Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-11
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The TnriEf and Labor.

MIX. hhNh iiuhD, WIN hdb pau
some attention to political economy,
in recent public lecture said:
The average wages of America is
$500 a year for the purpose Of argu-
ment | will cali il $500. 1t is scarce
enough to support life, but by the
Operations Of the tariff law $l33 Of this
amount is taken away from him each
year. II means one-third of his time
wasted, one-third OF his wages CON
fscated. TO me the cruelest thought
is this: That it deprives men, with the
responsibility of a family upon them, of
the power to save. Thousands Of old
men and women of the United States
this day are living either upon public
or private charity, because during the
hours of their strength a protective
tariff took away from them the power
to save. What is that but TO say that
all the protective tariff gives with one
hand it takes away with the other :?
Rather, protection
with one hand puts
A penny In the urn of poverty,
And with the other takes a shilling out !"
We do not by any means wish to
follow Mr.. Hurd into his barren Free
Trade theory; for when all is said
that is all Free Trade ever can
be. 1t is a mere doctrine,
and its extreme advocates are
mere doctrinaires. Revenue must be
raised for the support of the Govern
ment, and the position of the Demo.
cratic party on this point is irrefraga-
Bile. Let this revenue come rather
from the luxuries of the rich than
frolA the necessities of the laborer.
Let the schedule be SO adjusted as to
admit free such manufactures as we
cannot compete in, and put import
taxes on those which we do in part
produce, unless this iule violates
some other OF greater importance
Let the schedule be reformed from
time TO time, in order that
less protection may be affo, ded
to industries which by protection
have been built into independent
strength, and let the benefit 90 tc
new enterprises which are not YET
able to walk alone.
And now when all this is said, wher
every argument is exhausted for the
Protection side, and when the discus.
sion reverts to the original PROPOSE
ton, and we come to inquire into the
direct effect Of the system on labor,
there is no gainsayirg Mr..
Hurd's position that the toiler does
not derive the benefit from protection
the friends of the system claim for it.
While the protected monopolies of the
East are at liberty to rake the pur-
lieus of every overcrowded community
of Europe and Asia for Chinese or
other cheap labor, the condition of the
toiling masses of America cannot be
greatly bettered by any arrangement
of the tariff. A proper adjustment
of the schedule may build up
new industries here, and thus benefit
the nation as whole, and while
there can be no quarrel on reasonable
grounds with such policy, yet, in
its very best form the laborer is the
least benefited OF all classes by pro-
lection. AS Mr.. Hurd says, his time
is not made greatly more valuable,
while the cost OF living to him is in
creased. 1t is absurd to appeal to the
toilers to uphold the system to au un-
necessary degree, and in a burdensome
form, when they reap the least ben
eft therefrom and bear the greater
portion of its injustices and suffer the
brunt of its injuries. In the category
of toilers must be included the small
farmers of the Union, the hardest
worked and poorest paid of all.