The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-06-16
THE ISSUE IN THE COMING FIGHT

| ionists and Free Traders.
! We have an alliance of Free Trade
and slavery which began in 1882 be-
tween the plantation lords of South
Carolina and the born lords of Lanca-
shire and Yorkshire caused by the re-
peal of English duties on American
cotton. The slavery was abolished
with the late civil war, put Free Trade
has fingered iii some mems minds up
to the present day. 1t remains to be
aeen whether the heroic efforts Of the
past shall be lost in the coming elect
ion.
Protection means to the worker
fair and honest wages, according to
the natural tendency and demand for
labor in the country. 1t means also
to the manufacturer guarantee or in
surance that his business will not be
ruined by the importation of manu-
featured goods FROM the country of
the master and slave, or the serf and
lord.
The manufacturers of this country
are crying against convict labor com
ing into competition with honest sweat,
and surely it is equally oppressive to
bring the worse tkan convict labor of
Europe into competition with the
fairly paid labor of the United States.
Protection and prosperity in all coun-
tries go hand in hand; Free Trade,
poverty and famine are always seen
In mutual embrace.
We have only to cast our eyes
around and see the thing honestly for
ourselves. Look at the countries
that are protected and those that are
not. The United States have been
protected either more or less since in
dependence except, perhaps, in the
first eight years of her career, at
which time the country was sunk in
utter misery and poverty, and the
people worse off than in the poorest
country of Europe, and George Wash
ington in anguish and despair cried
that the blood of the revolution
airy war was shed in vain," and it has
made this country richer than any
other on the earth.
England gained its commercial and
political greatness by the most rigid
protection acts eyer enacted, and en-
toaHbed Ireland in the abyss of no.
thingness by corresponding measure
of Free Trade.
In the year 1879 an act of Parlia-
ment was passed in the English house
of commons which prohibited the in
habitants of England, Scotland and
Wales from wearing any appearl but
English manufacture, and in case of
the violation of the act it was regard
ed as criminal offence.
1t also passed an act for Ireland
the meaning of which was that no
Irish manufactured goods could enter
any English port without paying a
tariff of 40 per cent, and that they
could not trade with any European
country lest such trade might injure
England's markets abroad.
Accordingly England continued to
grow in wealth and power, built great
fleets of ships for carrying purposes,
offered premiums to ship builders, till
practically they did the manufacture
ing and carrying trade of the world.
England was now in the zenith OF
her commercial and manufacturing
glory and | may add military too,
and she thought by establishing Free
Trade she would crush out the entire
manufacture of Europe, for surely
her subtle machinery could bear
matching against the other country's
mohoks." France and Germany, how
ever, have pretty smart people. They
gained in manufacture by rapid strides.
They worked cheaper than the Eng
fish could afford to work. En- a few
years England was choked with manu-
featured goods from all over Europe
The workmen were driven out of en-
ployment, the mills all over the coun-
try shut down, and millions of people
at the present time are in actual des-
titution.
The only thing to save England
from a great famine, and possibly
civil war is the promised Free Trade
with the United States. Should the
Free Trade party elect their man at
at the coming election, it will relieve
England from all anxiety for good
many years to come, and realize her
highest visions of glory. But at the
same time it will place every wage
worker in the United States on the
same plane with the under-paid, poor
ly-housed, ag-clothed European lab
orer.
Competition with convict iaborers
Is bad, but competition with slave
labor is worse and more degrading.
One of the questions that our Free
trade political economists fail TO ans
wer is, why is it that in countries
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