Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-03
TARIFF AND LABOR.
What am Organizer Thinks ON the
subject.

subject.
EDITORS HERALD-On reading the
speech of Ex-Governor Sheldon, deliver
ed at the Republican Wigwam on Sept
ember 1st, was struck with one thought
expressed by the gentleman, that if
taken up by the Democratic stump
speakers and presented to the working
men of this country, would do more to-
wards convincing them that protection to
labor as held out by the Republican par
ty does not protect the laborer, than any
thing that could be presented.
Here it is, the gentleman, in going
over retrospect for few years in the
United States, winds up this paragraph
with the following: cit may be said
that England is free trade and these
other countries are protective, and that
wages are higher in England free-trade
nation, than they are in the others. Such
is the fact, and now what is the reason
1t is because Great Britain .olerates labor
organizations, and the other Govern
ments prohibit them. 1t is through the
influence of these organizations that
wages have been increased in Great
Britain at ALL"
Mr.. Sheldon hits the nail square on
the head. Labor organization has done
more in the United States to bring wages
to the standard it has reached than any
other or all forces combined. High
tariff or protection to American labor, SO
called, never did it; but on the contrary,
the very reverse is the case, which
could prove to the American mechanic
and workingman if space in your paper
would permit.
l have attended all the meetings of my
party and many of the Republican party
held in this city, as l am anxious to get
all the knowledge crammed into my
head on this all important question of
tariff, and particularly to hear what
arguments the Republicans advance to
back their assertion that high tariff and
protection to American labor protects the
workingmen of this country.
I must confess that up to the present
time there is no speaker on the Demo-
cratic stump that have heard that, in
my judgment, is sufficiently posted in re-
gard to labor organization in this country
to intelligently present the case to the
workingmen, to whom the Republican
party is making their great appeal for
votes.
This campaign will be decided by the
labor vote of the country, at least 80 the
Republicans think, otherwise they would
not 60 to such extremes in showing their
great love for the poor workingmen Of
this land. They love them very dearly
| just now. A very important election is
about to take place, and they want their
votes. For the balance of the Presiden-
| tial term, or about three years and nine
months in every four years, the Repub-
lcan party would sink the workingmen
as far in Hades as pigeon could fly in
week. If there is such a place, the Re-
publican party is driving the working
men there as fast as they can by the i'm
portation OF coolie and all kinds of for
eign labor brought to this country under
contract, through laws created by Re-
publican Congresses in the past.
The Republican party reminds me OF
the old saying, "when the Devil was
sick the Devil a monk would be, when
the Devil was well the Devil monk was
he." My object in taking up valuable
space in your paper is to draw the atten-
ton of our National Committee, our sew
eral State Committees, as we'll as our
County Committees throughout this
State to the importance of securing the
best talent they can find from the ranks
of organized labor, put them on the
stump, they will have more influence
with the workingmen and can better ex-
plain why wages are higher in this
country, and the causes of it, and can
clearly demonstrate by actual facts and
figures that so-called protection to Amer
ican industry has no more to do with
making wages high than the man in the
moon, than any speaker not familiar
with labor organization in this country
can do. Only men connected with labor
organization can fully explain the situa-
ton. j. j. HANFoRD.