St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-14

had clear ideas as to what they wanted to
accomplish, and knew how to adopt practi.
cal methods to secure its accomplishment
Their resolutions are calm, able and con-
sentative review of the tariff question and a
fair exposition of the iniquities of the pres
ent system. Instead of formulating plat
form, as it was expected they would do
which would make their position as radi
cally extreme in one direction as that of the
protectionists is in the other, they
have planted themselves fairly and
Squarely upon the national Demo-
cratic platform, which declares in favor of
eradicating every protective feature from
our revenue system and calls for a proper
revision and equitable readjustment of the
tariff. We do not know nor do we care to in
quire why it is that these gentlemen should
prefer to maintain separate and independ-
ent organization. and not come right into
the Democratic ranks and fight for the re-
forms for which they profess to be contend
ing. 1t is possible that they have absolute
free trade in view and do not expect to be
able to carry the Democratic party to that
extreme. But whether that be their motive
or not, we recognize them as valuable allies
at this time and capable of accomplishing
much good. The distinctive principle of
the Republican party, in so far as it has any
principles underlying its organization, is
protection. There is neither immediate nor
remote hope Of ever accomplishing tariff re-
form through the agency of the Republican
10 itc idol an1 tn hot
idol it is welded. And it is most singular
thing to find the farmers of the West iden
tilted with a political organization which is
committed to policy SO thoroughly hostile
to the agricultural interests. There could
be no greater anomaly in politics than that
farmer should be a Republican, unless it
is that workingman should be. The de-
ceptive argument that a high tariff made
high wages has caused many workingmen
to vote the Republican ticket under
the delusion that they were pro-
noting their own interests. But
even that fallacious argument was
nev er used to enlist the support of the farm
ing classes The farmers own experience
would knock into cooked hat the argument
that protective tariff would benefit him.
As an illustration, he could compare the
conditions of the two great producing coun-
tries of the world-the United States and
Great Britain. Here we have protection.
Great Britain has free trade. The American
farm hand receives double the wages Of the
English agricultural laborer. yet American
grain undersells English grain. That is a
ba r,Oct ar6lnt a6uOaatQ nf
lection cannot crack when he comes to
preach protection doctrine to the farmers.
1t can also be demonstrated that there is no
sort of connection between high wages and
protection. Wages would be just as high
in this country without protective tariff as
with it. There is force beyond and indie
pendent of tariff features which controls
wages. That force is human intelligence.
The more intelligent the labor the more
valuable it is. Our free schools are of more
value in keeping up the standard of wages
in America than all the tariff laws that
could be devised from now until the end of
time. Wages are always regulated accord
ing to the efficiency of labor, and labor is
always the most efficient where laborers
get the best living and the easier conditions
prevail. AS an illustration, we need only
cite the fact that in England, with it's free
trade policy, wages are higher than in
France or Germany, where protection pre-
walls. While the American protectionists
are declaring that American industries would
be destroyed if exposed to free compe-
tition with the products of the pauper labor
of Europe, the protectionists of France and
Germany are protesting that their industries
would be ruined if brought into competition
with the high wages of Great Britain and
the United States. So it is the protection
lists find it impossible to make sauce which
will serve for both goose and gander. 1t
is therefore to be hoped that the Chicago
convention will be followed by beneficial
results-and it will be, if it does nothing
more than to aid in exposing to the farmers
and laborers of the country the fallacies of
protection. The convention shows that it
is in earnest by adopting resolution ur g.
ing revenue reformers to vote only
for such candidates in congress
sional elections as openly oppose a
tariff for protection. This is all well enough
as far as it goes. But they will have to go
a step or two further. 1t happens now and
then in this Western country that the Re-
publican candidates for congress are terrible
revenue reformerS when before the people,
but when they get to Washington they are
not worth bauble. As a rule, they go
into the Republican congressional caucuses
when they know they will be outvoted, and
then come back home and explain their pro-
lection records by saying that they, after
going into the caucus, felt honor-bound
to stand by its decisions, and thus were
forced to vote against their convictions
Or it sometimes happens that one is brave
enough to enter his vote on the journal
against the protection iniquities, but
it is done in such half-hearted
way and with so little spirit in the cause of
reform that it amounts to nothing. What
the revenue reformers want to do is to send
men to congress to represent this great
agricultural section of the West and the
Northwest who are willing to stand in with
any party that will bring about reform in
the tariff system. We want men in con-
gress who are heart and soul in sympathy
with the Democratic party on this question.
In, other words, the interests of the North