The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-12-19
PROTECTION.
What "A High Protective Tariff is Doing for
LabOr-Faets VS.. Flapdoodle.
New York Com mercial Bulletin

What a High Protective Tariff is Doing for
Labor-Faets VS.. FIapdoodIe.
New York Com ercial Bulletin
We copy the following from the morning
journals ofyesterday. They are but specimens
of similar announcements that have come TO
us almost every day Of late;
GREAT IRON MILLS SHUTTING DOWN.
ALBANY. Dec. IL The rail mills OF The Albany
and Rensselaer, Iron ond Steel Works, which em-
Marvin says the condition OF the labor market toes
not admit OF the running of the mills at present
ming though not at fun capacity. The combined
works employ, at full capacity. 1000 hands. Less
than half this number are nos at work
WAGES REDUCED FROM 10 TO IL PER CENT.
TROY, N. Y, Dec IA meeting OF 800 of . 900
men employed In the works of the Burden Iron
Company was addressed to-day by Mr.. Burden and
by Mr. Arts, the Superintendent The condition
of the marketwas explained to the men. They
were told that the men must accept reduction OF
from 10 TO Il per cent. the mills would shut
down. motion was made by Mr.. Umpstead tina.
the reduction be accepted, which was carried amid
cheers.
COAL MINING SCSPENDED-6,OO0 MEN TO BE
TURNED OUT or EMPLOYMENT.
PrTrBURG, Dec. 1.-THE announcement was
made here to night that all the coal mines along
the hOnonpahela River win suspend operations
depression in the coal trade. In the four pools
there are seventy five pits and II these close down
oyer 600 men will he thrown out OF employment
weather and the OverstOeked markets here aud at
the lower points The operators say that there is
no demand for coal and that prices are 50 low
that they can not afford to sell. The miners are
much depressed at the turn affairs have taken. as
many OF them, not having saved anything will be
without the necessaries OF life.
THE HAT INDUSTRY IN TROUBLE.
READING, Pa. Dec 1.-THE finishers employed
in hendel. Bobst & Co. hat factory in this city
struck for higher wages to-day, They asked for an
increase OF per cent on every dozen hats The
firm say the condition OF trade does not warran,
the increase, and they Will close the factory rather
than acceed TO to the demands OF the men.
1t Is not pleasant to contemplate facts like
these; but they must be confronted, il the
present unsatisfactory condition OF our do
nestle industries. which is thus disclosed is
not TO be permitted to become chronic.
These brief dispatches are worth q thOus.
and speeches in or out OF Congress on the
tariff. protection, etc. There is no Inistak-
ing the logic Of them, or missing the point
to which they lead
Coal, iron. manufactured hats, the COM
moditieS above mentioned, are all protected
from foreign competition, in order that, with
true benevolent intent, the workingmen
may have high wages and constant employ
ment. Hatters' materials pay from % 10 81
per centum; pig iron about s. per ton, and
steel rails ST..
Now, if our coal miners, our iron pro-
tain access 10 the foreign markets this con-
gested condition OF these and other domestic
industries would be impossible. There would
always be an outlet for our surplus products,
and this periodical closing up Cf factories.
and forces and mines, with the turning OF
the wOrkmen adrift, would be of rare occur
renee, If not impossible, because we should
then have the whole civilized world for our
customers in other words, we should have
10 supply the wants OF thousand millions
OF people instead of fifty millions rs at pres
ent.
This access to the foreign markets is denied
ns. as everybody knows, because we can not
under the existing tariff produce as cheaply
as our commercial competitors, who are not
handicapped by any such disadvantage. The
industry. ingenuity. intelligence and enter
prise or our people, which are inferior to
those Of none other under the sun, are thus
all negatived by a Chinese economic system,
which restricts them almost as exclusively TO
the limits of their own country as the Chinese
wall confined that branch OF the human
family to the geographical area of ancient
Mongolia. The genius and industry of the
country on every side in fact are cribbed,
eabined and confined, and the "pro-
lection" which was invented for the express
benefit of our domestic industries is demon
strated to be delusion and snare 1t pro-
tects neither the manufacturer nor his work
ultD, dIu ID vi ullCNk bthNnS OuiN W ShC
monopolists and the lobby.
In all the elements of material wealth,
| this great country never was richer than it
| is at this moment, and there is nothing in
| the condition of general trade or industry 10
| occasion encouragement, save the impoSsi-
bility of selling our surplus products in
| markets (which would readily receive them
| if We could sell them as cheaply as our bust
| ness rivals Nor is there any such thing in
the present condition of the country, philo-
| sophically speaking, as overproduc-
| ton. The trouble is, under
| consumption. If every one of the
fifty million OF people in the United State:
| had all the coal and iron and manufactured
| hats ne required. then the shutting down 81
| the furnaces, the mines and the manufactor
\ les would at least be in harmony with the
natural law of supply and demand. But a:
| no such state of things at present is suppoS
able, the enforced suspension of production
| and the hardships which il entails upon tbs
industrial classes are simply the conse
| quence chiefly of unwise legislative interior
| ance with tho operation of that natural law
which, if lett to itself, under the prompting
| of an enlightened self-interest, would brius
| producers and consumers together and pre-
vent the stagnation and distress which =
present characterize the situation.
A WRESTLING MATCH.