Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-13
thrift JOBS AND DE1USIoNS.


| Mr.. Anderson, Of Kansas, in language
more expressive than e.egant, yesterday,
exposed the real character or the tariff bill
pending before the house. He said there
were good many jobs covered up in the
bill; that wherever it was given kick a
little devil of job put his head out, if it
was not big devil of a job. This is liter
ally true. From the first paragraph to the
last it is a compendium of jobs. The iron
interest has thousand jobs concealed in
the paragraphs that affect it; the sugar,
wool, glass, cotton, lumber, salt, tobacco
and every other interest affected directly
or Indirectly by the tariff, have jobs in
every sentence and almost every word.
The whole purpose of the new schedules is
to enable the manufacturers to extort from
the consumers an increased price for the
commodities made by them.
The cry is universal that industry is
stagnant all over the country, and to sus-
tain the assertion, tbs daily reports of re-
auctions of wages, suspension of factories,
and reductions in the working forces of
who swallow such assertions must have
exceedingly short memories, for
there never yet was time
when congress undertook to
revise the tariff when the same state of al
fairs did not exist. We heard nothing at
all about the stagnation of trade until it
was announced that the tariff would be re-
vised. Then all at once the iron mills
began to shut down, because of alleged in
ability to earn profit upon the invest
ment. A few large concerns made assign
ments for the same alleged reason, but it
is little remarkable that the assignments
we're all made to some member of the
firm or company, and that no one can pur-
chase any of the obligations of the COM
panies at discount of even fraction of
a cent. 1t is shrewd dodge to brighten
congress into giving them more protection
or to leave the tariff substantially as it is,
/ for fear of killing our industries. These tao
tics are expensive, but those who employ
them know that they can soon recoup
themselves by the increased prices they
will be able to obtain for their products.
The suspension of work chiefly harms the
working man. The manufacturers lose
nothing but the profits of few weeks
business.
| We venture to say that as soon as congress
shall adjourn, even if, by some unexpected
stroke of good luck or common sense, the
protection afforded these manufacturers
should be removed or reduced the factor
les would instantly resume operations
and the hum of machinery would be heard
all over the land. This is one of the jobs
that the manufacturers are putting up on
congress and the people pretending to be
in distress when they are prosperous in
order to increase the tax. 1t is an extreme
measure, but has been tried with success
before and will be tried again as often as
congress manifests a disposition to inter-
fere in any way with the tariff.
1t would be gratifying if congress would
show itself superior to such influences. but
the hope is Elusive. It has been demon
strated that the wages of operatives in this
country are no higher than they are in
England, while the cost of the raw mate
rial is less. And yet it is claimed that our
manufacturers need protection from the
competition of those in England. The
proposition is absurd upon its face, for
our manufacturers have been for years
competing with those in England in their
home markets, and making a handsome
profit after paying the cost of transporta-
ton and commissions of middlemeu.
Protection is wholly unnecessary, and the
sooner our manufacturers are obliged to
look after themselves the sooner will the
country be prosperous and industry thrive.
Pampering has weakening effect on all
things, iron manufacturing not excepted.