The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-11-01

are not paving as much for labor by fully
10 per cent as they did in 1887 Miners
in the iron mines of northern Wisconsin
and Michigan got & per day IN 1887, but
in 1888 they get only 81. so per day. Com
mon labors in the same mines got III 1887
81. 70 per day. but in 1888 they get only
s.. 40 per day. In 1887 the iron mines
generally lost money, but in 1888 they
are making some money. Why is this?
The answer is as plain as a, b, c.-Work-
| ingmen were more plentiful in 1882 and
| 1888 i'll these localities tian in 1887. This
is the rule in every industry and every
where. Whenever workingmen III any
| kind of employment are scarce, wages go
up. 1t is true of everything else one has
for sale or hire. Wheat, lumber and all
kinds Of produce are up when they are
scarce. Banks charge more for interest
on their money when money is scarce.
The workingmen's capital is his labor,
and when two or three persons or indus
tries are seeking him to do work, he VIII
get higher wages than when only one
person or company want him and when
there are two or three others who want
! the job or place.
When this high tariff or government
tax was devised, the manufacturers claim
ed it was necessary for them, but now
| their agents, attorneys and officers are
! telling the workingmen that 1t IS neCes-
/ sary for them-that the law was passed
to protect them, and if the tariff tax is
reduced their wages will be lessened
Do the workingmen get the benefit of
this tax? The facts tell the whole story
! The tax on five pound blanket which
| costs 81 10 is 81 .oS, but the whole labor
cost is only 10 cents. Here is SI.2S that
someone else gets The workingman did
not get it. 1t went into the employers
pocket. One yard of 4 OF. flannel costs
IS cents The entire labor to make it Is
only ; cents, but the tariff tax is cents.
One yard of 10 OF. cashmere costs 81. So
The whole amount paid to the person who
made is only 20 cents, but the tariff tax is
SO cents One ton of pig iron costs 81.
The labor on it costs only SI;64, but the
tariff tax S6.72. Who got the difference,
which is S5.oS2 The laborer did not get
it 1t is plain his employer stuffed it i'll
his own cash box. One key of steel nails
costs S. 81 The manufacturer paid out
only 81 cents for labor to make them, but
| the tariff tax is SI.25. A coarse WOODEN
suit which costs SI2 is loaded with a tariff
tax of So IS, but the entire cost for labor
is only $500 The difference or A.4S,
went into the safe of the manufacturer.
This is the rule throughout the entire
tariff schedule. The whole labor cost of
all manufactured products in the United
| States mentioned in the tariff law, is is
per cent of their total cost, yet the gov
eminent lays tax of AZ per cent. Here
is 90 per cent. which your employers get
1t is untrue that workingnen are benefit
ed one cent by high tariff laws. 1t Is an
injury to them They would be benefited
greatly, by having this tariff law amend
ed. and the tax on those articles which
they consume reduced, and thus enable
them to obtain more of the comforts of
life from their hard earned wages.
The manufacturer IS protected against
competition with goods manufactured in
China and other countries, but there is no
law to prevent these manufacturers from
importing cheap laborers from these
thickly populated countries into this coun-
try to compete with American working
men They do it, and have for years
been importing these foreigners under con-
tract ard their old employees have been
driven from Pennsylvania and other east
ern and middle states to seek employment
i'll the western states where laborers and
| mechanics NSlS SldltCI anu III SilC1
They only protection working1nen have
secured is by their own unions and organ
izations The law devised by T. v
Powderly is the only law for the protec-
ton of workingmen No law of congress
has helped them to combat the oppres-
sions of grasping employers and 1nonopo-
lies. Mr.. Powderly therefore instituted
the plan of combining workingmen into
| cd TO fl,
purpose and to protect themselves against
| Injustice These very men who are now
sending out these Representations as to
the purpose of the democratic party, in
seeking a modification of this unjnst tar
iff tax, have denounced Mr.. Powderly and
his associates and all these labor organic
tons as tending to bring disorder and
disruption in society, trade and business
| Workingmen, beware of these men; do
mot be deceived.
The democratic party seek to revise the
| tariff, so that our manufacturing indus
tries will increase and bring labor into
greater demand. They seek also to lower
| the taxes on such articles as the poor con-
| sumo and leave the present high tax on
articles which the rich use and consume
For instance: Put wool Oh the free list
| and our WOODEN mills will run II months
! in the year instead of SIX as they do now
| They will also be enabled to compete with
wooden manufactures III all parts of the
civilized world if they can get wool re-
| lieved from over a 100 per cent. tax. The
WOODEN manufactures will increase and
there will be greater demand for labor i'll
consequence.
Hides were placed OH the free list some
years ago, and now our leather and boot
| and shoe industries have increased more
than ten times and they are underselling
| in all the markets of the world the manu-
| facturers of all other nations. Cotton is
| free, and our cotton manufacturers are
| filling every market in the world with
American products of cotton.
A reduction on an average of about S
per cent. of these tariff taxes is not free
trade. That is all the Mills bill does re-
duce the tax In 1868 James G.. Blaine,
Senator DAVIS of Massachusetts, and other
leading republicans, advocated a reduc-
ton of 10 per cent. In 1882 President
Arthur appointed commission to revise
the tariff laws and they presented a bill
making reduction of IS per cent. Pres
ident Arthur urged such a reduction; but
now that the democratic party desire a
reduction of per cent. only, the measure
is called free trade bill, and the demo
| ora+;c marty, a Free Trade Party This