The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-08-04
A High Tariff the Curse of the La
boringman.

boringman.
Strange and inconsistent as it appears, there
are thousands of workmen in every depart
ment of industry who denounce trusts in the
strongest language, who are enthusiastic ad-
vocates Of protective tariff.
As means of self protection, labor organ
izations have been formed, and, to some ex-
tent they have been able to dictate the amount
fwages in various industries. We have Or
ganized labor resisting the demands of organ
lied capital. But as all well know, labor is
at great disadvantage in conflict with capital,
and generally comes out second best in the
struggle These antagonisms between en-
ployers and employed are most frequent and
most bitter in those industries which are con
trolled by trusts, or where protective tariff
disturbs aud deranges the natural order of
things. If Il protective tariff protected labor,
wages would advance with the increased price
of the product, but such is not the fact. The
duty on steel rails, for example, is $l7 per
ton. This gives the American manufacturer
Of steel rails that advantage over the English
manufacturer in addition to the cost Of ocean
transportation and shipment to the locality
where wanted. The cost of labor in produc
ing ton of steel rails is S7.57. Who gets the
S9.43 which is left Of the SlT? After the
labor has been paid there remains clear
profit Of S9.4S! The bonus goes to somebody
other than the workingman. If the price of
steel rails goes up $40 per ton, the ore digger,
the furnace hand, the actual worker receives
no additional wages except at the termination
of 2 successful strike. So the bounty paid TO
the manufacturer of WOODEN goods is more
| than double the amount of wages paid to the
operators engaged in their manufacture. The
cerssus statistics of 1880 show that the duty on
WOODEN and worsted goods was $l94 600, 600,
| while the whole amount paid to labor in their
production was $31, 000, 900, or about 16 per
cent. The amount paid to labor was S1.16
per cent per day, while the manufacturer re-
ceived a bounty on each hand employed of
| $1.30 per day. This is specimen of the
wonderful benefits to labor of protective
tariff This will account for the great anx-
iety that capitalists have that American work
i ingmen shall be protected from competition
with the pauper labor of the Old World. If
the duties can only be kept high enough to
justify the organization ofa trust to limit home
production, dictate the wages of labor and fix
the price of tho article, the dividends of the
trust stock will satisfy the most avaricious.
The farmers, who from the nature of their
business cannot organize q trust to fix price
upon their corn and wheat but must sell at
the prices fixed by the cheap markets of Eu-
rope, and buy their necessaries at prices es-
tablished by tariffs and trusts, are in pitiable
condition. The toilers in the field, the mine,
the workshop, the factory, have no protection
from the robbers besides the little afforded by
trades unions and labor organizations. They
can strike, but that is but protest against
oppression and outrage, but is no remedy and
gives no redress, For many years the farmers
who have seen and felt in some measure the
disadvantages of selling their surplus in the
cheapest and buying their supplies in the
dearest market have been kept quiet by being
assured that they would build up a home
market if they would protect our ''infant in,
dustries." They have been enormously taxed
for this purpose, but these industries are IN
.tdnts still, and the home market is as far away
from home as ever. The transportation
their surplus to the home market and sea-
board is regulated by railroad monopoly;
the price demanded for farming implem ents,
shoes, clothing, sugar, rice, &c, is establish
ed by trust and a high tariff, the two
! highwaymen who lie in wait at every farmers
/ door to rob him of his earnings. The repre-
sentatves and attorneys Of these robbers de-
clare the farmers are enjoying unexampled
prosperity! The workingmen fiatter them
selves that they can take care of their interests
and maintain their rights by organizing labor
unions and inaugprating strikes. Some of
them are simple enough to believe that they
are saved from competition with the paupers
| OF the Via WOrlu Dy DelnR laAeu Oh Iho HI
cessaries of life to support their oppressors-
Those engaged in agriculture know that
they are not prosperous, and workingmen in
all the productive pursuits are Disseminated
and unhappy. They have not attributed their
unsatisfactory condition to the true causes,
The discussions now going on throughout our
whole country must be fruitful of good results.
| Experience, that best of schoolmasters, is
abroad, and the wealth-producers are fast
| learning the reasons for their impovershment.
Thanks to our good President, who has had
the honesty and the courage to declare war
against some of the enemies of our National
prosperity.
In the meantime, tho organization of trusts
and their pernieious influence being sensibly
felt in every department of society compel
men 10 recognize the relations which these
combinations sustain to high tariff, The
change which is going on in public sentiment
/ in regard to the tariff is largely swing to the
numerous combinations Of capitalists to get
control of all business enterprises. lnteli-
gent men readily understand that the protec..
tire tariff is the vitalizingpower Of tr1iStS, and
that they are alike hostile to the best interests
of producing classes.