The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-07-14


of their workmen. And are not these
men who are SO anxious, as they say,
to protect YOU from the competition D!
"fOreign paupcr labor the very men
who are most ready to avail themselves
OF foreign labor!
Do YOU know of any protected en-
plOyer, 10 matter how many millions
he may have made ont of the tariff,
who pays any higher wages TO labor
than he has to? Is it not true that iii
all the protected industries wages are,
if anything, lower than in the unpro
teCtcd industries? Is it not true thai
in all the protected industries work
men have been compelled TO band
themselves together to protect them
selves; and that these protected ILL.,
duslries are the industries notable
above all others for their strikes, their
lock k-Uuts, the bitter and oft-times disas
trOus industrial wars that labor is com.
PEELED to wage to prevent being crowded
to starvation rates? Are these the men
whose protection you need?
1t is impossible for me, in briet
article like this, TO go over all the
claims and expose all the fallacies OF
protection That | have already done,
i'll anticipation OF the coming before the
people of this question, in little book
entitled "PrOtectiOn or Free Trade" In
which | have shown the full relations
of the tariff question to the labor ques-
ton. All | want here TO do is TO urge
every American workingman to think
40, fr,I
eide whether what is called "protec-
tom is or is not in the interests of the
men who earn their daily bread by their
daily labor.
For if, as protectionists tell us, our
country is 50 prosperous and wages are
so high because of the protection we
already have, then we certainly ought
to bend all our efforts to get more pro-
lection. However prosperous this
country may be when viewed through
the rose c0lored spectacles OF the mil
Iiomairc, and however high wages may
be from the standpoint ut those who
think that the natural wages of labor
are only enough to keep soul and body
| together, there will be no dispute
among workingmen that this country
is not prosperous enough and wages
not high enough. Whoever may be
satisfied with things as they are, the
great mass of American citizens who
work tor Il living are not satisfied aud
ought not to be satisfied. MOnstrOas
/ fortunes are rolling up here faster than
/ they ever did in the world before; but
the great body OF the American people
get but poor hand-t0-mOuth living,
and find year after wear passing with
ont anything laid by tor rainy day.
Our rich men astonish the rich men OF
Europe by their lavish Expenditure, and
the daughters of our millionaires are
sought III marriage by European!
aristocrats of the bluest blood; but the
tramp is known from the Atlantic Ia
the Pacllic;lhe proportion OF our people
who are maintained by charity the pro.
portion who are confined in prisons and
lunatic asy yluns, the proportion OF oui
women and children who must go Il
work is s! eadily increasing. And the
proportion OF men who, starting will
nothing but their ability to labor, cal
become their own employers, or who
can hope out of the earnings of theil
labor to maintain a family and put by
a competence tor old age, is steadily
diminishing. "Staticians" may pile
up figures to prove to the American
wOrkingman how much better off he il
than lac used to be, and the editors o
protection papers may picture th'
, poverty of European workingmen il
the darkest colors TO show him how
proud and happy and contented b,
ought to he. But the labor OrganiZa
lions, the strikes, the bitter unrest will
which the whole industrial mass i
see!himg show that he is not con;ented
If protection gives prosperity, If pro
lection raises wages, then i'll heaven
uane let us demand move protection
: even though we utterly destroy al
foreign commerce and put line o
; custom houses between every state
and shut in our rich men SO that the,
cannot go to Europe and spend thei
money on foreign paupers as Mr.
Blaine is doing. But il it does not =
then let us sweep away what protection
we have. Let us raise the banner o
equal rights and try the way OF free
dom
1t is not protection that has mad
wages higher here than i'll Europe.
protection could make wages high
; why has it not made wages high il
Germany and Italy and Spain ant
Mexico? Why did It hot make wage
high in England when it was in ful
force there? Wages were higher il
the United States than in Europ
before we had any protection; and
they have on the whole. remained
higher, 1t is IN spite OF protection. On
higher wages are because of on
cheaper land-because labor coult
more readily obtain access to tn
natural materials and opportunities O
labor, he secret of our prosperity
our rapid growth, our better condition
OF labor, is SIMPLY that we have ha
the temperate zone of a vast and virgil
continent 10 ovcrrun, and that ii ha
! taken long while tor monopoly I
! fence it in. AS it is gradually 4ence
in, as the tribute that labor must pa
- mOuOpOly for the use of land become
higher and higher, SO must our socia
= comditions. tariff or no tariff, approx
g nate to the social conditions of Europe
II TO give labor full freedom; to max
G wages what they ought to be, the fu
| earnings of labor; to secure work TO
Il all and leisure for all, anu abundanc
|
j advantages and blessings OF an advanc
. lag civiization,-we must break dow
{ all momUpolics and destroy all specia
' privileges.
+ The rejection of protectiAii and tn
/ abolition of the tGriIf will not of itsel
V accomplish his, but il will be IL lon
I step toward it: step that must nee
. es,arily be taken il labor is 10 b
cmancipatcd and industrial SLAYER
abolished Until the workingmen O
= the United States get over the degrad
, lag superstition oiprotecLion they mus
be divided aud helpless. But whel
lhey once realize the true dignity o
labor, once see that the good OF all cal
= only be gained by securing the equa
, rights of each, then they can unite, ant
/ then they will be irresistible.
I And this is the question you will b.
asked this year 10 answer by you
votes. Are you ior restriction or ar,
Won for freedom? Are you III tavor q
taxing the whole people tor the benefi
Ot u few capitalists, III the hope tina
they will give To their worknen som,
of the crumbs? or are you against al
special privileges and in favor OF equa
.|,.,,. al