The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-17

more frequent, poverty, misery anu want
more prevalent, and the demand for large
bodies of Pinkerton detectives to hold the
striking operatives in subsection TO the will
of their enforced masters Is greater than
ever before. Statistics show that the num-
Der OF employees engaged In strikes
has increased from about $4,000 in 1881 to
500, 900 in 1886 and that the number OF en-
ployes locked out has increased from less
than 900 in 1881 TO over 100 0OJin 1856. II
the poor laborcrs received the money wrung
from the people by this high protective
tariff II would be less CALLING but no less
vicious In principle. But when all but the
laborcrs themselves know, and they are fast
finding IL out that the price OF labor, like
that of everything else, is regulated by the
laws Of supply and demand and that the
employer procures his labor where he can
get II cheapest and he himself pockets tho
profits made possible by the protective sys-
tenn, while the laborer is forced to pay high
or prices for all the necessarics of life than
he would otherwise have 10 pay; Is IL aston
isling that the people all over this country
ar" rising up and demandinga reform OF our
revenue system 40 as To take no more reyo-
nue. than the government needs.
DEcEIyING TuE NOTTINGHAM.
The dccctfulncss Of the shallow prctcnse
that the employer waats the present rate OF
taxation kept up for the benefit Of the Ia.
borcr il apparent when we remember that
! the manufacturers and mine-owncrs 60 TO
Europe for their labor whenever IL is 10
their interest to do 50, In violation OF the
law against the importation OF contract Ia
Dor. There Is no tariff on labor aud we all
know that thousands of the so-called paupcr
laborcrS of Europe are, year by year being
brought into this country 10 take the place
OF the American laborcr, who il turned out
Of the mines aud factories 10 shift for him
self In many industries the wages paid are
not onc-hnlf Of the amount OF the tariff put
upon the product Of their labor. How. then.
can Il be- said that labor gets the benefit of
the tariff Coal Is produced in this country
cheaper than In either England or Prussia,
! and the tariff upon coal is greater than tho
wages paid for mining IT, yet II Is argued
that the tariff upon coal must be kept up In
orler to insure the miner fair wages IL is
evident that the owner OF the mine
gets the whole OF the tariff upon
coal. II the tariff regulated wages, why
are not wages the same IN all the States Of this
union, as we all live under the same tariff?
Why II IL that wages are higher IN the west
crn States than IN the more thickiy settled
States Of the east Why Is II that uniform
rates Of wages do not obtain IN establish
mcnts of the same character, for like kinds
OF service, In the same sections OF country,
under apparently the same conditions The
fact II, that the variation in the rate Of wages
IN America Is 10 striking that the commits
sloncr Of labor. IN his first annual report,
states that there Is no such thing ns an
American rate OF wages" II the tariff has
anything 20 do with the rate Of wages, why
is Il that the rate Of wages paid In free trade
England Il higher than In either protective
France or Germany The rate of wages paid
In America Is greater than that of any other
country, not because Of high protective
tariff. but because the demand is greater,
and because Il Is the most intelligent, and,
therefore, the most effective labor on earth.
Ninety per cent OF the manufactures CON
snmcd In this country can he produced
cheaper here than elsewhere. aud the
labor cost Of moro than onc-hnlf the
balance Is less IN this country than
In England. Why is II, then, that the whole
cost Of one tenth Of the goods consumed
here l. greater than IN England II l. simply
because the cost Of the raw material Is
greater, made 10 by our tariff ON raw mate
rial. England furnishes her laborers raw
material free Of duty, while % great portion
OF ours comes to them enhanced Ia cost by
a tax paid the owner OF the material. With
the advantages we pnsscss, aud with free raw
material, believe that the intelligent labor
~ America can compete successfully with
that Ut any country ON earth, aud that this
country would soon become the greatest
manufacturing a. II l. now the greatest agri
cultural, country IN the world. | think the
time has come when wa should begin 10 look
after the interests Of the man whose capital
consists OF his sweat, his muscle aud his en-
crgy, aud pay less attention 10 thn man
whose capital consists OF stacks ~ gold
Capltal has been favored at the expense OF
labor long enough. az all the per
sons In the United states engaged Ia all
kinds of industries, about onc-haf arr en-
gagged In agriculture, AMI In looking after
the interests III labor this large class should
not bc ignored The farm laborcr i the
poorest paid OF any Ia this country. yet they
are never mentioned. Who ever heard any
| one raise his voice in behalf II the farm Ia
burrr,' | was raised upon farm and know
what IL ~ to work between the pillow handles,
aud | for one, intend To stand up
for their rights IL Is not claimed
| that moro than about one ninth Of the labor
crs Of this country are engaged ~ industries
| which 10 II even claimed are benefited by our
! protective tariff This class should not bc
| Ignored simply because u constitutes hut q
| SMALL per cent of our lnhorng population.
nor should the alyriCultufalists bo discrimi-
nnic,l against hccau,c they aw In thc major
| ity. Four ilihs OF our export trade does
now, aud las for years past, consisted OF az
| rcultural products, the price OF which u
| liked In for-ign countries. The cotton aud
| Ntrht ltttHlhoffH 81 TINS Nounlll nv ipiN'h
| g. sell the products OF their labor in compc-
utiun with the panp-r labor Of Europe and
Asia. They derive no bchncht from the
tariff. but have the burdens 90 bear. They
| have bprnc these burdens hcroically, because
| they we're tnld that u Was necessary Ia order
to rai-r taxes a. dcirny the expenses and
| maintain the honor Of tile nation. Hut. now
that IL Is no longer NECESSARY, the yoke Is
CALLING 81 their neck, an Il they demand a ~
duction ot taxation. which should begin with
the ncUcSarics III life Their demands are
moderate. They 90 mp from every iircsido Ia
the land, and they will not be satisfied with
anything less The Republicans boast Of the
vast accumulatons 81 wealth in the hands oi
the Manufacturers under this system, but how
has 10 bccn with the iaTmersl In so the farm.
en- owned onc.half ~ the wealth uf tai,
country, aud IN 1850 they owned only one
fourth, while they constituted about one.
half of our population. Frum 1850 to is00
under n low inrin. the farmers increased
their wealth iO per cent, and from 1870 10
isSo. under high taril, their wealth was
increased only per cent, while the manu-
inciurvrs about doubled their. Thus We sc'
that while the manufacturers are growing
richer and richer year NV year, aud amaSsinl
, oNcrgrown fortunes, the farmers wlIh an
J robbed on ono side by an inopnsc IN thl
. price Of al they have 10 buy, and on III
: other by decrease In the price OF all the,
! have Ia scll, are scarcely abo to hold thci
= own. II j. not astonishing that the agri
cultural ulasscs nrc not able 10 accumulnt
!, anything, although they labor In the opcl
y fields twelve months ia the year, and stin
u themselves in every way possible. whom W
= remember that they are taxed an average q
y a. pyr cent on nearly everything that the
!, eat and wear aud arr compelled To sell IA
y product ot their labor In competition wit
I a q