The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-09-13
a PLAIN TARIFF LESSON.
Some Reasons why q Poor Man should
Vote for Protection.


v0tc for Protection.
met o rich man In Philadelphia the other
day, says writer In the New York Mad
and Express. He owned q good many bonds
and mortgages. His revenue was large,
and he was not compelled to labor. In poll
tics he always votes for the party that helps
Rim most. He is frank and honest. When
I asked this rich man what he thought
about reducing the tariff he said
"Whcn was poor man, laboring by the
day, was for protection, because II made
my wages high. Now I am rich. I don't
labor, and l tell you frankly that I don't
want labor protected. I don't want high
priced labor"
"Then you area for free trade nowl'
said.
ayes, I am. Protection is all right for
the laborng man, but don't want IL my
self"
"Can you give me any special reasons
why rich man does not want protectloni I"
I asked.
"Certainly," nc said. "Tf we had free
trade, wages would go down and I would
not have to pay such high wages to my
servants. With free trade could get good
house girls for two dollars week. In En-
gland, where they have free trade, I can
get coachman for twelve dollars month.
pay mine thirty-five dollars Protection
Is for the poor laboring-lnan, l say, not for
the wealthy, retired man.
"Why, sir," continued my rich friend,
"it costs me, personally, seven thousand
dollars q year to have protection in the
United States"
"How is that'" asked.
"In the first place. IL Is the Injuries Of
the rich that are taxed. My wife buys all
her dresses at Worth's, in Paris l pay
forty per cent duty on therl-about $1,000
year. My wines, cigars, champagnes and
Irish and Scotch whlskies cost me sixty per
cent more than they would with free trade.
These are luxuri,s for the rich There Is
no duty on pork flour. potatoes, or any
necessity which / used to buy when was
poor. Our diamonds, porcelain, cut glass,
gloves, silk stockings, velvets and laces
cost US fifty per cent. more with protection.
When was a laboring man / did not use
diamonds and cut glass. Now, when / an
rich, eat Irish bacon, Swiss cheese, Rus
sian caviare, French pate dc foic yras, En-
glish Albert crackers, Westphalia hams,
Scotch oatmeal and marmalade, Bologna
sausage, and drink Bavarian beer. They
are luxurics, and pay big duty on them.
When was laboring man escaped these
duties. The poor man can plow good fur
row or lay u good stone wall without cham
payne or diamonds.
"His wife can mako good butter or make
shirt without rich laces. His bread and
cheese and meat come from America and no
gets them cheaper than they do in England
and Germany. The fact is," continued my
rich friend, ''the wealthy live on foreign
Injuries and pay big duties, while tho poor
live on substantial American necessities
which are not taxed. One party now pro-
poses to take off the tax on tobacco, the poor
mans friend If l were poor, say, as
used to be, I'd vote for protection on lux
urics, but necessities should come in free,
as they do now. In n word" continued my
friend, "a man wants protection to labor
when he is poor and striving to get rich, but
when he gets rich and Is living on his inter-
est money. then he wants free trade"
"But there are many rich politicians and
wealthy editors who are continually telling
our poor laboring men that free trade will
not reduce their wages" said.
"Yes, and many ignorant laboring men
| will believe them; but ! say to thcscpoor men
now that the only difference between the
| poor mechanic in Germany who works for
fifty cents per day and our thriving me-
chanic who earns two dollars a day in
America is this same protective tariff The
rich don't need protection, but the poor Ia
borer does need 1t, and the party that pro-
tects his labor and keeps up his high.wages
is his true friend. If were a laboring
man, as once was, would despise the
demagoguc or bad party which. would re-
| duce my wages and harm my family"