Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-07-25
The uHnma Market" Cry.


Now that the tariff is discussed on every
street corner and country store there is re-
newal Of the protectionist cry for home
Market" "We want the home market"
they say, and they have ''home market clubs
and societies to preach higher duties and
protest against lower tariff taxes.
A tariff duty is tax. When home
market protectionist demands higher
duty or opposes lower he simply asks that
a tax shall be increased, or at least not
diminished. If anybody who pays taxes
likes it, and prefers to pay more taxes rath-
or than less, that's his business, and has
right to vote for high tariff duties and for
Harrison and Morton. But if he prefers to
pay low rather than high taxes the "home
market cry ought not to prevent him from
voting for Cleveland and Thurman and low
taxes.
A tariff duty is tax; and it is a tax so
laid as to enable the home manufacturer to
charge more for his product than he could
if he had to compete with foreign producer
of the same article. If the duty did not
have this effect the protected capitalist
would not so strenuously insist on it. If the
high tariff did not put money-and great
deal of money-into the pockets of the pro-
tected capitalists, they would not fight for
it and resist lower duties. Mr.. Carnegie,
who advises everybody to 60 coaching in his
holiday, and who spends his money in Eng
land very freely, pocketed million and a
half dollars in one year as his personal profits
on steel rails and beams, which are very
highly protected. Mr.. Carnegie is one of
the most earnest protectionists IN the coun-
try, and means to vote for Harrison and
Morton.
He wants the 'shome Market" and be
wants high duties to secure him and his
fellow lords of protection this shome mar
ket." What does that mean? The protec-
ton lords regard the tariff as means of
forcing thei great mass of unprotected
Americans to buy of them at the prices they
choose to fix. Is not that rather impudent ?
If capitalist should come along and ask
Congress to lay tax SO that he could force
| foreigners 20 buy of him at his own price,
there might be some sense in that. 1t
would not be a particularly honorable thing
to do, but, at any rate, our own people
would not suffer.
For who makes up this "home marketP"
They are the great mass of unprotected peo-
pie in the United States-people outside of
the pale of the high tariff; people whom the
tariff does not guard and cannot guard
against foreign competition. How. for in
stance, can baker of bread, blacksmith,
tailor, servant, dock laborer, dray-
man, clergyman, carpenter or painter
or butcher, a lawyer, a school teacher, a
workman by the day anywhere in the coun-
try; farm laborer, a railroad engineer, a
fireman, sw1tchman-hOw can any OF
these be protected ?" These and multi
tude of others, including the great mass of
the farmers, make that 'fhome market, to
secure them the control of which the Car
negies and other protection lords cry out
for high and higher tariff.
Is it not an impudent thing for the lords
of protection to demand high duties on the
plea that they want exclusively this "home
market?' 1t is simply demanding that du-
ties-taxes, that is to say-shall be so ar
ranged for their benefit that they shall be
able to force the great mass of the people
who are not protected and cannot be
protected" by any tariff, to buy of them
and them only.
Oh, but they speak for their workmen.
Do they? While Mr.. Carnegie was in Eng
land spending his steel-rail profits in coach
ing, his partners were trying to cut down
the wages of his workmen, and every work
man in the land knows that those million
naire proteotionists have imported hundreds
of thousands of Italians and other cheap
laborers to take the places of mon who ask
ed only for living wages That cock won't
fight any more. The dear workman is be
ginning to discover that he is too, too dear
for the protected capitalist, who likes the
scum of Europe's cheap labor much better.
But suppose it we're trues Even in so
great manufacturing State as New York
the unprotected people are SO much more
numerous than those gaining a precarious
living in protected" industries that they
could almost afford to pension the "protect-
ed" laborers, so called by their lords, and
not feel the loss, if they we're not taxed by
high duties far beyond this needs of the gov
eminent The whole number of persons
working for living in this State by the
census is 1,Se4,e45. Of these 5a7,Sa7 are
engaged in personal and professional SER
vices, 539. 419 in trade and transportation,
345, $50 in mechanical employments-as
carpenters, bakers, butchers, painters, sc.
not one of whom gets any protection
from the tariff, while all make up that
''home market" which the protection lords
rob by trusts and high prices. Then there
are still 377, 400 in agriculture, who get a
sham protection, which costs them much
more than it comes to.
There remain in this State 1884, 149 people
engaged in protected" industries-poorer
paid, living more wretchedly, oftener on a
strike for decent wages, oftener kicked out
by their employers to give way to italian
and other cheap labor than all the rest.
Yes, this ''home market" is big thing.
But every body would be better off if the
protection lords looked more after foreign
market. Our own people would have a
better chance.-N. Y. Herald.