The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-09-08

| of either the Repu blican or of the Demo
cratic party will be the next president OF
| the United States. Therefore tn uIu VINO
has the good of his country and the wei
fare OF her people at heart the necessity
exists to choose To which OF these two
old party organizations shall be Civ EN-
| his aid, either directly or Indirectly, by
| voice or vote.
While it may be that neither party
offers all that labor organizations desire,
l believe that the K publican party, IN
adopting and advocating the American
system of encouragement and protection
TO the labor and wages of our land, is
uearer the declarations and desires of
| organized labor than its tree Trade oppon-
cnUs, the Democratic party.
The conflict is between the American
system, as represented by the Republican
| party, which would foster and encou aye
the labor Of our own people and retalu
for them the market aud wages OF our
own country, and the British system, as
represented by the Democratic party,
| which would break down the barriers Oh
protection and throw open our home
market to the productions OF foreign
factories and foreign labor, thus making
lille our own toilers and reducing to IA
| lower level the standard of American
| wages.
| When the Knights of Labor and kin
dred organizations shall have obtained in
| foreign lands the same commanding pos
| zion and influence enjoyed in the United
States, tue inequality of wages will dis
appear. not by levellug our wages down,
but by leveling their wages up. 1t is far
better to level up than to level down, as
the larger the income the Larger the
! power to consume.
Until this equalization can be accom-
pIished, and mill the wages ~ l'hor
abroad shall equal those Al home, there
must be proper restrIc' ion oi lmmlgra.
ton, so that our land may not be the
dumping ground of the pauper and de-
graded labor of the balance of the world.
! This restriction, supplemented BY i. coir.
tnuatIOn of thorough, systematic organ
ization of the labor already here, i'll
conjunction with the American idea OF
protection to American labor, cannot fail
to secure for eur people the best results
of their toll. aud by our example lit the
labor of the whole world to "a higher and
| better plane of existence.
Whiche, er party wins, something mus
be done TO regulate more strictly this
| importation of foreign labor under con
tract, and the immigration OF paupeIs
and dependents. If nothing SHOULD ue
| done, then Democratic success would
mean not only free trade in goods made
! by pauper labor. but the importation of
| both the labor and the goods.
While under free trade, goods may hr
| cheaper to the consumer i'll certain lines.
the la Dor made idle III those lines must
| turn to other means of employ meut, ana
| thus, by competition, compel a lower rate
| NJ wages to those already employed
| therein.
The power of wOrkingman to consume
depends upon what be receives for his
lhbor. Unemployed, his power to con-
sumo, except on charity or theft, ceases.
| prefer that America should he a land OF
| workers rather than land of thieves and
paupers.
What is true of the individual is equally
true OF the nation. The primary elements
If national wealth and national pros
| peritv are production, distribution and
consumption. Whatever affects the
| power of labor to consume affects the
entire interests of the nation. Whatev,l
lowers the wages of labor affects its
power to consume. An'average reduc-
ton, OF seven per centum on the cost OF
| SOpuS VIII Iob COiu pciISdlt
| American labor for the less of one hun
dred per centum i'll wages IN the lines
Effected, and OF from ten 10 fifty per
eentum in wages in the lines of employ
ment by the substitution OF tue free trade
TOR the protective system. | hold it to be
far wiser craftsmanship u build up and
retain our own market b. Jstem that
protects American labor than to command
| Il market i'll foreign lands secured b. the
| wholesale degradation and pHuperiZation
of our own people,
| Every dollars worth of labor value i'm
ported is by so much a reduction of home
| llborers' wages This axiom is not offset
| by the declaration that there are more
| goods in the imported dollars worth.
| The position of the protectionist is rather
| strengthened by such a spacious repres-
| eutation of the matter, because the
| question is then forced upon every iu' elli
gent man. How can American labor
earn dollars il the industry in which he
is experienced was transferred to foreign
| lands?"
The theory OF protection advocated by
| the Republican party is the same as the
underlying principle upon which all labor
| organizations are founded. A friend of
organized labor that belieres in orgauiz
| ton as a means to enhance ana i.aIuiain
| wages, cannot consistently ppose poo.
that applies to all abor the same pl..
| c;ple OF protection from unfair competition
that the individual trade organization
| gives to the single trade. Trade organiZa-
| zion to aid in advancing wages i'll their
respective trades and the protective
system demanded by the Republican
party, Will secure for all the tollers in the
| land similar fostering care.
That this is clearly understood by most
| of the thinking leaders of organized
labor is proved by the declaration
recently made in favor of the A'urricau
| system and home market by tie presid
ing officers of the organization represon-
| ting the iron ard the glass industries OF
! the United States There is no better
organization of any one trade than the
Amalgama'e Association OF Iron and
Steel Workers.
There is no trade more thoroughly ol
gained or better disciplined than that ui
the window glass workers, nor one in
which higher wages are paid. The warn
ing OF the officers representing those
trades against free 'rade are very signih
ut and should be needed.
A careful consideration of all these
facts cOnvinces me that the present is Il
grave crisis in the pollrlcal affairs of our
country, and that | have no right to
remain silent. NV position as genera
secretary of the Knights OF Labor b: S
given me an Intimate knowledge of the
various phi asses OF the labor que ,i'on,
and from the knowledge thus gaued o
not hesita ate to Say that the triumph uI
the Democratic parry, dominated by
intolerance in the South and British free
trade sentiment in the North, would be
the most serious blow to organic d labor
it could possibly receive. | cannot remain
inactive in such conflict. Therefore, o
y.ru and your associates on The National
Il publican Committee, as the Iepresen-
tatives OF the Republican party, | offer
my services IN any position or capacity
where they may be desirable or be
Thought most useful to aid in securing
the success OF Harrison and Aorton, the
representatives. in this campaign of the
American idea of protection to American
labor.
command, CHARLES H. LITCHMAN.
Friends of Cecil County!
II it he pity to suffer with aches, pains. debility
and weakness caused by liver complaint. dyspep-
STA, ague and fever, try BROOM HERE BITrERs II
purely vegetable medicine that speedily cured
Frank Price, OF Cecilton, Catherine Holland, OF
Fair HILL Miss Peterson, OF Newark, Mrs. Tubbs |
Ms. Baker and Mrs. Maxwell, OF Wilmington, ,
Del besides many others who suffered for Yeas. |
For sale at Frazer's Drug Store. Elkton, Nd
Tria hntta u Iar siy A SIX