The Labor enquirer., 1884-02-09
DENVER COLORADO, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY g. 1884

and, why 2
All that l produce to sell goes to Eu-
rope for market. Take wheat, for ex-
ample. Ny wheat, at Liverpool, comes
in competition with that of the Baltic,
where the worst form Of pauper labor is
found-the laborer working for eighteen
dollars year and a goat-skin coat-or it
competes with the wheat Of Egypt where
slavery vet exists. This is what happens
to all sell.
All that purchase is protected, and
has the price augmented to double of
what it should be if not protected.
The result is, that ! sell under free
trade, and purchase under protection.
The farmers, however, are in ne worse
condition than the very class these laws
claim to protect
Labor, in Europe, is oftwo sorts com
mon or, as it is called, padpes labor, and
skilled labor. Now, skilled labor is bet
ter paid abroad than it is here. That is
while wages are less in amount, the
cheapness in living more than makes up
the difference. #..
The reason why skilled labor abroad is
better compensated, is found in the fact
that it is not so abundant as here. 1t is
only one man out of a hundred, in Eu-
rope, who can be, after long training,
converted into skilled laborer. The
American is more apt. His hand turns
instinctively, almost without training, to
the work demanding skill.
AS for the so-called pauper labor, in
stead of protecting our workmen from
it, thousands on thousands are brought
to our shores, under contract or natural
ization, to compete with labor at home.
In your latest issue you show, ably,
how the contract system works.
1 happened once, to be present at a
dinner where the late President Garfield,
then member of congress-, was anus
ing himself by nagging the Hon. Pig-iron
Kelly. Garfield was much given to this
sort of thing with Kelly.
81 say, Kelly" he cried, Il am con-
vert to your high protection of American
industry but I've been thinking about
it, Kelly, and don't see that you go far
enough"
"How SO, Garfeld?" asked old Pig
iron.
"Why, old fellow, while you prohibit,
through your high duties, the imp rita
ton of goods made by pauper labor III.
Europe, YOU not only leave our ports
open, but invite that very labor to come
here and crowd out our workmen. Now,
1 have bill l am going to introduce to
put a tremendous high duty on living
labor"
my God, Garfield" fairly screamed
old Pig-iron, "you would close every
manufacture and mine in the country.
We are driven to Europe for our labor to
make protection practical. We must
have cheap material and labor at rea-
sonable figure. You see, after our infant
industries are established, we can then
pay for material and labor the highest
fgures,' said the old man, continuing
until the groups rose in wrath, and told
him to go on with that old tariff speech
at his peril.
Well, what is the remedy? Let me
repeat it. 1t is a rather unpleasant one,
but it is called violence. Nature reas-
serts herself through that process. When
the air gets too heavy with malaria for
life storm comes rushing along, carried
by fierce winds and garnished with light
ming, and much damage is done, but after
the sunshine drops, like a blessing, on
the desolate places, the air is purifying
and life goes on. Yours sincerely,
DOM PIATT.
MAC-A-CHEEK, Ohio, January, 1884.