Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-09-01
A Political Offering.
T K. OF L. GENERAL SECRETARY
WILL TALK POLITICS.
THE BASIS OF HIS FAITH.
working for he Elevation of Labor Es
Can Not Oppose he Protective Tariff,
and wall Take the stump in
Its Favor.

WASHINGTON. Aug. Ex-senator Quay
furnishes the following letter from Gen
eral Secretary Iitchman, OF the Knights
of Labor, for publication:
"PHJLADELPHIA, Aug. ~. 1888,
Hon, Mathew N. Quay, Chairman Of the Ma
tional Republican Committee, New York City.
DEAR Shiny connection with the
labor movement for the past fourteen
years has made 1t necessary for me to be
a close student of the causes of labor de-
preston and the needs of those who toll.
While as a body IA labor organization
may refrain from active participation in
politics, SO Dinch of what organized
labor demands mast be obtained through
the legislation that the individual mem
Der OF The labor organization must act
politically as in his Judgment will
best aid the aims and objects
expressed in the principles of
the organization he represents,
and whose success he desires. In the
gigantic political struggle now begun
side issues count as nothing except to
aid or hinder one of the principal COM
batants in the political arena. However
sincere may be the advocates to aid in
the measures to secure which the sepa-
k3to RcitpAkhA observation-disclosures uAO okulChy
aud whatever strength may be
shown at the polls, the fact remains
that the candidate of either the Repub-
lican or of the Democratic party will be
the next president of the United States.
Therefore, to him who has the good of
his country and the welfare of her peo-
pie at heart, the necessity exists to
choose to which OF these two old party
organizations shall be given his aid d.
rectly or indirectly, by voice or vote.
While II may be that neither party Of
fers all that labor organizations desire,
l believe that the Republican party, in
adopting and advocating the American
system of encouragement and protection
to the laborer and wages OF our own
land, Is nearer the declarations and de-
sires of organized labor than its free
trade opponent, the Democratic party.
The conflict is between the American
system, as represented by the Republican
party, which would foster and encourage
the labor of our own people, and retain
for them the market and wages OF u
w country, and the British system, as
represented by tho Democratic party,
which would break down the barriers of
protection and throw open orr home
market to the productions of foreign
factories and foreign labor, thus making
idle our own toilers and reducing to q
lower level the standard of American
wages.
When the x. of T.. and kindred organi-
cations shall have obtained. In foreign
lands the same commanding position
and influence enjoyed in the United
States, the inequality in wages will dis
appear, not by leyeling our wages down,
but by leyelipg their wages up It is far
better to level up than to level down, as
the larger the income the larger the
power to consume. Until this equaliza-
tion can be accomplished, and until the
wages of Labor abroad shall equal
these at home, there must be a proper
restriction of immigration, SO that our
land may not DO the dumping ground OF
the pauper and degraded labor OF the
balance OF the world. This restriction,
supplemented by q continuation of thor
ough, systematic organization of the la.
Dor already here, in CONJUNCTION with the
American idea of protection to American
labor, cannot fail to secure for cur peo-
Pile the best results of their toll, and
by example to the labor of the whole
world, a higher and better place of ex-
istance.
Whichever party wins, something
mlSs be done to regulate more strictly
this importation of paupers and depend
ents. IL nothing should be done, then
Democratic success would mean not only
free trade In goods inside by pauper Ia
boz, but the importation OF both the la
Dor and the goods. While under free
trade goods aey be cheaper to the con.
saner in certain lines, the labor made
idle In those lines must turn to othes
means Of employment, and thus by COM
petition compel q lower rate OF wages to
those already employed therein. The
power Of 9 w~orkingman to consume
depends upon what he receives
for his labor. Unemployed, his W
to cunsume except upon charity or theft.
ceases. I prefer that America should be
u land of workers rather than a land OF
thieves and panpers. What is true OF
the individual is equally true Of the ma
ton. The primary elements of national
wealth and national prosperity are the
production, distribution and
tom Whatever affects the owe of
labor to consume affects the en-
tire interests Of the nation. What
ever lowers the wage OF labor
affects its power to consume. An ssay-
erage reduction" of z per centum on the
cost OF goods imported will not compen
safe American labor for the loss Of 100
per centum in wages in the lines af-
fected, and of from 10 to so per centum
IN wages in these lines of employment
by the substitution of the free trade
for the protective system. / hold it to be
far wiser craftsmanship to build up and
retain bur home market by a system
that protects American labor, than to
command a market in foreign
lands secured by the wholesale
degradation and pauperization of our
W people. Every dollars worth OF la
Dor value imported is by SO much q re-
duction of home laborers' wages. This
axiom is notoffset by the declaration
that there are more goods In the i'm
ported dollars worth. The position of
the protectionist is rather strengthened
by such q specious presentation of the
matter, because the question is then in
stantly forced upon every Intelligent
man: How can the American laborer
earn dollars il the industry in which he
is experienced is transferred to foreign
landsa
The theory Of protection advocated by
the Republican party is the same as the
underlying principle upon which all Ia
Dor organizations are founded. A friend
to organized labor that believes in organ
fzation as u means to enhance and main
tain wages, cannot consistently oppose a
party that applies TO all labor the same
principle OF protection from unfair COM
petition that the individual trade organt-
zatton gives to the single trade. Trade
organizations do aid in advancing wages
IN their respective trades, and the pro-
Iective system demanded by the Rephb-
lean party will secure for all the teilers