Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-08-30
PRACTICAL TARIFF TALK.
General Harrison's Admirable Little
Speech on Protection.

General HarrfSOnB Aom1raDie Little
Speech on Protection.
In his speech to the miners who Wis
tied him recently, General Harrison
presented some views upon the tariff
question which were admirably simple
and effective He did not care, he
said, to present statistics showing that
the condition of American working
men is infinitely better than that of the
workingmen of any other country. 1t
was sufficient to note the fact, he
urged, that the gates of Castle Garden
swing inward for the admission of i'm
migrants from all the European nations,
and never outward for the egress of
American laborers seeking a more de-
sirable land than this. That tells the
whole story, and we can not too often
remind ourselves that such testimony
is conclusive as to the superior condi-
tons and opportunities which are here
offered to those who have to work for
a living. If men could do as well in
free-trade countries they would not
come here by millions to found new
homes and live under new form OF
government 1t is because our splen-
did system of protection has secured to
labor a measure of reward and a
degree of prosperity never before
known in the world that these people
flock to our shores in such great num-
bers. Without protection to prevent
unjust and unfair competition, wages
would be no higher here than they are
in England, for instance, and there
would be no inducement to foreigners
to come here.
To insure the permanence of this re-
markable prosperity We must maintain
the conditions and the influences which
have brought it about. No elaborate
argument is needed to establish that
proposition. 1t is as plain as the east
est example in primary arithmetic.
Every intelligent man knows that the
more work there is to do the higher
the wages will be for doing it. "Is it
not clear, then" General Harrison
asks, ''that the policy which provides
the largest amount of work to be done
at home is the policy which will give
our laboring men steady employment
and the best pay? And is it not equal
ly clear that the policy which will
transfer work from our mines and
factories to foreign mines and factories
must inevitably tend to the depression
of wages here?" In this brief and
direct statement of the case lies the
whole issue between the Republican
and Democratic parties. 1t is not a
matter of profound and intricate
theorizing, but of plain and
practical fact. We know that certain
excellent results have been produced
by certain logical causes, and it is
reasonable to believe that the same
cause will go on operating in the same
way if We keep them in the same rela-
ton to our affairs. 1t is absolutely
true, in other words, that protection
has proved to be profitable policy
for us, putting actual dollars and cents
into the pockets of all classes, prOmot-
ing the general welfare of the masses,
and constantly enlarging the field of
employment. Is not that sufficient
vindication of its value and a sufficient
reason for its continuance? The tariff
matter, with all its bewilderments.
comes at last to the simple question of
financial profit. Does protection pay?
If so, then it is good thing and ought
to be preserved. Not all the philo-
sophy in the world can discDedit it if
the facts prove that it is practical ad-
vantage to the country; and that is
exactly what the facts do prove be-
yond all controversy ST. Louis Globe
Democrat.