Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-14

At the mass meeting on Monday night
to select Gubernatorial, Congressional
and Senatorial delegates, "a resolution was
adopted favoring a protective tarlh ana
silver coinage. The convention was
/ largely made up of wOrkingmen, and
/ while the passage Of the resolution might,
! perhaps, have been prevented, If an effort
had been made to do so by those present
not in sympathy with it, the fact tnat
IT was adopted by the votes Of working
men indicates that there is sentiment
among them in favor OF a protective tariff
aud increased silver coinage. The work
ingmen OF this city are, no doubt, sincere
in entertaining the views they do with re-
gard to the tariff ard silver, but are they
not mistaken?
Al the present time fOu" silver dollars
are worth three gold ones, and it is not at
all improbable that In the very near future
the difference between the silver and gold
dollar will be even greater than 1t is now.
inns difference may become so great that
the silver dollar will no longer be accepted
as equal in value TO a gold dollar, and
then silver must become the standard Of
value or circulate as a deprecated cur
rency.
In either case how will the wage earn
Grs be benefited: II silver becomes the
standard. or circulates at its real value,
it viii purchase only about three-fourths
Of what it does now, even if the difference
between ii and gold becomes no greater.
The wage earners will be paid in
silver, but do they think their wages
will be increased fourth? Ii is certain
that tUey will have to pay the increased
prices. but they will have great difficulty
in getting their wages increased. This
is a matter for wage earners to study
carefully. Before declaring for de-
preciated currency they ought to be GER
tain that 1t would advance their interests.
The theory OF the silverites sounds well.
but will it bear the test Of experience
and reason? Win it improve the condi-
ton of the wage-earners? Let each wage
Garner think out this silver problem for
himself, and not follow blindIy those who
perhaps are not SO well qualified to think
it out.
Tue protectonists are never tired of
dsScI lillE bBdL Tue pIOJeCJIN6 bdTlH ib
protection to American wOrkingmen, but
Is that true? Are not about all the great
manufacturing interests, which are de-
manding protection, monOpOlles, and are
they not much more interested in protect
ing their own interests than those OF their
workingmeh? 1t is a very easy matter TO
demonstrate that the condition of work
in2men in this country would be greatly
improved by the adoption of revenue
tariff. Such a tariff would open the way
for placing the products of our factories in
foreign markets, and while the manufac-
turer might have to be satisfied
with smaller profits. the working
men would have steady work at fair
wages, and would be able to get very
many articles, which are necessaries of
life, at a much less cost than at present
Under the protective tariff, the home
market being the only market, over pro-
ductiOn causes the frequent closing of
factories, and, consequently, suffering
among wOrkingmen.
The Idea that the protective tariff is
something especially provided for the
benefit Of workingmen has been pre-
scented 80 often and in so many ways
that thousands accept it without Ques-
ton. Let worklngmen give the protec-
tive system a thorough investigation,
however, and they will not be SO ready
to approve it.