The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-16
TO TIE wORKINGMEN OF INDIANAPOLIS.

Under the operation of a protective tariff poll
cy whose beneficial effects for more than twenty
years past have been experienced in every part
of the country and 10 all branches of business,
indianapolis has grown to be an important
manufacturing center. The material resources
of the State are but just beginning to be devel-
oped. and as this development progresses the
growth and prosperity of indianapolis and other
manufacturing cities and towns within its bor-
ders will increase.
Many Of you are engaged In the manufacture
of products or in lines Of work which are bene6-
cially affected by protection. 1t lie Il therefor impor-
tant for you TO consider how q reduction of the
tariff on the products 10 which you are engaged
would aztec. you. Most of you know, from your
contact with your employer, and from your oo-
servation OF the disasters which have overtaken
many business enterprises, that, as q rule, the
profits OF the manufacturing and mechanical IN
dustrles are not large, and thar when fortunes
have been made in them it has been by small
profits in large operations. Hence, even q small
decline OF prices must either ruin the employers
or be attended with corresponding decline In
wages.
Is it not clear that q reduction OF duties, by
even . small percentage. which will increase
importation of such things as You are making,
will force your employer to reduce his prices,
and then either wind up his business and turn
-. wv - A1oaNo IO'f
that he can compete with the foreign eoodsi
Think for a moment of the extent and dan ger
of the competition. There is scarcely q thing
you NAL which is not made in Europe from
materials as cheap as they can be had here.
even IL all raw materials were free. The rates
Of labor in Europe are on the average less than
one half-half what you receive. In all parts of
Europe, except England, wages are not more
than one-third what you now get for the same
work. You. perhaps, don't trouble yourself
much about this, because Europe is ) 900 miles
away, and yoa fancy that the rates OF wages
there do not specially concern you This is a
serious mistake. By means OF the telegraph the
prices OF everything in Europe are known 10
this country every day. If anything
can, by reason of lower duties.
or Tor any other reason. De landed
IN New York cheaper than IL car De made here.
the sharp-eyed trader teleeraphs at once TO send
il here. And within two weeks it is landed here
and on sale n our shops, displacing your work.
There is no part OF Europe so distant that the
products OF It's half starving workmen cannot be
put By the side of your products st any time
within q fortnight from giving the order for
them. All business is done now on small per-
oentsees- A margin of one per cent. of profit is
enough to hiring ship-loads of goods TO supplant
yours, threatening you with idleness or lower
wages. When men talk Of eight reduction of
duties, and tell you il doesn't amount 70 much.
you may safely say that it Is not the amount of
reduction, but the danger of any reduction what
ever. that concerns you. You want the indus
tries you are engaged IN protected from foreign
competition. You want them enlarged. and
you are identified with their prosperity. What
advantage, then, have You TO gain by any re-
ductioni is II not possible that even one Der
cent. reduction will turn the scale and give your
business TO European workm-n? Inscribe on
your bsnner-Let Well Enough Alone. Look,
before you leap.
There may be also workmsn, saeh "a plumb
ers, masors. CARPENTERS, who think that their
special industries, which now afford them good
wages, would not be injured by changes in du-
ties which might do great damage 10 other work
men. Former experience has shown that when
q reduction OF wages has thrown large bodies of
men out Of employment, the greatest sufferers
were these who were engaged in these very en-
pigments which had been considered particu-
larry free from danger. Although the other in
dustries continued TO be carried on in a small
way, no one wanted new houses. The manu-
featuring population moved into the country,
and concentrated in smaller quarters. The sm-
ployers were impoverished, cutting down
expenses, and reducing rents. Thus,
these workmen who thought themselves secure,
were really the greatest suffers and tn last to
recover, because IL was necessary that the man
ufacturing industries should be first re esrab-
lisbed before they could begin TO give employ
ment to house builders and similar workmen.
You now see the importance OF your indus
tries to this city and State, and the danger that
threatens them and all others when IL is pro-
posed to reduce the tariff.
A bitter political contest is pending. You will
contribute largely to determine the result. Ii
concerns you more than any other class of peo-
pie. The capitalist need not fear. If labor is
cheaper he does not suffer as much as you. 1t
rests with you to say whether you will MAINTAIN
labor, and by protecting your industries, make
the demand for IL greater, more constant, and
more uniform. and all interested 10 it happier
and richer.