Omaha daily bee., 1888-06-18
Workbench ana the Tariff.

WASHINGTON, June 16.-[Spccial to THE
BEE. "A prominent German-American who
is here from New York to-day, gives a very
interesting account of the manner in which
the subject of the tariff is agltating the minds
of the working men of the country to-day.
Said this gentleman to your correspondent
this afternoon:
"Never, in my recollection, has this i'm
portant question came home so closely to the
minds of the people most directly interested
as it has been brought within the past few
months. Heretofore the theories of protec-
ton and free trade have been looked upon in
the abstract as ideas not directly affecting
the bread and butter Of the wage
workers. He has gone on voting
the statements made by the opponents or the
advocates of the present system, and while
he has generally talked in favor of protec-
tion, he does not seem to have realized the
Importance to himself of the retention of the
existing policy. The Germans, the Poles,
the Swedes and the Italians who have come
to this country for the purpose of lettering
their condition, have learned very quickly
that wages are better and that all conditions
of life are superior in this country TO those
that exist in the Fathcrland. But they have
not gone to the trouble of finding out why
these conditions were more agreeable to
them here, and usually the great majority of
them when they had reached the point of
securing their naturalization papers, have
voted for the democratic ticket.
SIN a great many instances these men read
little beyond the sensational news in their
papers and the items relating to the condi-
ton of affairs in the country which they
have forever left behind. The financial and
fiscal affairs of the United States never
trouble them to any great extent, and where
you would find a crowd gathered together it
was seldom that the tariff entered into the
conversation.
Now, however, there is a great difference.
1t is almost impossible TO find a gathering of
workingmen in any of the beer halls or other
places of resort in or about New York City
where the tariff is not the all absorbing topic
of discussion. have seen within the past
two months gatherings of intelligent
~workingmen with their pockets loaded with
tariff speeches, which they would pull ont
and read to. their companions and discuss,
serIatIm, item by item. Some of the speak.
ers IN congress would be surprised if they
could hear the intellectual force of some of
the arguments which are made pro and con
when their speeches are being dissected by
the men who are most Interested in the
policy which these speeches are designed to
break down or to maintain. The result of
all this will be in my opinion, that the tariff
will enter far more into the campaign i'm the
eastern section of this country than ever be-
fore, and that 1t will not be at the great
most ~forciple %ume will be
maintained. On the contrary, there is every
reason TO believe that the workingInon of
this country will take the brunt Of the dis
cussiOn upon themselves, and that the gather
ings around the tables where working men
congregate nightly, will have far more effect
on the campaign than any of the great out
door or indoor meetings, where the best
speakers of the country are gathered to-
gether.