The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-08-16
From the New York Tribune.
The Tariff.
NO. l..

NO. l.
1t is not strange that many men
want to know what the tariff is. and
what it does. This inquiry is made
of The Tribune almost every day.
Most of the men employed in pro-
tected industries know full we'll that
they owe m 'ch to the tariff-a larger
demand for their labor, better wages,
and happier homes. But some even
of these working men do not see
clearly how the system operates. On
the other hand there are great many
workers who do not see how the tariff
affects them at all, They are laborers,
porters or clerks in towns. hands on
railroads or in shops, mechanics in
the various trades, and hands on
farms. and they fail to realize thet
the system which lifts the rate of
wages for the menl IN various branches
of manufacture makes the demand
for all labor greater, raises the rate
paid for all labor. and so lifts their
wages also.
For more than quarter of q CEN
tury this question has been thrust
aside in popular discussions. The
Republican party made the tariff in
1861. only one Democrat voting for it
in the Senate, and fourteen against
it; and in the House only two Doug
las Democrats favored the bill, while
all the other Democrats, forty in
number, and only one Republican,
voted against it. By similar votes
many bills of improvement or re-
vision have been passed, greatly
strengthening and broadening the
protective system Republicans al
ways supported them, and Demo-
Gratis always opposed them almost
unanimously. AT each revision, too,
the Democratic party has fought for
amendments designed to destroy the
efficiency of the system in some par
ticuIars, and at times they have sue
ceeded, AS they did when the wool
duty was cut down. Every time the
Democratic party has obtained ma
jority in the House it has tried to
tear down the tariff. Under the lead
ership of Mr.. Morrison, of Illinois, it
made desperate effort in 1875, but
earnest Republican resistance forced
him to abandon his bill. Under the
leadership of Fernando Wood an
other effort was made in 1878. but
after prolonged agitation had greatly
prostrated industry, the bill was
finally killed on motion of General
Garfield, 113 Democrats and only Z
Republicans voting for the mischiev-
Gus bill to the end, while 115 Repub-
licans and only 10 Democrats voted
to kill it.
In 1882 the Democrats elected a
great number of members upon dis
tinct pledges that they would vote to
cut down the tariff to revenue basis.
Last winter, when Congress assem-
bled, there was bitter hight between
the extremists, who supported Mr..
Carlisle, and men who desired more
moderate changes, led by Mr.. Ran
dali. When Mr.. Carlisle was elected
as free.trader, and selected Mr..
Morrison, with his known record, as
leader of the House, an agitation be-
gan which speedily Frustrated all
branches of industry. Mr.. Morrison
soon introduced a bill which threat
ened to cut down duties one fifth. In
effect, if there was protection enough
to secure wages of 81 per day, Mr..
Morrison wished to cut it down SO
that it should secure only so cents
per day, or else close the factories en-
tirely. This bill, and the alarm about
it, produced such disorder of indus.
try that the great manufactures have
not yet recovered from it's effects. II
was finally killed, May 6. but l5z
Democrats and only 8 Republicans
voted for the measure to the last
while 11S Republicans and Al Demo-
Gratis voted to kill 1t. But the forty
one Democrats assented to the plat
form proposed by this same Mr..
Morrison at the Chicago Democratic
National Convention.
Thus it Is seen that sharp and
clearly defined issue has been raised
by the Democratic party, whose Rep.
resentatiyes have for twenty-three
years sought almost unanimously tO
break down and destroy the policy
which the Republican party has adop.
ted. What is that policy, and how
does it affect labor?
All workers know that labor in
other countries is not paid as we'll as
1t is here. But this difference could
not exist, If the products of 50-cent
labor in England or Germany oI
Canada could be sold freely in ouI
markets instead of the products of 81