied by cheap labor enticed here from
Europe and Asia. The Iron Workers as
ISOLATION, the Glass Workers union and
the Coal Miners association are entitled to
as much protection from this government
as the iron, glass and the coal exchanges.
More they do not ask, but as much they
will soon insist upon, if men fresh from
the old countries are to be misled here to
be used to cripple or to ruin our trades
unions.
Every time the coke employees have at
tempted to lift themselves from squalor,
dependence, and restitution, by asking
a slight increase in wages, carloads
of emigrants direct from Castle Gar
den promptly arrive to break down
whatever little orgaization or
spirit that appears among men. Twice
has the same plan broken down the organ
ization of the Montour mines, and in order
to deprive them and us of the universal
right of conversation, they must pen them
in their own field and refuse to allow any
one to speak to them. If we step on their
property we are arrested for trespass or
conspiracy. If the suffrage of the work
ingmen is to continue to be the bulwark of
protection to home industries, this war on
organization must be stopped.
IF this tactic is continued workingmen
Will either obtain such laws as viii protect
alike The trades associations of both labor
and capital, or refuse to support tariff
which prevents competition in foreign
products for the benefit of the employed,
and which at the same time not only
leaves wide open, but also encourages, the
competition of foreign labor to the detri
ment of the American employees"
Heretofore the workingmen have never
examined but one side. of this question.
What viii be the result of little fair
minded investigation of the other side
need not be told to free trader. If there
is one thing in all the realm of science
completely demonstrated it is that no pro-
tective tariff ever was or can be of the
slightest benefit to the workingman, under
any conceivable circumstances whatever,
unless he owns the protected" goods at
ter they are made. 1t is in selling the |
goods that the harvest of plumber is gath |
cred. And when i is gathered those who |
gather it are under no bond to divide it |
with the men whose labor produced the |
goods.
A SUFF0CATING COUCH.