The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-02
PROTECTION TO LABOR,

''Cno DeUuer men are ptQ, Uno DeUter Will Cney
work" The doctrine is wholesome, and we
believe the history of labor will sustain it. As
a rule, that people is happiest, most contented
and most prosperous whose laboring classes
are well paid; for if unskilled labor be well
remunerated, skilled labor and professional
services will be rewarded in like proportion.
A nations first duty is to afford protection to
the life, limb and liberty of its people, and
next in order to make possiblea comfortable ex-
to be thrifty, or to so shape legislation as to
bring about the thrift of each and all. Some,
and even many, may he found among the most
prosperous people who are not prosperous, and
who do not care to be. But the aim of gov
eminent should be to conserve the welfare of
it's people, and to make thrift as near universal
as possible. To this end, legislation should
protect the weak from the strong, the individ
ual from corporations, and corporations, in
turn, from lawless interference. The grasp
of statutory regulation should keep monopo-
lies well in hand, and in every instance in is
sues between labor of domestic mechanics
and those Of other countries, the
former should be favored. This is
simply the practice Of preservation. If
the masses are well paid the condition of all
classes is bettered. He who expects good
service from his horse feeds him well, sees
that his housings are comfortable, and ar
ranged to afford rest and recuperaton to the
animal How much more important to ma
kept employed and at wages adequate to their
honest needs. 1t has been said of old that
the laborer is worthy of his hire. The truth
of the axiom is as apparent to-day as when it
was first uttered. He is worthy of his hire,
not only as principle in justice, but as rule
in political economy that can not be sighted.
The nation that provides for those who live by
labor receives good measure of honest
service in return. The one hand washes the
other, and the benefit is mutual.
So is the principle of protection wise one
in political economy. If it shall result in
shutting out harmful competition and in
keeping up the wages of workingmen, then
is the nation benefited though for time the
price of the product of their labor be a little
higher than under unrestricted commerce.
| Apply ing the principle 10 the United States,
it may be Justly claimed that the laying and
maintenance of tariff on imported goods is a
wise proceeding. The country cannot afford
to turn any considerable number of mechanics
from shop to field. In the nature Of
things the American people are so
situated as to be great growers of
field products and, as such, we have realized
rich returns from foreign countries not pos
sessed of such natural advantages. But
while the people of the United States prospered
in the growing and selling of grain great
measure of that prosperity was diverted and
returned to their patrons in the shape of
heavy profits on manufactured articles made
abroad. 1t was not so many years ago that
steel rails made in England commanded the
enormous price of 1920 in gold per ton. The
demand was extortion. 1t was risky bust
ness, however, for American capital to attempt
to compete, for the very moment such an I'M
dertaking would be put into operation the En-
| glish mills could at once cut to such figures as
to kill the experiment west of the Atlantic.
But behind heavy duty on imported rails
4
experiment has succeeded so we'll that the
price has declined about seventy five per cent
from what it was when American mill
started under the encouragement of p.
i've tariff At the same time thousand
men have been proftably engaged in the in
dustry, receiving and spending their wages
here, and the nation has saved literal millions
in the reduced price brought about by Ameri-
can competition. And this is but one item
in many, the same principle applying to
all The artificial encouragement given
manufacture on this side of the Atlantic
has resulted in making the United States
practically Independent of the world; has
bettered the home market Tor held products,
and has compelled heavy reductions in all
the necessary manufactured articles. The
laboring classes of America are worthy of
their hire, and no legislation should be neg
lected to see that the opportunity is given
them to sell their labor at rates that shall
guarantee them comfort and dece:st indie
pendence. This is the duty of the govern.
mont so far as law and administration can
have any influence.
THE "sport" of six days walk is going on