Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-23
HOW THEY "PRorECT l. aBoR..

There Is big difference between saying
I'VE want to protect American labor" and
actually doing something to protect Amer
lean labor. Republican newspapers and
politicians seem to think that men who
work for wages do not know this differ
ence, and that the Republican party by
saying every day until November I'VE
want to protect American labor" will get
eysrybcdy's vote.
Now, this thug we believe is perfectly
plain: No matter how high the tariff may
be-even though il be made probibitory-
if this country is overcrowded with work
ing men wages will 90 down. The very
uen who ION the quiet" are paying big
contributions to-day to the Republican
oorruptioa funds, and in public talking Of
protection to American labor" are inva-
riably the first to employ the very pauper
labor from Europe, against which they
declare they want to protect American
labor. The surest way to reduce Ameri-
can wages, and which no tariff can inter
fere with, is for capital to con
tract for foreign labor and then
bring it TO this country. The tariff could
be raised out of sight, but it would not
check reduction of wages under these
circumstances, would it?
Well, thst is precisely what the Repub-
lican party has done. During the war,
and JUS. at the close of the war, when the
Republican party raised the tariff t9xes,
it said it did so as temporary war
measure, and it promised 10 reduce these
taxes after the necessities of the war had
been passed. 1t said nothing then about
protecting American labor" because
there was nothing to say. 1t did not pre-
tend that it was raising wages, because it
knew it was not.
What did it actually do so far as Amer
lean labor was concerned? The Republic
can party. the very year that it put up the
tariff taxes on all Of labor's necs~,aries Of
life almost to the top notch, passed law
providing for the importation of foreign
contract labor. Here is the law as it stood
on the statutes of the United States until
u few years ago, when Democratic House
of Representatives started the successful
agitation to prohibit foreign contract labor:
That all contracts that shall be made by emf
grants to the United States in foreign countries
IN conformity with the regulations that may be
established by the Commissioner of Emigration
whereby emigrantSshall pledge the wages of
labor for a term of not exceeding twelve months
to r pay the expenses of their emigration, shall
be held to be valid in law, and may be enforced
in the court'of the United States or OF the Sew
eral States and Territories, and such advances,
lfSo stipulated in the contract, and the contract
be re corded in the Recorders office in the COun-
~ where the emigrant shall settle; shall operate
a q lien upon any land thereafter acquired by
| the emigraut. whether under the homestead law
where the title Is cousummated, or on property
otherwise acquired, until liquidated by the emf.
grant; but nothing herein contained shall be
deemed to aughorizs any contract contrayening
the Constitution of the United States or creating
in any way the relation of slavery and se5vituds
The act which was passed by the RI
puhlicans at the same time the
tariff was raised by them remained
the law for twenty years while tine
war tariff, as they no,C tell us, was
protecting labor" How did the scheme
of which this law and war tariff were
parts work? The war tariff first raised the
price of almost anything-excert labor
and by making manufacturing moro ex-
pensiye shut out the small shops. Big es-
| adjustments have gradually been combin-
ing in pools, associations or trusts to get
exclusive control of the hons market.
That is monopoly's side Of the matter.
Meanwhile under the law quoted above
contracts were made abroad for years
for foreign labor, and 80 that it should be
''sure thing" it was provided ny law
that the United States commissioner of
emigration could establish the contracts,
the courts confirm them and compel the
Immigrant laborer to be virtually the slave
for twelve months of the man who paid
his passage money.
The Republican party always has been
and is to-day for protection" to combina-
tions of cspital-if the combinations will
contribute 10 the party's election funds,
and "!ree trade" in labor. When Mr.
HARRISON voted to admit Asiatic labor he
simply followl ont the policy of his party.
The aim Of that policy hs1 resulted in the
aggregation Of wealth in comparatively
few hands at the expense of he many.
The party relies to-day for success on the
money contributions from such sources to
buy votes and on decsiving men who work
by saying, ave favor protection to Ameri-
can labor" The confidential circular of
JAMES p. FOSTER, President of the Re-
publican League, makes this so clear that
it is a mans own fault if he doss not uu-
derstsnd it. The circular said:
II they Certain protected manufacturer
think the Republican party is going to maintain
q high protective corps for their b5Hcfi and the
men who do the work in that party are going to
keep up the expenses ola campaign out of their
own pockets, kGriRg them to reap the trE.ts of
Hs tariff policy lVGh2u any deduction for political
expenses, they are very greatly mistaken.
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