St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-10-09
Gov. Penn for Congress.

thing at their hands.
On that occasion he exhibited the
highest moral courage, and shrank not
for a moment from the gravest RESPONSE
bility, although exile and possibly
halter would have been the result of
failure. His high integrity and unques-
toned patriotism command the conf
we'll of the people, and has demOnStra-
ted his fitness for executive Office.
But his letter to the voters of the Sec
ond Congressional District demon
strates his unfitness to represent them
in Congress.
As to most of his views, every voter
in the district is in accord with him.
All here agree that the Federal Gov
ernment should continue the improve
ment of the navigation of the Mississ-
ippi river, and, in so doing, protect the
adjacent properties from overflow. Ev-
cry candidate and every citizen OF Lou
isiana would like to see navy yard at
New Orleans. and we all believe that
the Federal Government should protect
it's citizens travelling or sejourning in
foreign countries by prompt aud vigor-
Gus action whenever their rights OF per-
son or property are illegally invaded.
Gov Penn is silent on the vital and
pressing question of civil service reform
as well as the question of the continued
coinage of silver dollars, twenty-four
million year, and the question OF Fed
eral aid to education.
But upon the tariff question he is not
silent, and it he wished to preserve his
reputation for legislative wisdom 1T
were better that he kept silent. What
does he call "judicious tariff" Mr.
Randall and Mr.. Kelly, of Pennsylvanla
called their bills which increased the
tariff taxation many millions, and doub-
led the tariff on tin plate and iron cot
ton ties, a 'judicious tariff" 10 the
Pennsylvania manufacturers OF TIN
plate and iron cotton ties, this was
very iudicious tariff. ITO the working
men of the country this double tax on
the tin cups, plates and buckets. to the
people engaged in canning oysters, veg
etables and fruit, to the cotton planter,
who would be taxed "a cents on every
bale of cotton he sold, this would be a
very injudicious tax. But Gov. Penn
shows his entire Ignorance of the pur-
poses and functions of Government and
the natural limitations on its powers,
when he says he favors tariff that will
faithfully guard the interests OF Amerl-
can labor against foreign labor or con-
vict labor or pauper labor. Does Gov.
Penn seriously think that any tariff can
raise the general rate of wages p? Does
he not know that wages are paid with
capital, and that capital is the uncon-
suned surplus of the product of labor9
CAPITAL, or the where with labor is paid,
is only the product of the application OF
labor and capital to law.
There is no productive force in tariff
legislation or any other legislation. All
the Congresses and Parliaments and
Legislatures in the world never pro-
duced a pound of cotton, or a bushel OF
wheat, or an ounce of gold or silver.
with which to pay wages. Does he sup
pose that the tariffs anything else than
a tax on the people to raise revenue for
the Government, and that that is its on
ly legimate purpose?
How does Gov. Penn propose to guard
by tariff, the American laborer in the
cotton, corn and wheat fieldsg Upon
what particular articles does he propose
to levy tax that will protect them
against foreign labor, or pauper labor
or convict laborq Does Gov. Penn not
know that tariff tax of 81 pound on
cotton, or $40 bushel on corn or wheat
would not raise the wages of the laborer
i'm the field one cent year? How does
he propose by a tariff tax to protect the
blacksmith and carpenter and house
builders? Is it by continuing the pres
ent tax Of over 100 per cent on screws
and nails and all manner OF tools
What does he mean by protection
against pauper labor. by. means OF q
tariff? Does he mean to prohibit all
imports? If on articles like coffee or
tea or steel rails, how is he to dis
tinguish that which is produced by
pauper labor and that which is pro-
duced not by pauper labor9 What is
pauper labor? We always thought a
pauper was one who could not work.
and had no means of subsistence and
was dependent on public charity: Ii
such an one gets able to work does Gov:
Penn mean to prohibit him working
Does he propose that convicts shall be
kept in idleness, and supported, fed and
clothed by the toll of honest, law -abId-
ing citizens9 For my part, | wonld
prefer to have the convict work to- sup
mort me rather than have him sit in the
shade and look on while | worked to
feed and clothe him. If Gov. Penn will
explain how he proposes, by means OF
a tariff. to guard the American laborer
against the convict, perhaps he will
throw some light upon his views OF the
functions of the Federal Government.
But the mischief that such utterances,
coming from a gentleman OF such cnar-
acter as Gov. Penn, cause, is in teach
ing the workingmen who have neither
time, nor opportunity, nor the early ed
ucation to enable them to study such
questions, that any tariff taxation can
produce greater abundance OF good
things and raise their wages, or that
the machine we call Government
ought, or can, do ANYTHING except 70 Sc
cure peace, security, jnstice and az
equal opportunity IN the stfuggie s TOT ha