The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-08-10

exported and sold in England, Brazil and
elsewhere ''beyond the seas" He. there
fore, who clamors for protection in the
hope that it will swell his profits and thus
PUT IT IN HIS POWER TO PAY HIS LABORERS
HIGHER WAGES, only displays a stupidity
which leaves me in doubt whether he
deserves any pity. An intelligent man
must know that in the South no act
of Congress pretending to be a revenue
act, and no act of any kind can
have the slightest effect upon the price
of labor. If we had absolute free trade or
even a prohibitory tariff, the wages paid
would be the same. Wages Of labor are
always on the free list" and the owners
and leaders of the Republican party have
never desired it should be otherwise They
want tax which will increase the price
of goods and ENABLE them to pay employ
eeS more, PROVIDED THEY SEE PROPER TO
DO II. But they do not do it. THEY NEVER
WILL PAY A MAN TWO DOLLARS \ DAY FOR
HIS WORK IF THEY CAN GET IT AT A DOLLAR
AND HALF. Only a knave or a fool VIII
say so.
The CHRONICLE has published extracts
from the circular of NJ. J. =. Foster to
the manufacturers. This is an admission
on the part of the President of the Repub-
lican League, that the PROTECTED manu-
.facturers are they who get the chief benefit
from our tariff laws, notwithstanding the
fact that they keep in the back ground
and push the labOrer to the front when
they are lobbying before Congress to get
LABOR protected The same circular con
tains an extract from Republican s;ena
tors letter, in which it is stated that he
would consign these manufacturers to
perd.tion if they did not disgorge their
gains into the Radical campaign box, be
cause they are getting, practically, the
sole benefit or at least the most directly
important benefits of the tariff laws -
The same SenatOr-"Oh, shame, where IS
thy blush?'-threatens those manufacture
ers with vengeance if they do not contrib
ute to what, in this ease. is Il base and.
He is practicing on them the Sam :nel-
aces which they practice before every
election upon The people whom they
employ to drive them into the support
Of party which exists and IS operat
ed for the purpose Of establishing all ,riS-
tocracy of mOreyed wealth.
The genuine LABORING MAN must light
his own battles. for his wealth lies in his
own muscles, and that department. O. life
then is free trade What be Snuult want
is a Just system of laws, which will give
him an even chance, enable him to sell his
labor for the best price he can get ard then
De able to buy what he wants IN the cheap
est market What their would be masters
want Is to FORCE them to buy in nigh
market and sell their labor IL lust Ich a
market as the lords are willing to tstab-
lish The labOrer should desire only ust
laws, and neither he nor his employer
should ask for such as do wrOn 2 to others.
The present tariff laws. so far from be
ing Of ANY BENEFIT To TIT SOUTHERN
MANUFAtTt RERS, ARE A DOWNRIGHT q K>t
by increasing the cost of their goods. 4
mill for spinning can be put up ii Eng
land, for one third of what 1t costs III this
country. owing mainly TO the cneapness
OF machinery. The mill which have in
charge and another in the neighbornood
OF which | am a director. have in use,
machinery which was made III England,
imported here, and Oh which was a heavy
duty, making it cost about nifty per cent.
it. Where do we get any benefit from
that. The manufacturers of machinery
IN Peunsy ylvanla and Massachusetts, get
he advantages, and they pay their en-
plOyers what they please. Every man,
woman and child who uses our goods. Is
obliged to pay, IN unlyerSa! peace. because
of the tax on machinery, for The prpttc-
tiOn TO Pittsburg and Lowell, And every
one who uses cotton goods whether made
here or elsewhere. must pay higher prices,
because the goods cost higher, by reason
of the exOrbitant price of machinery.
WALTER l.. STEELE.