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


which wages can be generally and per-
mancntlv rased--the only way labor
can obtain that share of wealth which
is Justly its due. And | ain one of
those who believe that this is the
supreme object that workingmen should
seek in politics. In seeking TO raise
wages, improve the conditions of labor,
we are seeking, not the good of class,
but the good OF the whole. The num-
ber OF those who can live on the labor
OF others is and can be but small as
compared with The number who must
labor TO live. And where labor yields
the largest results 30 The tab0rer, where
the production of wealth is largest and
its distribution most equitable, where
the man who has nothing t.ssth labor
is surest OF milking idJst ~ Nf9ntor
liable living and best provided for those
whom nature has made dependent upon
him, there, believe, will be tie best
conditions OF lite for all--there will the
z, II rLl standard Of Intelligence and
virtue be highest, and there will all
that makes nation truly great and
strong and glorious most abound.
Believing this, | am glad that the
presidential campaign this year is 10
turn, not upon sectional issues or mat
ters of party or personal character, but
upon great question of national poll
Cy-the question of protection or free
trade; and that this Is to be discussed,
rs IL is most important that il should be
discussed, in its relation to wages.
What Is thus entering our politics is
more than Il question of higher or
lower duties, or no duties at all-it is
the most important OF all questions, the
great labor qnes ton Aud what is
really Involved in The decision that will
be asked OF you AZ To whether protec-
ton or free trade is best for the inter-
ests OF labor, is whether the elnancipa-
ton of labor is to be sought by impos-
ing restrictions by securing freedom.
Until the men who would raise wages
and emaucipatc labor settle that for
themselvcs, they cannot unite to carry
| out any large measure.
In the coming campaign the most
frantic appeals will he made TO work
| ingmen To vote for protection. You
will be told that ''protection' means
"proicction 10 American labor" that
! that is what it was instituted for, and
that is way it is maintained; that it is
protection that makes this country SO
prosperous and your wages 30 high,
and that il it Ia abolished or even i'll
| tertercd with mills must close, mines
shut down, aud poor labor stands idle
and starvcs until American wOrkmen
are forced to work tor the lowest wages
that are paid in Europe.
Don't accept what any one tells you
least of all what is told you by and
on behalf of those who have an enor-
nous pecuniary interest in maintaining
what Is styled "protcction.' Hear
what they say, and make up your
mind for yourselves. There is nothing
in The tariff question that cannot readi.
ly be mastered by any one Of ordinary
intelligence, and the great question
whether what is called "protcction'
does or does not benefit the labOrer,
can be settled for himself by anyone
who will ask himself what protection
really j., and kOtO it benefits labor.
"NOw what is "prGlcctiQnW il is a
system oi taEes levied O. IMPORTS tor
the purpose OF increasing the price oI
certain commodities in our own coun.
try so that the home producers OF such
commodities can get higher prices toI
" mat tllci SUI ~ lilclT OWN lCllO"
cOuntrymcn.
This is all there is 10 "protection -
Protection can't enable any American
producer 10 get highcy prices Tor what
lie sells TO the people of other coun.
tries, and no duty is protective unless
it 30 increases prices as To enable some
one to get more from his fellow-citiZens
than he could without protection
How "protection" may thus benefit
some people is perfectly clear. But
how can it benefit the people! That il
may increase the profits oi the manu-.
iaCturer or the income OF the owner OF
timber or mineral land is plain. But
hot0 can il Increase wages? "Protec-
tiOn' raises the prices OF commodities
That may be TO the advantage Of those
who buy labor and sell commodities.
But hOW can il be to the advantage ol
those who sell labor and buy commo-
ditIes?
Never mind the confused and con
iusing claims that are put forth foi
protection until you can see hOO II cal
do what is claimed for it.
Ask yourselves what protection i.
and how ii operates, and you will SET
that the only way it can benefit any
one, or by encouraging" him give
him power to encourage or heneli
anyone else, is by enabling him to ge
from his fellow citizens more than ht
could otherwise get. This is the
essence OF protection; and il it has any
stimulating Or beneficial effect it mus
be through this. The protective effec
OF any protective duty Is precisely tina
OF subsidy paid by the government
To some people out Of taxes levied OF
the " hole people. The only difference
Is that i'll what is called the subsidy
system the government tax X-gathererr
would collect the tax from the Whul,
people and pay it over to the same peo
pie, aud III what is called ,he prutec
live system the tax -garhcrers only col
icct TAX ON foreign goods so as tt
''protcct the favored people, while
they tor themselves collect taxes trou
their iellOw-ciIizCns III Increased prices
Now ii Workmen get any benefit from
what is thus called prOlGctiol, it cal
only bc through The protected employ.
crs and by their favor. Tic prutectiV,
system gives nothing whatever to labor
Ii gives Only 10 tine employ ers OF labor
and only 10 some ri them. And these
some are necessarily comparativel,
J few. II is utterly impossible that an,
protective tariff can "protectr tn,
largest industries of any country, for
duty can only have II protective effcc
when levied upon goods some of which
are produced III the country aud somt
ui which are imported OF would be im
ported if il were not Tor the duty
import duties cannot be levied upon
things of which we produce enough
tor ourselves and consequently do no.
import, or Of Which we produce more
| than enough for ourselves, and cOnse
lguently export; and if levied upon
things we do not produce and must
import or 60 without, they can have 1T
protective effect Ia every country
therefore, the projected industries ci.l
only be those III Whirt! but small part
Of the labor Of that country is employ
ed. In this country, out ot our twenty
millions OF lahOrcrs OF one Gnrt on
another. those employed IN the protect
ed Industries do mOi amount To more
than 500, 900, and these Industries, il
is To be observed, are those in which
large capital is required and IL is i'm
possible for u merG laborer 10 employ
himself
Now, would it be possible by levy
ing general tax especially a tax
which, like all protective taxes, bear.
ON the poor far more heavily than on
tn cnpilaliSt) and paying out the pro-
c"eds directly to the laborcrs engaged
iu certain industries, to raise wages, Oh
even to raise wages in those industries?