Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-09-14
The Necessary Result Of Free Trade.

Inc Necessary Result OF L rec lraue'
Upon what terms can we adopt a rev.
enue Tariff system in this country? In
one way only, by accepting European
conditions and submitting to all the
diScomforts and disadvantages of our
commercial rivals. The chief obstruc-
! ton i'm the way of revenue Tariff is
the wages paid American workingmen
and return to that policy involves re-
| duction in the cost of labor. We can
not afford Mr. President, to have cheap
labor i'm the United States. Cheap
labor means cheap men and dear mon
| ey. would rather elevate and i'm
prove the condition Of my fellow-citi-
/ liens than increase the value of money
and the power of "money-bags. " This
is "a Republic Of free and equal citizen
ship The Government is in the hands
OF the MASSES. and not of the few This
is our boast and is proud one. The
condition of the masses, their well-be-
ing. their intelligence, their prepare
tons for the civil duties which rest
upon them. depends largely upon the
scale Of industrial wages. 1t is essen
tial. therefore, that the best possible
wages attainable shall be secured and
maintained. This is vital and funda-
mental. We cannot without grave dis
turhauces and danger-we ought not
.,,t,1.,.. a,,,, .fV.nt,et apeas- aIopt a mol
icy which would scale down the wages
and diminish the comforts of the
American Workingmen. Their welfare
and independence, their progress and
elevation. are closely related to the
welfare. independence and progress of
the Republic. We have got no pam
pcrcd class i'm this country and we want
none. We want the field open. No
narrowing of the avenues no lowering
of our standard. We want no barriers
raised agiust higher and better civil
ization. The gateway Of opportunity
must be open to all. to the end that
obey may be the first who deserve to be
first. whether born in poverty or reared
i'm luxury. We DO want the masses ex-
Guided from competing for the first
rank among their countrymen and for
the nations greatest honors and we do
not mean they shall be.
Free Trade. OF revenue tariff, will
of necessity shut them ont. 1t has no
respect OF labor; 1t holds it as mere
machinery of capital; it would have
cheap men that it might have cheap
merchandise. With all of its boosted
love for the struggling millions it is in
hutely more interested in cutting down
the wages of labor than in saving %
cents ON blanket; more intent in re-
ducing the purchasing power of a man 5
labor than the cost of his coat Things
are not always dearest when their
price is nominally the highest. The
price is not the only measure. but the
whereWith to buy it is the essential
factor Few men before me but have
/ found i'm the course of their lives more
/ than once that that which was cheapest
/ when measured 10y mere price, was
dearest when without money and en-
/ ploymeut. or When their products could
find no market, and, finding it, COM
maud no price at all commensurate
with the labor required to produce them
Primarily. it is labor which is inter
ested most in this question of Protec-
/ ton. The man with money can seek
other avenues OF profit and Investment.
or can wait for his dividends, but the
laborer cannot wait for his dinner, and
the United States do not want the cit
liens who make residents and Senate
and House of Representatives to be in a
condition of dependence and deStitu-
ton. That is not the sort of citizen
ship We want.