The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-11-22
Two Dangers From the Repub-
lican Policy.

A writer in Cham6eys' Lowual
discoursing on European Emil
grafton to America and its Effects, !"
viewing the matter from a British
standpoint, of course, says:
The dominant economic policy
of America has been, as we know,
one Of strict protection of their own
industries. r x The conduc-
tors of these domestic industries
are glad enough to get all the ex-
perienced foreign labor they can; ;
but the domestic laborer says, very
naturally, that sthe importation is
unjust to him. He says, in effect,
You can tax foreign products to
shut out competition with your
selves but you admit freely foreign
producers to compete with me.
You raise the cost of living to me
by the imposition of taxes to foster
your trades; yet you reduce my
means of living by suffering immi-
grafton which tends to reduce the
level of wages. Here is friction
and friction which is already pro-
ducing sparks.
This British writer does not fully
state the case What has excited
the workingmen Of this country to
the point of formal protestation is
the practice of importing labor as
commodity, of bringing laborers
to this country in squads under
contract system, which is species
, OF semi-slavery, for the purpose of
breaking down the price of labor.
This is particularly seen in the coal
regions, and especially in the mines
of Pennsylvania, where Blaine ad-
mits he has interests. 1t is note
worthy fact that among the promi-
nent Republicans of this campaign
are the mine owners who conspire
to degrade labor by importing the
pauper labor of Europe to force
out of the mines the intelligent
American workman when he de-
mands wages at which he can live.
Their substitution of an ignorant
class of men in the mines, who
have been accustomed to working
for pittance which barely allowed
them to sustain themselves from
day to day through a short and
miserable life, for the American
workman, who demands he shall
have some of those comforts which
enable man to expand physically
and mentally to that stature which
makes him fit to be an integral part
of great State, is the reason for
the complaint which the American
workingman makes. This substi-
tuition is fostered under a Republi-
can Administration, and is engi-
neered by Republican capitalists.
This writer draws attention to an
other danger which confronts the
American people in the flow of
British capital for investment in
land and cattle in the West. The
aggregate amount of British capital
thus invested is said to be not less
than $50, 600, 900. probably more.
Under Republican rule the inherit
ance of the people, the great tracts
of unsettled land in the West, have
passed in a large measure, not into
the hands Of "actual settlers" but
into those Of foreign capitalists.
The "free grass" question in Texas
at one time threatened to swell to
the proportions of civil war. In
the Territories immense tracts have
been surrounded by barbed wire
fences to the actual hinderance of
all travel, and armed DULLES watch
these fences with instruction to
shoot down any who NEEDLE with
these barriers. This is reserving
the public land to actual settlers
with vengeance. The actual set
tier is likely to find himself cut out |
from communication with the rest |
of the world by zone of ranches"
belonging to British capitalists. He
can only reach the nearest settle
ment by going many miles out of
his way to pass through gates pro-
vided by these lords of almost
ducal domain to suit their own
convenience. To pass out any
where else is to invite instant death.
This is the administration of the
Land Office according to Repub-
lican ideas. Contrast it with the
settlement of the Ohio and Mis-
sissippi Valleys in Democratic
time.
The enhancement of the general
price Of land caused by this I'M
checked usurpation of these public
lands, we are warned, will lead to
a feverish speculation, which in
turn will bring on another distress
full panic. This thing began in the
gift to railroad companies of i'm
mense tracts of the public domain
to assist them to float their bonds
and build their roads. 1t was an
undemocratic measure, and it has
brought many evils gin its train.
These companies have, in many
cases, forfeited their title to these
ands by neglect Of the conditions
Oh which the gift was made. The
Democrats, whenever they have
had a raaioritu Of The House oil