The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1888-01-27
PROTECTION AND WAGES.
Dally 0rsgemiam Ang. an, lsss. ]

Daily Orego1iaH Aag. sSfh, 1891
The census of 1880 Is full Of oxcelIeni
reasons why tariff revision in thls countr,
should be both immediate and permanent
OF course Il does not discuss the question
but Il collects and presents facts which
with the relations carry their lessons 70
ell who will study them. Among the false
claims OF protectlen which II explodes i
the Pretense that our almost prehibllory
tariff makes werk plenty and keeps wages
high. Hardly any formal answer Il need
ed to that assertion. The antagonistie re-
lations OF labor and capital In those sec.
tions whose industries are most strongly
protected would be sufficient reply but
the census report makes mere elaborate
one Though In the same direction. The man
whom the government commissioned 10
make report on the Iron and ateei indus
try Il Secretary Of the American Iron and
Steel Association, and not likely to furn.
ish figures that tell against the protectlon
theory, simply with that end in view Iron
and steel are the most heavily protected,
et all articles In common use. In 1880 there
were Sos companies engaged In producing
iron ore, and they produced 7,o7I,7o3 tons
employing to do the work 81 ,608 persons
at daily cost Of $3I.7oI, few cents over
81 per day for each persen, which Is less
than the average Of workers In any anpro.
tected business In the country. The totaI
number employed In the production OF
pig and bar iron and steel was I4o,o7s,who
received SIs4,os3 n day, or SI.3o each,
their service coming mere under the head
ef skiiled labor than that Of the miners
This Is certainly beggarIy pittanee for
skilled iaber, and something that Il with
cut parallel In iess protected industries
OF the country.
The Free Trade League of New York
has issued pamphlet whlch deals Ii q
torcible manner with the infant Industry
plan. In this connection Il Gays "In the
arst place. our Infant industries are cen
tnFy old. In the second, the compiler OF
these statistics Acknowledges that our su.
PerioF skill places the world at dIsadyant.
age with as. Thirdly, our iron ore and
coal are generally situated 80 close TO.
Egether that the former can easily be work
ed with the latter. Fourthiy, while the
Iron and coal OF Europe are far down be.
lew the surface, ours are almost upon It..
Filthy, our iron and coal supplies arc In
close proximity to the market. Sixthly.
they are adjacent to the great feod.pre.
ducing center Of the Unitsd States, which
10 relied upon 10 supply half the food cal.
en- BY the iron.workerso Of Esrope. There
fore, without any protection Al all, II l.
shows our Iron masters could afford 20
pay enc huAdred per cent. more wages to
their wsrkmeR than they de before fer.
eign competition would affect them. But
the pretectionists do net care for demon
ssrations. Whea the Hext presidential
campaign comes~eaihey will have their
threats to worklngmen poGied up In their
furnaces, factories and mills. Just as they
did In 1856. and not until the people who
labor turn their thinking to some account,
stop striking and redress their grievances
by voting, will they make positive ad.
vance toward independence and better cir
eumstances.