The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-09-22
PROTECTION AND LABOR.
Prof Ely Presents tho Question in Way
That Can't lie afisun nderstood.

Prof Ely Presents tho Question in n Way
That Can't he misunderstood.
Il would be hard to find clearer
and palmer presentation OF the tariff
Issue as It stands to-day before the
people Of the United States than that
made by Prof. r. T. Ely, Phi. d., in his
book. Problems Of To-day" Anent
che Observation-Disclosures labor
argument. he says:
"About 1910 VIC csn find the watch
word, Protection to American labor
against cheap labor taking the place
of the former rallying cry, Protection
to our infant industries No doubt
for party purposes It was IN immense
improvement.
ut proceeded upon the hypothesis
that the American employer must pay
more than his European competitor for
labor, and that the difference must be
made up to him by u tax on foreign
competitors; some indeed with q nice
air OF accuracy, claiming 1t us scien-
tific principle thnt duties should be
precisely such in every instance as to
equal the difference in cost OF labor.
1t is assumed that II duties fall Ameri-
can labor must also fall in price and,
like European labor, become pauper
labor.
"One manifest superiority in this
new plea is that it does not advocate
duties ms something temporary, but as
something to endure as long as Ameri-
can labor is dear and foreign labor is
cheap
Another Ia the benevolence wrapped
up in it, and not merely benevOlence.
| 1t is benevolence of u superior and
unique sort! Benevolence often means
sacrifice on the part of him who exer-
cises it, as when wear an old coat
that / may help educate the orphan
child of an old friend. Not so the be-
nevolence Of the protective tariff, for
it is warranted never to take penny
from the pockets of its most devoted
adhcrents. They may live in palaces,
drink champagne. and be merry while
their bank accounts swell! Have
they not done their part? Are they
not the representatives OF protection to
American labor?
"Butis American labor after all pro-
tectedp
"Let us at once go to the heart OF
things.
"If have any thing to sell, it is con-
ceivable that may be helped in two
ways by government. To say that
want to sell thing means simply that
I want to get something else for it.
sell that l may buy. Money simply
comes in as medium. A farmer sells
corn for money, and with the money
buys shoes Corn is really exchanged fol-
shoes, and money is used as a medium
merely to facilitate exchange. Now,
if government in some way can in
crease the supply of these things which
wish to buy, 1 may be benefited
More will be offered me for what
have to sell. On the other hand, l
government can diminish the supply
of the article l want to sell, can ge
moro for it, and am benefited.
elbow stands the case with the
Wagc-fecelVcf!
What has he to sellp The com
modify, labor, and nothing else. Witt
that commodity Qabor) he must pur
8 chase all other things.
| "Now, what is government doing
S for him?
+ ''Is government rendering labo
3 scarce and commodities PLENTIFUL o.
t the contrary, no duty is put on labor
= Labor comes in free. Not only that
o our protectionists are helping to in
9 crease the supply of labor and to keel
J. it's price down. Do not Federal con
y suls encourage emigration from Eu
;; rope to American Do not States ant
/ Territories send agents abroad to ali
e and abet foreign labor in its purpos
It to fill up the supply of labor in our owl
o market? Do not the protectionist EN-
g ployers themselves keep their agent
Q in every part OF Europe to help swel
n the throng of those coming to OH
d shores, and, in case of demand TO
p higher wages, to take the place OF tn
1t discontentedP Strange! Yet it is a
/ true. The commodity which the lahore
1t has to sell is not protected. All tina
Il government does is to help increaseit
:. | suDn1v and thuS reduce it's price, ~