The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-06-05
rariff reform in philadelphia.

One of the wonders of our time is the tariff
reform agitation now proceeding in Phila.
delpkia The very seat of the propaganda of
the fallacy of protection in this country is
beginning to put forth the sound doctrine that
our present excessive and ill-arranged tariff
taxes, while bene6ting nobody, inaict serious
hurt upon the workingmen. What adds to
the practical significance of the new move
ment is the fact that it originated among the
workingmen. The hard lot of labor at man.
ufacturing centres during the last few years
has led to inquiry, and inquiry has convinced
Philadelphia employees that they will have
themselves to give the word to their repres-
entatives if the laws made ostensibly in the
interest of labor are to cease to operate to its
disadvantage. The shock given to Mr.. Ran.
dali and to avowed Republican opponents OF
the Morrison. tariff bill by the appearance be.
fore the ways and means committee IN April
last of large delegation of Philadelphia tex
tile workers in its favor was n notable one,
and it was repeated the other day, when
petition favoring that bill. signed by 10000
workingmen of Philadelphia, was presented
to the same committee. A third warning to
protectionist statesmen was given by the I'M
mense mass meeting of textile workers held
in Industrial Hall, in Philadelphia. last Satur-
day night, when the demands of intelligent
labor were formulated in terms that cannot
but prove disquieting to candidates whose
election to Congress this fall may be affected
by their attitude toward the hated Morrison
bill. Such candidates will have to consider
the relative value of the campaign funds con.
tributed by protectionist manufacturers and
the votes of tariff.reforming workingmen, and
that, too, under circumstances that lend lit
tie aid in arriving at an accurate estimate The
resolutions adopted at the Saturday night
meeting protested against the taxation OF the
raw materials of manufactures as tending to
restrict production and lessen labors share
of the product; urged members of Congress
from Philadelphia and Pennsylvania to vote
for free wool and for the revision OF the tariff
on woolens and worsteds proposed IN the
Morrison bill, and finally demanded at the
hands of Congress "a more stringent law to
prevent the importation of foreign pauper
labor" The preamble to the resolutions
gives insight into the sentiments and reason
ings that influence the Philadelphia work
man at the present time. "The system of
protection now in vogue" say the labor
interests of the City of Brotherly Love, sis
not productive of any benefits to labor.
but is the builder-up of monopolies, OF
vast fortunes rapidly accumulated on the
one hand, and increased poverty and squalor
on the other" 1t is said further: "The en-
ployers, who are the sole benefciaries of pro-
lection, have always maintained Tree trade
in labor; bringing into our midst servile
and turbulent element which endangers the
peace of our country and the stability of our
free institutions, and securing Europe and
Asia to find material with which to crush us
and destroy our chance to exact our just
share of the protection of the law" As the
tariff can improve wages only in restricted
labor market, the criticism here made is OBJ
viously just. The preamble recites also the
familiar truth that the tariff on raw materials
nullifies the tariff on finished products, and is
therefore directly destructive of the interests
of labor. There is nothing new in these
statements of economic truth. Political
economy said all this in better way long
time ago. What is new and interesting in it
all is the fact that sound economic doctrine
has at length gotten hearing in Philadelphia
among them most numerous class OF voters.