Daily Republican., 1884-06-02
Immigration anu tSe Tariff

during laSt week HtaIls thl'o 'i'ou
sand immigrants landed at Castle Car
den. They came from various nations
of Europe, the majority being from
Germany, but they were all Intent on
one purpose-that of bettering their
condition in life, that Of securing more
labor and better pay, and i'll the end OF
securing for themselves home which
they can call their own. Ii the theory
which free traders put forth that the
laboring people of the United states
are cursed with tariff protection, is 1t
not something remarkably strange that
these people should still persist IN COM
ing here? The great object of free
traders is to have articles of merchan-
die, whether pin or steam engine,
manufactured as che4ply here as IN any
country of Europe This cannot
be done in this country except by low
ering wages to a level with the wages
in Europe. The tariff only enables
manufacturers in this country to give
higher wages than the same manu1ac-
turers give In free trade countries. La
borers are not satisfied with the latter,
and hence their immigration to the
country where they can procure higher
wages, where they can secure homes OF
their own, where they can educate their
children, and where they can live in
peace and plenty.
The great boast of this country is In
its rapid increase in population. 1t has
drawn away nearly half of the popula-
tion of Ireland, and taken away large
slices from Germany, England, Wales,
Scotland and Sweden. These immi-
grants tell US they cannot make a good,
comfortable living in the countries they
came from. Three e-tourthS of them are
borne down to the earth with poverty
when they come here, They bring the
evidences of that along with them.-
When these people get settled down to
various occupations they stay here be-
cause they make more money, live more
comfortably and enjoy more liberty
The countries they came from are all
free trade countries. There is no pro-
lection there for anyone but the mo-
nOpolistS in manufacturing. Laborers
must look out for themselves, and they
are either compelled to drag out mis-
cradle existence out OF the wages the
lordly manufacturer doles out 10 them
or immigrate to Il country where they
can do better. OF course they prefer TO
immigrate, those of them who can rake
together enough money to bring them
to this country.
Does it not stand to reason that if a
protective tariff is delusion and a
snare, as the free trade theorists say
it is, that immigration would be the
other way? What fatuity Of circum-
stances could have induced those hum
dreds Of thousands Of poor European
laborers to leave home, kindred, father
land, all that is near and dear TO them
by the ties Of nature and Consanguinity,
brave the dangers Of thr ocean and come
to this strange land which is, if we be-
lieve these tariff reformerS, plagued and
cursed with protection ? IT the stream
of immigration was tosrt in from the
United States 10 European countries,
the clysium Of free ira de, then might
we well ask whether a protective tariff
does protect
With immisration pouring three thou
sand souls ii week into Castle Garden
from the free trade countries Of Europe,
all the arguments Of Tree traders thai
labor in his rumfryi~ degraded by a
DrOtpr'iyr flritf fall harmless 10 the
ground.