The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-08-09
1Hs HlcH.1ARlEE QUESTION.
1t Does not make Work Plentiful nor
Wages Liberal.

The high-tariff advocates insist that
the tariff question is a question of wages.
They appeal to workingmen for their
support upon the proposition that the
tariff will insure plenty of work at
high rate of wages, and conversely that
without a tariff or with low tariff there
would be little work to do and the rate
of wages would be low.
This is, no doubt, the citadel of the
high-tar protectionists. says The CIeUe-
land Plain Dealer. So long as they can
make the people believe that the wage
rate is dependent upon the rate of tariff
taxation and that the prosperity of the
workingman is dependent upon the per-
petuation of a system of high-tariff tax
alton they are secure, because the people
will not overthrow system that they
suppose is for their advantage. On the
other hand, it is equally certain that the
people will not submit to tax without
corresponding and adequate benefits,
and they will not maintain high pro-
tective tariff if once they become con-
vinced that it does not make work plenty
and wages high. The advocates of the
high-tariff system understand this well
enough, and hence the everlasting bur-
den of their argument is that the ques-
ton of high or low tariff is question
struction of the high-tariff system will
result in the pauperization of labor.
They see clearly enough that whether
their proposition is true or false they
must make the people believe it is true,
for once they become convinced that it
| is not true the whole system of the tariff
trust advocates totters to its fall.
And yet it is so self-evidently not
true, so utterly without support in any
sort of logical reasoning, SO fatty con-
tradicted by the facts within the expert
ence of every wage worker that the
marvel is how so monstrous delusion
has been maintained in the popular
mind so long as it has. 1t only needs
| that any fair-minded man of ordinary
| intelligence and capable of reasoning
upon the elementary facts of his every
day experience should dispossess his
mind of prejudice and give the matter a
candid, even if superficial, examination
and he will see clearly and at once that
| the whole tariff argument about wages
i is fraud and sham. He will see that
while the high-tariff system may benefit
a few capitalists who are able to form
| combinations and control the market
from which the tariff tax has shut ou
| all outside competition, such system
has never benefited the wage workers
| and in the nature of the things can nevel
do them any good whatever.
The very foundation of the claim is
fallacy. What is it that fixes the wag'
rate? The relation of the demand fo
| labor to the supply of labor, as every
man who works for wages very wei
knows. If there is plenty of work TO
all the men who want to work the wag
| rate will be high, but if there are NOR
| men wanting work than can be em
ployed the wage rate will be low. Thi
is the natural law that governs the mat
ter. and no legislative enactment Cal
ever set it aside. How then can the tar
iff make wages high? 1t can only do 81
in one way and that is by increasing tn
demand for labor and decreasing tn
supply of labor, Has the tariff eve
done this? Let the iron workers VIII
are now ON a strike against a 10 pc
cent. reduction in their wage rate cause
by glut of the iron market and deartl
of demand for labor, brought an by thi
very high tariff, answer. Let them sa
how much the tariff ON iron has eve
benefited them, or is benefitting then
now,
For how can high tariff increase th
demand for labor when the very fir
thing its advocates claim for it is that
restricts production? If less of any thin
L
Is produced, as necessary consequenc
fewer persons will have to be employe
in the production, and if there is le;
work to be done there will be create
pressure of unemployed labor, and wags
will be lower. This is the necessar
{ consequence of a high tariff, and such
tariff instead of being benefit to worl
ingmen will operate against their. inte
! ests every time.
Is it not easy to see that the cheap,
! products are the wider the market wi
D be and the more will be sold? Is it M
r easy TO see that the best policy for tt
wage worker is that which increas
' markets, cheapens products, and multi
plies productions For, whenever I'll
= consumption is doubled, production wi
4 be doubled, and whenever production
| doubled the number of men necessary
he employed will be doubled. and, as
:. necessary consequence of all this, the
will be more work and better wages.
i Workingmen and all citizens wi
D want to see real and lasting prosperit
y based upon natural laws should thir
of these things. There is no mystel
about them. These elementary laws
political economy are easily understoo
: A little attention to their working al
reflection upon the manner of their o
Grafton will convince any candid m;
. that the whole argument of the hie
tariff advocates is delusive, and the
claim that a tariff can bring about
maintain high rate of wages is not ON
incapable of demonstration, but SCI
!. | auidantlv falSa