The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-06-14
How TO Protect EaDOr-SnlaSsl
the Trusts and Gut Vote
The ssevfi.
For the Hacking santinel


ard some shallow Republican
begins TO pat me on The back.
The first question the old
Bourbon puts 10 meis"how" when
1 say "protect American labor p
lie superciliousIy frowns at me
as if he had grown to unlimited
monarchy and was abont 10
wiiher one of the ignorant sub
jects of his realm. When he
becomes silent as the grave and
gels his countenance in a shape
more expressive of derision and
disdain than of any disposition
to be instructed. 1 feel as if /
had TO meet the rugged issue by
pulling all. The load up hill, whilst
he was locking the hind wheels
of my argument. Then he re-
peats "how g as if he already
knew | could not tell him. This
bothers and proyokes me SO much
that l generally have to retreat
for safety from combat, and for
this reason / write out my an
swer" free from embarrassment.
"How would l protect American
laborg answer like a Repnb-
lican would answer: "By atarif."
But I am no Republican, and am
therefore not to cowardly TO meet
the inquiry, "why is labor not
protected as result that ought
to be produced "by tariff" OF
25 years duration, 25 years of
trial, 25 years of high protection ?
| am not going to dodge these
questions like a stay-at-home
Republican lodged the bullets of
secession, while he kept hurrah-
ing for war. l am not going to
hurrah for a tariff and then dodge
the bullets of Tariff Reform when
they assail me IN form of the
last question, "why labor is not
protected" and so on. l am not
going TO dodge this question by a
cowardly retreat behind high
sounding phrases, or untruthfnl
assertions, such as ''pauper Ia
bor' or that labor is protected.
I'u a tariff man, but snch twadle
as protection of American Ia
Dor" by the same high tariff un-
der which it has filed the land
with tramps, the streets with
beggars and clothed women and
children i'll rags on the one hand,
and multiplied millionaires and
nabobs on the other, shall find
no place in my defence of sound
tariff doctrine. Nor will in de-
fense of my doctrine of tariff pro
tection to factories, to industry
and TO the day laborer, seek TO
shelter it behind such miserable
subtrifude as the charge of "free
trade" against those who disavow
it by asserting the opposite doc
trine of "tarif reform" Ill can
not defend a protective tariff
without getting down into such
unholy slews of putrified false
hoods and false witness against
my neIghbor, l will abandon the
doctrine and ching to free trade,
pure and simple.
But 1t is too soon in the his
tory of free government, OF, by
and for the people. TO adopt free
trade as an uitimation. The
genuine friends of protection tt
labor know that a tariff may be
so adjusted as to defeat this end
ljust as The most healthy fooC
may be SO gormandiZed as 10 de
fea. nuiriment and produce dis
ease and weakness. How 2" i
the question, how can taril
protect labor? Not by being tot
high. nor being too low, nor b!
approaching too nearly 10 abso-
Lutte prohibition, but it can pro
iect both labor and capital T.
the maximum degree only whel
sufficient 10 equal The diiferanc
between the cost of America
labor, material and the transpoI
, iaiion of It's products on the OH
hand and the cost of foreign Ia
Dor, material and the transporta
tion of lis products on ibe othel
When our tariff equals these dii
, ferences, it has performed il
highest protection of labor. bu
when il exceeds this standar
capital and not labor become
r the interested factor, labor sHf
: ers. is forced 80 tramp in scare
of employment. Is compelled I
i e.othe iiselfin rags, and behOl
women and children in povert
{ and want.
f The proof has been abundant
= ly furnished by the tariff laws {
the last quarter OF a centnry,an
: the effects produced is strikes, !
+ lock ouls. II want Of work, j
: vacaboniage, in the growth
D corporate wealth, III the null
5 plication of niliionaires, in I'll
/ surplus revenue rising to miliioi
5 now in the treasury, il the d
: lenma OF taxed labor, forced
o redeem the bonds al 27%6 pt
cent over face value or permi
5 ting the surplus to remain wit
I drawn from current. circuiailo