The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-08-30
The Party For Young Men.
rom the New York Tribune.

"A great ARMY OI new VOleTS VIII
cast their first ballots for President
this fall. Nine-tenths of them are
young men who have to make their
own way in the world, with brains
and industry for their capital. The
older men who have saved something
have an advantage it matters less
to them whether days work brings
good wages or poor. But the young
man who has to start at the foot of
the ladder--how is he to climb, if the
wages Of labor are to be cut down to
his cost of living?
The question whether American or
British wages shall prevail here,
therefore, is more vital one to the
young men than to anybody else.
British wages do not even fill the
stomach, and leave nothing for the
pocket or the savings bank. Amer-
can wages enable the thrifty and a.
pable man to support a family de-
Gently, and to put aside something
for the children or for time of mis-
fortune. British wages. at tho best,
keep a sturdy worker hovering on
the border between independence and
servitude the first sickness, or loss
of employment, or other dsasttr that
comes, is apt to leave himquite at the
mercy of employers, and he falls into
the ranks Of the helpless and hope
less tOiIers. Those who want to try
British wages in this country ought
to have their pockets we'll lined first.
British wages come with British
free trade. The main object of that
system is to produce cheaply enough
to underseIl all the wOrld-and that
means to get homework for less wages
than other people. The system suits
the ruling classes in country where
the millions have little part in the
Government. 1t does not suit this
country, where the worker is also a
ruler. Hence the American system
protects the worker, so that he may
remain as far as possible independent,
and free to caste his vote as he pleas
es, and to put his work where he
pleases, 1t is the American system
of protection that gives the young
man the chance to make his first saw
ings, even though times abroad are
hard, and the manufacturers of many
countries are struggling to undersell
US and to get the utmost possible out
of their workmen,
British free trade is the Democrats
policy. Where that party dares t.
tell what it wants, it squareIy oppose
the protective theory. But it doe
not dare in this State, and therefor
at every election for twenty-five
years it has raised a clatter about
something else, which it pretended
to regard as "the main ISSUE" 1t
wanted to "save the Union" in 1860,
and it wanted "peace" in 1864; it
was excited about "negro suffrage"
in 1868 and about "carpet. baggers"
in 1872 it wanted reform" in 1876,
and ga change" in 1S80-but all the
time it fought for British free trade,
and whenever it could get majority
in the House attempted at once to
tear down the protective system, as
it did last winter.
The American policy of protection
was established and has been main.
tanned by Republican votes, and that
party makes no attempt to cheat any
body about its intentions. 1t means
to defend the system which has given
working people a fair chance and en-.
riched the country. Therefore the
free trade boilers go to Mr.. Cleveland
though they do not dare to tell the
truth about it now, as they did six
months ago.