New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-02
HE TIBIFE.
No. I.

II ia not strange that many men want to know
what the "a, IT,. and what it does. This inquiry
IS made Of TI.t TuBU>E almost every day. Noat
Of the men employed IN protected m.'u4t''S
know fuli veil that thcy owe much 20 the tut
"A larger demand for their labor. better FageS oud
happier homes. i'ut some evan OF those "orNuR
men 40 MOI see clearly how tho system oprr tf's
On tine other hlsd there az" . great many workers.
who do mot -et how ihe tarit at'ri' ih'm ~ ai.
They are laborar.. portcrs or clerks .n towns, hands
ON rallvo5d, Tor in hops, mechanics in the various
trades. aud hauds on farms, and they tali to realize
that ia. system Itch lifts The rate OF wages loi
tnr men iu yar.Iu' branches OF manufacture makes
the demand fox a iaborer3 tcr raise. the rate paid
for all labor. and 80 lifts their wages also.
For more thm q quarter Of century th.s qres-
ton Ia, been thrust aside m popular dtcu., ions
The Rcphbl can party made The tarI IN lsGl. only
one Dcmocrl. voting for it III the senate, and four
teen against 1t and in the House only two Doug!as
Democrats favored hc bill, whsle all the Other DEM
ocrats forty in nalnbcr. and only one Republican,
voted against II. By similar votes many bills Of
improvement or revision have been passed, greatly
strengthening aud broadening the protective
system: Republicans always supported them, AMI
Democrats always opposed them almost unan-
imCusly. At each revision, too, the Dem
ocratie party has foUght for amendments
designed to destroy the efficiency OF the system in
some particulars, and 1T times they Gay" succeeded,
as they did when the wool dCty was cat down.
Every time the Democratic party has obtained a
majority in the House 1t has tried 10 teat down the
tariff Under the leadership of Dir. Morrison, OF H.
Iinois it made desperate effort in 1876, but ear
nest Republican resistance forced HIM 70 abandon
his bill Under the leadership Of Fernando Wood
auo,her effort was made in 1873, but after pro-
.v..Ifs
the bill was finally killed on motion Of General
Garfield, 1l3 Democrats and only Republicans
voting for the mlschevous bill to the end, while
10 Republicans and only 10 Democrats voted to
Kill it.
In 1852 the Democrats elected a great number of
members upon distinct pledges that they would
vote to cut down the tariff to areyenue basis. Last
winter when Congress assembled, there was bit
Ter fight between the extremists VINO supported
Mr.. Carlisle. and men who desired more moderate
changes led by NIr. Randall. When SIr Carlisle
was elected rs iree-trader and selected SIr, Mor-
rson, with his known record ~ leader Of he House.
an agitation began which speedily pIO>trated all
branches ofindustry. Mr.. Morrison soon introduced
hill which threatened 30 cnt down duties onc-hfh.
I'm effect II there was protection enough 10 secure
wages of 3 per lay. }lr MORRISON wished 10 cut il
down so that il should secure only 80 cents per
d1y or cse close tlc factories entirely. This bill.
and The alarm about il, produced such disorder ~
industry that the great manufacturer have not yet
recovered from in, eject. II was fuliy killed,
May q. but 10 Democrats and only } ii'plnhcans
voted for he mrl, 1ro 10 tho last, while ll1 Re-
pnhlicans aud / DcmDcrat3 voiced 10 lull 1t. But
the forts -onc Democrats a5vuted 10 The platform
proposed by thu same MIR. Morrl'on at the Chicago
Democratic National Convention.
Thus lt IL seen that a harp aud clearly defined
iss,ie has boon risrd by the democratic party
whose Representatives have for tUrniy-ihI'c years
,onght almost unanimously to break down aud
destroy the policy which thu Republican party has
Adopted WHAT ~ that policy, and how does it
affect labori
Al workers know that labor m other countries Is
not pad "a we'll ~ II b. here liut ths difference
could Not exist If the pr,ducs OF 90 cent labor m
England or Germany or Canada could hc 4oll lively
In our mlrkots instead OF the products of fl labor
hero Hence thls country compel7 che employers at
the JO.,cnl labor abroad TO pIya duty Tor thr priv
ile,c ~ rciug thcreoodein thitmnrhct That duty
!. called taiit II n ia made hnh enough to at
the difference m rate ot wages. 80 thai labor 90 tt'
country cannot bc dcnridcd toward Tho lowell of
similar labor ~ other countries ~ IL caiod nptutrr
tHrtnftH. Such 10 tirtn ls adrlcncc ot Amcrlcuntn.
,iustr, against direct competition with thc under
maid labor Of other countries. Bnttfit b. not mldo
high enough to serve that object, il n - t1ri tor
revenue Gully "-or, in the language of tho latest
Democratic platform. taxation loo public par
poses exclusively II IL taxation hich Is not IN
tended To help the labor,ng people, or 10 prevent
the depres SION OF wages toward tile lev ei Of the
oycrcrowdcd countries of Europe.
In another article It will be shown how tho