Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-10-18
The Workingmans Interest in Protec-
ton.

The Free Trade advocate is a
theorist, calmly Indifferent to those
practical aspects of good govern
ment which statesmen recognize
as nomentous. Point him to the
fact that millions of workers are
now engaged in those industries
which will suffer, some Of them
disappear, when exposed to unre-
strained foreign competition, and
ask him what is to become Of these
people, he at once responds that
they can go at some other work,
and beyond this-he saith not.
This may satisfy the clustered
professor of political economy, and
those who are content to repeat
his theories; but the thousands of
voters who depend upon steady
work at fair pay cannot afford to
become the victims of theory,
whatever its fascination for the
visionaire. With them every
question of governmental policy is
apractical one, in the decision of
which they cannot hazard a
mistake.
Under the policy of protection
the productions of our country
of agriculture, manufactures, mines
forests-have so marvelously in
creased that there is to-day more
work for more men than at any
time since the first wheel revolved
in America, or the first furrow was
turned. There has not been a day
since the Mayfower landed when
an average days work would go
so far as it will to-day in supplying
the comforts and necessaries of
family life. 1t is this condition
that the workingman is asked to
jeopardize by reversing the fiscal
policy under which it was brought
about. Aside from the suspicious
circumstance that the inspiration
for such change, as we'll as the
arguments put forth in its behalf
have foreign origin, and are
largely championed by men
interested in foreign trade, there
are certain practical aspects of the
situation which no prudent voter
should ignore when casting his
ballot.
Let it be remembered that every
competing foreign article sold in
this country takes the place of a
domestic made article which might
have been sold. Just so much
more foreign goods as are sold to
our people, just SO much less
domestic goods can be sold. If
not made, employment in their
manufacture must stop, idleness
ensue, and with it privation and
distress. 1t is not enough for the
theorist 10 say that men thus
thrown out of employment can
take hold Of something else.
Other lines of business are now as
full as manufactures. Crowding
agriculture with men elsewhere
thrown out inevitably depress that
industry. Thousands who are now
buyers of products will be unable
to pay, and will either raise what
they need or go without. Wages
will go down under the diminished
for the products of farm and
factory, hard times will reign
supreme, and the Free Traders
millennium will draw nigh. Then,
and not till then, can goods be
produced as cheaply here as in
Europe, for labor under such con-
ditions can be produced on equal
terms here and abroad,
Every voter who earns his living
by harder work than clipping
coupons will do we'll to contem-
plate the tendency and result of
the present Free Trade appeals
before casting his ballot for its
furtherance in the United States,
whose citizens are worthy a better
fate than such policy has in store
for them.