St. Paul daily globe., 1888-10-01
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
Some Good Words on the Tariff
and Wage Subject.

To the Editor of the Bee:
am glad that Mr.. Wheeler has given
to the public in last nights Bee the
facts he privately related some time
ago. The picture is refreshing one
for those who talk about labor getting
the benefit of protection. Women
nearly naked working beside men
nearly brutalized in the scorching fur
naces of Andrew Carnegie, while that
gentleman is riding with the leader of
the Republican party to Cluny castle.
The fact is that protection" not only
lowers, but greatly lowers, the rate OF
wages. If not, how comes it that wages
in the non-'protected' occupations,
such as The building trades and railroad
ing, are so much higher than wages in
iron-making and mining? Since 1880
there has been general rise in wages
in the -"protected'' occupations of
about 10 per cent; bnt in the protect
ed" occupation there has been general
fall, as John Jarrett himself admits of
20 per cent. The truth is that the high
tariff puts the men in the power OF the
masters The masters can and do fire.
quently go through with this little pro-
cess. First they manufacture a heavy
surplus; then, alleging that the market
is weak, they unite in declaring that
wages must be reduced. The neil
probably strike. Then, as production
ceases, prices go up and the manufac-
turers make more money than ever, in
asmuch as the mountain-high tariff,
more than twice as high as that of any
other country except Brazil, does not
allow the competition of foreign goods.
In two or three months the men get
starved out and go back to work at re-
duced wages, and stay till another cut
is determined upon. The manufactur-
erS would not be so ready to shut down
were it not for the high tariff which Sc
cures them the market. L fancy how
Carnegie must roll around and laugh at
the idea that high tariff makes him
pay high wages.
Now, MIR. Editor, | propose to offer
you companion picture of MIR.
Wheeler's, and challenge Republican
denial. While the manufacturers have
been reducing the wages of protected
labor within the last twenty years until
the general level is below that of the
awful ''free trade" year of 1860, the
manufacturers have been gathering in
the money of the people of the United
States as follows:
Pig iron, average annual production,
4,500, 900 tons: in twenty years, 10000
600 tons. Average extra price paid by
the people because competition was re-
stricted to Pennsylvanians is at least
$40 per ton: total tribute of people to
Pennsylvania 500, 100000.
There is not blow made, railroad
built, house erected that does not cost
from Is to 80 per cent more on account
of the tariff. If our Republican friends
want another picture can supply it.:
Steel rails production in 20
years in Q. S. in TONS about. $4,000, 900
Extra price paid first by rail-
roads and next by their ship
pers will average, per ton.... 500
Total tribute to steel rail
makers. :. ...... 49,. $500. .OOo, 900
The mass of the Republican party is
no doubt honest in its belief that some
how the tariff ''fosters" industries with
out anybody paying for the fostering.
But those who get the benefit of the un-
lust taxation of their fellow citizens are