Morning journal and courier., 1888-08-31
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
PROTECTION Wins AGAIN.
Why A Prominent K. Of L.
Is For The Republicans.
SENATE TARIFF BILL
Will Be Ready Next Week.
Its Provisions.
THE JACKSONVILLE EPIDEMIC.
Motives Of The Presidents
Message.
THE JACKSONVILLE EPIDEMIC.
FOR woRK1NGmEN TO PONDER.

Latter From the Secretary of the
KNIGHTS eff Labor Telling why the
Best Interests of American Wage
Farmers Arc Bound Up In the Re-
publican Party-DemOcrattc Victory
Means a Commercial Crisis.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30.-Senator Quay,
chairman of the Republican national COM
mittee, has received a long letter from
Charles q. Litchman, general secretary of
the Knights of Labor, which he has furnished
for publication. In it Litchman says:
ssWhile it may be that neither party offers
all that labor organizations desire believe
that the Republican party, in adopting and
advocating the American system of encour-
agement and protection to the labor and
wages of our own land, is nearer the declara-
tions and desires of organized labor than it's
free trade opponents, the Demo cratic party.
The conflict is between the American system
as represented by the Republican party,
which would foster and encourage the labor
of our own people and retain for them the
market and wages of our own country, and
the British system as represented by
the Democratic party which would break the
barriers of protection and open our home
market to the productions of foreign factories
and foreign labor, thus making idle our own
toilers and reducing to a lower level the
standard of American wages. Until the wages
of the laborer abroad shall equal those at
home there must be a restriction of immi-
grafton, so that our land may not be
the dumping ground of the pauper and de-
graded labor of the balance of the world.
This restriction supplemented by continual
tion of thorough systematic organization of
the labor already hear in conjunction with
the American idea of protection to American
1oI,o fajl fn for
best results of their toll and by our example
lift the labor of theworld to higher and
better plan of existence. Whichever party
wins, something must be done to regulate
more strictly this importation of foreign la
Dor under contrast and the immigration of
paupers and dependents.
FREE TRADE IL THE DEMOCRATS WIN.
Ifnothing should be done then Democrat
ic success would mean not only free trade in
tation of both the labor and the goods.
While under free trade goods may
be cheaper to the consumer in
certain lines, the labor made idle in those
lines must turn to other means of employ
ment and thus by competition compel a low
or rate of wages to those already employed
therein. The power of a workingman to
consume depends upon what he receives.
Unemployed, his power to consume, except
in charity or theft, ceases. 1 prefer that
America should be land of workers rather
than land of thieves and paupers. What is
true OF the individual is true of the nation.
The primary elements of national wealth and
prosperity, are production, distribution and
consumption. Whatever affects the power
of labor to consume affects the entire inter-
ests of the nation. Whatever lowers
the wages of labor affects its
duction" of per cent. on the cost
of goods imported will not compensate Amer
lean labor for the loss of 100 psrcentum in
wages in the lines affected and from 10 to so
percentum in wages in the lines of employ
ment by the substitution of the free trade for
the protective system. I hold to be wiser to
build up and retain our home market by a
system that protects American labor than TO
command a market secured by the whole
degradation and pauperization of our own
people.
Every dollars worth of labor value i'm
ported ia by 80 much a reduction of home
laborers' wages. This axiom is not Offset by
the declaration that there are more goods in
the imported dollars worth. The position of
the protectionist is strengthened by such a
specious presentation of the matter because
the question is then forced upon every intel
ligent man, how can American lobor earn dol
lars if the industry in which hei experienced
IL transferred to foreign landsa
LABoR's BEST FRIEND.
s4N
Republican party is the same as the under
| lying principle upon which all labor organi-
cations are founded. A friend to organized
labor that believes in organization as a means
to enhance wages, cannot consistently OPP
pose a party that applies to labor the same
| principle of protection from unfair COMPETE
| ton that the individual trade organization
| gives TO the single trade.
| Trade organizations TO aid in advancing
1 wages in their respective trades and the pro-
| tective system demanded by the Republican
party viii secure for all the toilers in the land
/ similar fostering care. That this is clearly
understood by most of the thinking leaders OF
labor is proved by the declaration recently
| made in favor of the American system and q
home market by the presiding officers of the
organizations representing the iron and glass
industries of the United States. There is no
better organization than the Amalgamated
Association of Iron and Steel Workers
There is no trade mere thoroughly organized
than that of the window glass workers, mol
one in which higher wages are paid. The
warnings of the officers representing those
trades against free trade are significant and
should be heard.