Daily Republican., 1883-08-18
NV Immigrau,s Come Here.

why lmmig rants Come Here.
The New York Herald referring to
the evidence of Mr.. Gompers, chairman
of the federation of organized trade
and labor unions of the United States
and Canada, in testimony before the
Senate sub. committee on labor In New
York on Thursday and his discouraging
description Of the support given to1
laborers, gives as a reason for it all a
high tariff. High tariff, it says, makes
low wages, and further says that is
what the trades unions ought to strike
at. We are aware that the Herald is a
free trade paper, but wi b its cores
poIdents travelling in every Quarter of
the globe and pretending to give the
exact situation of every interest exact
ly az it is found, we are surprised that
it should make an assertion of this char
acter. We have already referred to the
question of comparative labor and
wages in free trade and protected ma
tions, and the gathered statistics in every
case prove that labor is rewarded better
by fifty per cent. at least in protected
countries than it is in free trade coun-
tries Take even France where protec-
ton is the rule, wages there are not
more than half as large as they are in
the United States and they are higher
there than they are in Great Britain,
Italy, Spain and other free trade coun'
tries. Germany has within the last few
years been gradually moving into pro-
lection and as she does SO wages Of
wOrkmen are as gradually increasing.
1t is not denied we believe that wages
in protected America are far in excess
of the same in Europe under free trader
but the advocates of free trade bring in
the argument that the prices of living
are so much cheaper in free trade coun-
tries than the Uni ed States. Accord
ing to the letters written to the New
York Tribune by Robert T. Porter, one
of the late tariff commissioners from
the manufacturing districts Of England
and Wales, the reverse is the case.
Workmen who work all week at the
hardest kind Of manual labor think
themselves fortunate if they get meat
twice week and that not of the best
variety. Oat and corn meal with rice
are the principal articles of subsist
ence. Such luXlries as canned fruits
butter and vegetables in abundance az
we have here ard which every indus
trious workman here enjoys, and uses
are practically uuhnown there. SGualiC
poverty, Mr.. Porter says, is the prevail
ing picture. As proof that Mr.. Porler''
picture IS not overdrawn, look at the
thousands of English and Welsh work
men that are arriving here every weel
literally flying away from this heav
enly paradise Of IL free trade country tt
AIneIlCd, NEtlr plt pun labolCi, II w
are to believe the Herald, is cur ell
crushed and starved by protection. Blu
is it Il fact that living in these fire.,
trade countries is cheaper than III pro
tected America If this be so why d.
the United States export So mucI
slaughtered beef, live cattle, pork an
,raiu to these free trade nations, wher
living is said to be 50 much cheapt
than at home
The shippers Of meats and bread
stutfs would be very great fools io
sending them ov r to Europe for Ies
price than they can get i'll this country
If they do this then their charity indee
does not begin at home. Or have III
purchasers Of American produce til
bump of charity so largely dcvelopc
that they pay American prices ll
meats and breadstuffs and sell them
the poor workmen in Europe for les
than they pay for them Something
this kind has to he done or else hO
can We account for the price Of liyl
being, as it is said to be, SO much low
in England than in he United States
The Herald undertakes to tell US ais
that high tariff is only beneficial I
monupoiies. 1t is as far wrong i'll til
as il is in the other. Where are Il
greatest monopolics, here or i'll Europe
How does the Springfield aTmUry con
pare with the kWpp iron works
Prussia, the greatest nanuactory
war material III Europe? How DO II
ship yards OF Harlan & Holliugswort
Pusey, Jones x Com pany, John EOa'
x Son ard Cramp 81 Sons, compa
with the immense yards upon Il
Clyde? How does Hamilton Disston
saw works compare with the same XII
of works ut Sheffield? ? Monupoie
Why there are no monopolies in IL
country compared to those of Engan
the latter built up and fostered by Fl
trade and crushing the laDOrers TO
point where they must either starre
immigrate to the projected Unit
States. If this is not so, why are
many of them coming here. Eve
ship that arrives increases the numb
Mrs. Twitchell in her evidence bet'
the same committee bames the Il
price of labor here upon immigratil
Mrs. Twitchell is nearer right than I
Herald Is. These immigran's col
here and they swarm like cloud
locusts into our work shops, upon c
railroads, and other public works I
dcrmining the usual wages paid h'
and either shove aside American woI