Wichita eagle., 1888-11-10
A PLAIN TARIFF LESSON.


A PLAIN TARIFF LESSON.
The Difference Betveen The Condition Of
Workingmen Here and Abroad.
One day, year ago, saw an intelligent
mechanic planning piece OF iron In Bel
gian machine shop. He was very skilled
workman, and received eighty cents per
day, high price for mechanic on the
continent. When | told him that our
mechanics received from two to three dol
lars per day Tor the same work, he seemed
susprised and said:
And provisions are cheaper in America
and could live cheaper there than here:
How do you know thatT' asked.
Because" said he, Il buy American
bacon and American -four here in Brus-
sells American bacon Is penny pound
cheaper here than our bacon, and then
your provisions have to be brought here.
Fresh pork is Sold for Is cents per pound
at the market here. while 1 can buy your
American bacon for II cents. could live
on less money in America than I can
here know l could make dollar go
farther there where pork and -four is
cheap than here in Belgium. provided /
ate no more there than here"
YES" / said, You could live there
cheaper than here if you ate the same
things, but you would not do it. Now
what do you eat here?"
well, sir" he said, as he placed his
left hand on his brow thoughtfully, Il
have five children-seven mouths to feed.
Now I buy seven pounds of American
bacon a week, besides American -four.
Ny wife cuts this bacon into seven pieces.
She hashes it up, puts in potatoes,
mangel wurzels, turnips and sits in
some flour, and it makes nice stew. We
eat this stew three times day.
"Do you have cofee?"
"Oh no; we can't afford that"
"Pies and cakes?'
you are joking
"Do you have butter?"
"Oh, no; we have plain bread. That's
ALL"
told this merchant that in slave times
in America seven slaves would have re-
ceived three and one-half pounds of bacon
each, or twenty -four and one-half pounds
for the seven.
"And my family of seven freemen only
eat-seven pounds!" he exclaimed.
THAT is it, said.
"And seven soldiers in the American
army draw twenty eight pounds of pork
week to our seven.
But" I continued, ''our American
mechanics who get two and three dollars
a day because of our protective tariff
often say that dollar will go farther in
Europe than in America"
1--WE do make it go farther" said the
mechanic, as his eyes moistened, ''but we
starve ourselves to do it. The question
with US is not how to make or save money
but shall we always have enough to eat?
Shall we never starveY'
cit is cold, see, l continued, land do
you wear no wooden coatG'
"Woolen coatl' he exclaimed. you
are joking again; wooden coat" he re-
peated half musingly. "Woolen coat?
why gentlemen wear them in Belgium
and France, not workingmen. Working
men wear cotton blouses. If l should
wear wooden coat the other workmen
would laugh at me. We do make dollar
go farther in Europe than in America,
surely, and we do it by scrimping in
clothing and food"
mechanics boarding house in Fort Plain.
gentlemen in Brussels. Their wages were
$3.50 per day instead of eighty cents. The
table groaned with roast beef, boiled
chicken, white bread, coffee, butter and
cake. 1t was dinner for prince in
Belgium. No one asked, "Shall we always
have food or shall we never actually
starved" They talked about buying
houses. Il shall put 5000 in the bank
this year." said one. Another wore q
diamond in his scarf All had watches,
and many lighted cigars after the meal
that cost more than the poor Belgian's
whole meal, and then remarked:
"They say dollar goes further in
Europe where they have free trade and
low wages than it does here where we
have protective tariff and high wages"
noticed one handsome mechanic didn't
eat at all He looked at the chicken,
clawed over the pie and finally slipped his
Coffee and said:
'Ive got dyspepsia, boys. Too many
fried oysters last night. I'm off my feed.
l guess I'll take some Apollinaris water
and then smoke"
yes l thought, "a dollar does 60
farther in Europe than in America, for
the price of that Apollinaris water and
cigar would have gone a whole day in
Belgium with the big family of a poor
mechanic whose labor is unprotected. The
status of the Belgium mechanic results
from 200 years Of free trade. The status
of the American mechanic results from
forty years of protection"
Workmen, when you vote think Of this.
New York Mail and Express.