Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-29
Pomona, August 9th.
A Condition and Not u theory Con.
fronts Us.

EDITORS HERALD How often is it
asserted by Republican newspapers that
Protection" means protection to labor,
tc the majority of our people, that pros
perlty and protection are synonyms, that
hlgh wages necessitate Protection"
that good homes as logical sequence
must follow Protection" Now, origi-
nally the tariff was, as Judge Thurman
vet describes it, tax placed upon GER
tain articles OF consumption, (made neces-
sary by the mpoverishment of the
country by the war; for the reimburse
ment of the State, and it was only after
this original purpose of the tariff was
fulfilled, and consequently the arguments
for the further continuance of same,
impotent and illogical, that the labor
protective" theory first came to light.
Thus born OF opportunity, upheld by indi-
vidual interests, which had become enrich
ed by its indirect effects (by no means the
intention of the State), protection" OBJ
tanned its chief force and became the cry
Of those who least needed any, the few,
who had already been specially benefited
at the expense of the many. And as
though to make the audacity of guile
more audacious, as the times required,
the watchword of protection" became
protection to labor and high wages"
and was adopted by party in the hope
of obtaining the votes OF those with whom
it had no sympathy. Thus the Republi-
can party has taken up the cause of
protection" after having for its own
purposes twisted it into protection to
labor" thereby espousing system of
blackmail in the hope that at least it
" ~
vested interests" and plea for favor
itism depends in great measure upon
the broadcast dissemination of the "pro-
tection'' theory. Thus we see how it
comes that protection" in the form OF
protection to labor" has become a
party cry and is now inscribed
f1auntlngly upon our national flag,
as though it was intended 10
appear that that also was upheld but by
certain class of citizens, that it also was
but question of party. These then are
the arts which have been employed to
seduce popular opinion from its legitimate
source, aud how it is endeavored to up
hold theory OF protection which is in
its essence most palpably tending towards
the benefit and enrichment of the few, to
the detrment and impoverishment OF the
many, and to lend authority to a system
which has ever been the stronghold of
the rich, of monopolists-the hot-bed of
rings and pools, and the prolific source
OF corners, ETC., and all this under the
plea that this self-same system meant
protection to labor" The very fact
that there are more "strikes" in America
than any other country, and that nine
tenths OF these strikes occur in protected
industries, should at least be safe
guard against us believing that "protec-
ton" protects labor, for whatever else
may be asserted in its favor, it certainly
does not do that, and to prove which it
is only necessary to point to such organ
izations as the Knights of Labor, Farm
ers' Alliance, the United Labor party,
and so on, to see what enormous consoli-
dations OF workmen are necessary in this
country to keep wages up to even what
they are. Whenever free trade in labor
is abolished, that is when Chinese and
European paupers are prohibited from
coming in free and the tax is taken off
what the laborer must eat and wear,
(however much that would be against the
doctrine of fostering "home industries" )"
and the cry from them still more than
ever for protection" Notwithstanding
they have had, as they confess, thirty
years OF unexampled prosperity") then
1t will be time enough for that party
which has sprung to the side of the
laborer SO suddenly to talk about "pro-
lection to labor" but until that time it
is, as our President has we'll said, ga
condition, aud not theory, which con-
fronts us. T. R. B.