Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-02-10
THE TARIFF A BANE TO LABOR

THE TARIFF A BANE TO LABOR.
A ruling class is always arrogant Its
own peculiar interest is TO 1t the interest OF
the country it rules. 1t argues by dogma
tizing and convinces by assertion. But in his
assumption shat much has been done for
American laborers and artisans by the duties
imposed on manufactured articles" Senator
Palmer out Herods Herod. He passes over
that as a conceded fact, and building on 1t pro.
ceeds to show that to continue doing for our
labor, now we must protect it against further
immigration. The assumption Is false, the
deduction illogical, the conclusion prepos-
ferrous as applied to the country at large.
The effect would be only to strengthen the
protests by increasing their customers, by
culling for their factories out Of all Europe the
stolid, unprogressive serfs content with the
wages animals get-food and shelter-re'
cruits for them, too, at the ballot box.
The tariff since its first sordid line blotted
American history, never gave permanent
dollar into the possession of the working
class Men, prostituting government, shut
out Of the country its natural supply of GER
tain comm dities, and then set themselves
To manufacture them tor it at the tariffs per
cent. Of advance in prices. At first labor
and machinery were scarce in the protected
manufacture They paid high prices for
machines, for which the demand was greater
than the supply. They competed in the
labor market and offered higher wages.
Both these things they did to secure greater
profit by greater reduction, when the profit
was fixed by law, and the people, by the
law, could buy only them. Their capital
was increased by enormous profits. The
bonds on which they built their factories
became dividend paying shares. Their
works SO expanded that they began to feel
each others presence. They were as fish in
a tank, always growing while it remains the
same, for their power of production grew
more rapidly than the power of paying or
consuming. AS such fish collide, so they
began to compete. The first who felt this
competition that lowered prices must at
kept, If possible, at the legalized rate Be-
cause by the cheaper land here the farm
laborer can get greater share OF the pro-
duct, other things being equal, the Ameri-
can standard Of living is higher than the
foreign. When in the struggle between the
workmen for the wages that supplied the
needs OF Americans and the manufacturer
to win the profits for which he had passed
the tariff, the settling it was in the manu-
facturer's control. The American standard
must come down. He settled it, If not
otherwise, by importing labor with lower
standard.
Count the time lost by strikes, time spent
in halls and beershops consulting, loss by
uniulflled contracts for homes on partial
payments made and lost. Count the irrita-
tions and conflicts of the artisans competing
for employment. Compute the loss Of all
interest felt in his labor by the man work
ing finally for what he feels is less than he
ought to get. Count the greater expense of
living by the heightened price of the pro-
tected and all commodities. Count the in
crease of rent while for a short time the
high wages of stimulated labor market
prevailed. Subtract all these and items in.
Vulnerable besides, growing out of the con-
ditions of the lowered standard Of living
Where is the permanent dollar won by the
working class of America by the tariff
The manufacturers SO protected have now
eutgrown the country. They can more than
supply its consuming power. AS at first they
combined to pass the law mutually guar
anteeing profit, now again they combine to
prevent any further investment of capital
to supply the market they control, they now
disdain TO appeal to Congress. They are
strong enough to be law-givers themselves
They constitute the "Trust." crush out com,
petition wherever it shows its head, and tax
at will every wealth producer in the land.
Whether he be protected wage-earner or
an unprotected farmer, he must now pay
the price they extort. The conditions of the
wage-earners all over the country, the in
creasing impoverishment of the small farm
ers in every State-what has brought about
these results but the unequal law that fos-
tiers one form of industry at the expense of
another?
Human greed is an instinct that when
fully developed is remorseless as the tigers
craving. 1t is the function of a peoples
government, organized for the general wei.
fare, not to foster it but to hold II in check.
The "infant industry" was born of this greed
Where is the State in which the Amsri
can artisan or laborer has been benefited
by the tariff? The increasing number of
tramps declares glutted labor market.
Till laborers at the ballot box declare for
tariff reform there is no lettering their con-
ditions. Whatever may be the issue to.
morrow that is the question of the hour
No other issue can be made till that is set
tied.