Daily Republican., 1883-11-26
Proeectlon MisrepreseD Dsaa ion.

E8ot06t1OD AAoE0pHoD0u 0usosAOU'
A Western Pennsylvanian, accord.
ing to the Pittsburg Dispatch, confused
about the theory Of protection, went
over to England few weeks ago to
Rather some facts and compare notes In
regard to protection and free trade In
order that his own mind might be sat
isfied and the facts presented in true
Hight to the people. He has been heard
from and the Dispatch publishes his
views for the benefit of the be-
nighted protectionists of Pennsylvania.
He states that he is completely sur
prised to find that all the reports OF
pauper labor are . complete delusion
and that the latoring class in the vicin.
ity of Birmip CHAM, great mauufactur.
ing city, to be much better of, no far ss
comfortable homes and good and plenty
Of food and clothing are reconcerned, than
any class of laborers in this country are.
Well, how will these facts compare
with other well known facts on the
same subject? Other men have been
70 England too and have brought back
quite q different report. Somebody
must be doing little bit of tall lying.
Such reports do not tally with the OBJ
ssrvations of Mr.. Robert b. Porter, one
Of the late tariff commissioners, who
made it his special business to visit all
the manufacturing centres Of Europe
and reported the state of labor exactly
as he found it. Mr.. Porter and the
Western Pennsylvania gentleman are
1T complete loggerheads on this subject.
Mr.. Porter saw in the city of Birming-
ham number Of well to do workmen
who are bosses and who get larger
wages who did live in comfortable
homes but they were in strong con-
frast with the thousands who lived In
miserable novels called homes. This
correspondent of the Dispatch seems to
have fallen amongst those who got the
better wages and had good homes. II
the purpose of his visit was known, it
was but an easy matter to show him the
glossy and fair side of English labor.
Though we believe Mr.. Porter to be
more reliable than this Western Penn
sylvania gentleman, we are willing to
equally offset one report with the other
and depend upon circumstantial evil
dence and one other fact to show that
the Pennsylvania man has either been
deluded or wilfully misrepresented for
the sake Of making party capital.
What is the circumstantial evidence
1t is this. In the first place the Demo
cratic party is fast drifting into free
trade and even the Pennsylvania Demo
Gratis up until within year ago, as
much in favor of protection as the Re
publican party of that State, has under.
gone modified feelings; not from the
force of conviction but to be in unison
with the party at large. Thus we see
them accepting the "Ohio idea" of tar
III for revenue only. The Dispatch be-
ing loyal Democratic paper, is bornd
to accept the modified idea of protection
because it has been made dominan
feature in the principles of Nationa
Democracy. Pennsylvania Democrats
cannot afford to lag behind and still bt
called loyal to the party. This gentle
man who went over to England TO spy
ont the goodly land of free trade anc
i,as brought back some Of its grapes, w
take to be Democrat, as he has pre-
ferred to promulgate his new experience
through the columns of Democrati
paper. We are told that he was a pro
tectionist, but nearly all Pennsylvania
Democrats were that before the nev
idea of protection for revenue only wa
sprung upon them. This gentleman
still no doubt wanted to remain
Democrat but he felt the need of recon
struction and hied off to England +
have the operation performed. Hi
case was very different from that c
Saul.
The latter started on his journey witt
his mind fully made up, and his con
version was sudden and unexpected
The Pennsylvania man was converte
to free trade before he left on his joul
ney to England's Damascus He wa
on the hunt of proof to uphold the ne
stand of the Pennsylvania Democrac.
aud it is not all surprising that
found the kind of proofhe wanted an
could have found had he felt 20 incline
= geater amount OF counter proof. Th
is the circunlstantial evidence tha
shows that this Pennsylv ania conve
to free trade, went out for the purpo
of being converted to free trade 30 th
he might be in accord with his party.
Now for positive fact to prove. Il
untruthfulnes and insincerity Of Il
assertions ofthis latter day free trat
convert. If under free trade the labo
ers and mechanics Of England, and .
pecially those of Birmingham are be
tor off live in more comfortableshome
live on better food and are better clot
ed, why In the name of common sen
do they leave such pleasant surroun
ings,and immigrate by the tens Of tho
sands to the United States, where, Q
cording to the assertions of this Pen
sylvania free trade convert, they mi
live in poorer homes, and be worse I
and clad than in England? Why the
English immigrants who do this thi1
are modern suic des and must be enti
ly out Of their senses. Nearly eve
ship that arrives brings over more Z
glish immigrants, skilled and unskille