The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-07
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Protection Against the Peddlsr


referring to the necessity of protecting our city
merchants against the pedders. At first gave
it but passing notice, but it seemed to have
impressed itself so thoroughly on my mind that
after considering it well have almost come to
this conclusion. and it does seem to me that
every laboring man should consider it well before
he casts his next vote IF it is of great impor-
lance to the business men of Indianapolis TO
have protection from peddlers, of how much
more Importance should it be to them and our
manufacturers and laboring men that we should
have protection from foreign competitionf To
illustrate in case of free trade, we will take
England for the peddler With her cheap labor
she proposes to bring her manufactured goods
over here in competition with our goods. She
will peddle them out all over the country, be-
cause it would be fraction cheaper than our
goods; our laborinc men would buy the cheap
goods; the peddler tEnglandi would take all
the money aud send it directly back to England
in order to keep her aborng employed,
while our own manufacturers would be compell-
ed to either cut down the wages of their opera
tors close down altogether. Wnyl Bee ause
our laboring mon have patronized foreign manu-
facturers and have sent their money away from
home. thereby crippling our industries. On the
other hand, with high protection. although our
goods were trifie higher. mills and fac
tories will be running and our laboring men aud
women will all be happy and prosperous, as Was
the case in the past when the Republican party
had full control of our government How Ia
boring men will be hood winked with the silly
promise of cheap articles if free trade is adopted
is more than l can comprehend. have often
question is too deep for the iaboring man to COM
prehend. 1t does me that it is so plain
that any man without prejudice can see it at 3
glance. Therefore, let the old Republican
party unfurl her banner that every laborin g
man can read inscribed it in plain letters,
Protection to American Labor and Maoufac-
lures" and let us once more rally to the old
flag and inscribe theron the words which Abra-
ham Lincoln SO often spoke Of: s.Tnis is the
party for the people. and of the people. regard
less OF race, creed or color, and success viii be
sure. A LABoRING MAN.
CRAwFoRDsvILLE Ind. Feb. 6.
To the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journa1
Within my memory over ten millions of
workingmen have crossed the Atlsntic in search
of employment, and here we are to-day with our
children and our childrens children. The woods
are full Of us; the Cities towns, townships and
other places are filed with us. And the free
trader is spreading his net for us. that he may
use and then abuse Turning first to the
subjects of Queen Victoria, ask did you not
get your fill of free trade in the land of your
siresa Perhaps some of you may need a little
reminder Here it u.s.
During the last forty-ive years the working
men of England, Scotland and Wales have been
basking in the sunshine of tarih-for-revenue
only. just look them now. Fawcett says
political Economy page 1922: The agricultural
population of the country are so wretchedly
poor that if they were converted into slaves to-
morrow, it would be for the interest of their
masters to feed them much better than they
are" This is the result of the game of "buy
cheap and sell dear" Forty Eve years ago
Peel. Golden and Bright spoke at least, three
fourfhs of the free-trade apothegms which went
to make up Grover Clevelands late message.
What says John Bright now2 These are his
words. used in a late speech in Glasgow: There
passes before my eyes vision of millions of
families-not individuals. but whole families
fathers. mothers, children, all passing CHASTITY,
from the cradle to the grave" We want no
such visions nor ''processions" in this coun-
try. And surely the English, Scotch andWe,sh
men who have found home in Indiana will
not help to get up such s'sorrow-stricken,"
never ending" caravans. As late as September
last Reynoldss London Journal showed that
"90 per cent. of our population II am quoting
the exact words1 have neither house nor shelter
which they call their own beyond the end OF
week. they own no property OF any kind ex,
cept about as much old furniture would find
way in a common cart. Taking private chari-
ties into account. one in five OF the population
dies pauper. OF the 81, 95I deaths in tho city
of London IN 1884, l6, TAG died in the poor-house
prisons Taking the adult population of the
great cities, in three dies In the poor-house.
It's the celebrated Reynolds who speaks thus OF
the effects of duties for revenue only" Look
to England and what free trade has done
for her, says the .'revenue-only" crank. Yes,
crank, we are looking, and don't you forget it.
But what kind or hotels are those Engi1sn poor
houses in which in three of the workingmsn
of England end their days; and their nights toof
Well, here c. Edwards Testers "Glory and
Shame of England and here in Vol. l. p. 152,
is a description of poor-house: .'The English
poor houses are reckoned among the charities;
it would be well to call them by some other
name. The selfish avarice OF the keeper COM
blnes with the interest of the parish to shorten
the pauper's days and rid themselves of the
thankless burden as quick as possible. To ac-
complsh this, the cords of life are cut asunder
l. IL I.~I he
prayer of the dying pauper is denied when he
asks for light, that the darkness of night may
not mingle with the death-shades as they settle
upon his bed of rags. while the soul is breaking
away from her home of clay"
Such the Dead-s fruits which the tree OF
free trade has yielded to the workin smen of
them as have found home in America now
tempted and enticed to organize for the. purpose
of offsettirg the Irish votes on the tariff ques-
tion. It's the old game of divide and rule"
It won't win. Voorhees, Saddle-bags
eternally pointing to .sthe vast growth of wealth
in England under free trade" Here is what the
author of Espriellas Letters has to say on
this scorer wealth flows into England, but how
does it circulate therea Not equally aud health
fully throughout the whole system. No. 1T
springs into wens and tumors, and collects into
an eurisms which palsy the poor. Those poor
are driven into premature graves by unremittine
task-work, or grow up without decency, without
comfort without hope. without religion and
without shame; and bring forth slaves like
misery"
AS a workingman who has given all his spare
time during tho last thirty years to the study of
the causes that have raised up labor, and the
schemes that have kept il down. say, and
stand ready to prove. that all the woe, want,
misery, ignorance and degradation of the work.
ing classes Of England are due to her free trade,
or revenue only" system. Archibald Alison,
Principles of Population. Vol l. p. 570) shows
and proves that efourth of the lands of Eng
land Scotland and Wales is capable of supply
ing seventy-fve millions of persons with all the
necessaries and comforts of life. Then Why do
misery starvation and pauperism stalk all over
those islands2 s.Buy cheap and sell dear" have
done 1t all; it would do the same here. Mulhan
Fifty Years of Progress1 shows that i've coun-
ties of England would supply bread for upwards
Of forty millions of persons Then, in Gods
name. / aek. why does England send seven hum
dred millions of dollars out of the country every
rear for food for her people and cattleq Because
The finds the products of the labor of tbs slaves,
'srfs and riff-raf of the world . little cheaper
then the products Of English labor. This is the
key all the misery of the workingmen OF