Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1884-10-28
For the Spirit Of Jefferson.l
Deception is Crime

~ SG141 SOIAGSt Ou06ugsO4 guG lSQll-
adelphia Press, writing to his journal
from Wheeling, Sept. I'd, speaks of
the 'sbeneits CO of protective.
tariff, . in alluding to wool growers,
iron and coal interests of West Vir=
ginia, glass and earthenware, dceterd.
After eulogiziDg these interests, the
writer runs a comparison with free
trade England, as be styles her, and
asks laborers to compare what the
English workmen get and what West
Virginia laborers get, and faIaciously.
attributes the difference to high tariff.
Is there man with reasonable in
telligence, who does not know that the.
wages of labor does not make the diff
ference alluded to at all, il is entirely
owing to the system of government
altogether which makes the difference
Of wages. The sophist might as well
have run the comparison with any
other monarchy in Europe or Asia
and adduced the same result, yet any
Of the other nations are high tariff
countries. There is not pound of
wool, iron or coal imported into West
Virginia. What then is the effect of
a government tax on those articles?
Simply to enable the Spectators in
wool, the jobbers in iron and coal to
charge on those articles of State pro-
duction, the amount of the govern
ment tax on those articles when i'm
ported into the country from abroad.
But rs no imports from abroad come
into West Virginia, the tariff is a mere
fiction to add to the commercial value
of the aforesaid commodities. And
who is benefited? Only one class,
and that class a small and a wealthy
one, viz: the manufacturers and job
bers in wool, iron and. coal. The
profits are by tariff increased only to
the large manufacturers-not to the
handicraftsmen or consumers. And
who are the consumers? Mainly, the
poor and the many. We have the
high tariff system now. What do
wool-growers say of present prices;
what means Che idle furnaces under
this high tariff system; are they idle
now under Free-trade" England?
What means the strikes in the coal
mines; are they not realizing the
Blaine system of high tariffs? o.!
for brush in every honest hand to
lash the deceivers round the world.
High tariffs are simply deceptive de-
vices to steal money from the many,
to put into the pockets of the few who
control legislation by brides ands
sides. Can any laborcr show how
one dime has ever come to him from
the government tax on what he has to
buy for family consumption? If he
is such fool as to think so, he ought
to continue to lick the hand that smites
him; he should continue to black the
boots that kick him. II is criminal to
deceiUe, and he is guilty who either
speaks or writes to deceive the voter
into keeping false issue before the
people. The high tariff administra-
tion is, and has been in conspiracy
with the great manufacturers ever
since 1861, and have filled the coun-
try with purse-proud nabobs whom
they have millionized by high tariffs
from the sweat and toll of the work.
ing people of the country, and now
they call on those whom they have
robbed, by their tariffs, to vot$ for
high tariff Blaine, in order that. their
robbery under this disguise may CON
tinue four years more. And thus
with the mendacity of rogucs, they
call on the voters of West.Yirsinia to
continue to pay tribute to their pro-
tective heresy. West Virginia has
answered them on the 18th instant,
and will reply to their meretritious
woeing on the 4th of November in
like manner, with interest.
Voter, tell the party who arc taxing
you to make millionaires, that you are
not TO be duped by an array of decep-
tive figures. Just come down to facts,
and ask them how it is that yourwages
are not any higher under high protec-
tive tariffs, than what wages were I'M
der low, or revenue tariffs before the
war. Tell them that you do not in
tend to protect the class who are max
ing all the money out of the class who
labor for it; that you do not intend
to pile up fortunes by impoverishing
yourselves; that protective tariffs do
not protect labor, but take from it, to
protect wealth. 1t is the protection
that wolves give to lambs.
Y. NJ F.