The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-15
PROTECTION FOR LABOR
"A Ringing Letter from Secretary
Litchman, of the knights OF
Labor on Campaign Issues.
Toilers- of all Glasses Should support ITar
rison and Morton, nnd Pro-
lection Tariff.
Democratic Free Trade Must be Throt-
tied, rs Vicious. Highly Dangerous
and Destructive.
SMELLING THE gouRgoSs.

TAGtutlNE bOATu DE the hNlEHts OF 1Jh-
Dor has written to Chairman Quay of the
National Republican Committee, offer
ing his services for the Republican nom
inees during the campaign. He SAYS
that protection Is m American system;
that ii clcvatcs the workingman, keeps
wages mt living figures. and shuts out
the degradation to which toilers are sub
iect in frcctrade countries No wage
worker Mr. Litchman says. can consist
emily support the democratic ticket or
the platform of principles upon which ii
was nominated.
My connection with the labor movement
for the past fourteen years has made It
necessary tor me To be close student OF
the causes of labor depression and OF the
needs of those who toll. While, as body,
labor organization may refrain from nc
tive participation in politics, so much OF
what organized labor demands must be
obtained through legislation that the in.
dividual member of the labor organiza-
tion must act politically as in his iudg-
ment will best aid the aims and objects
expressed in the principles of the organi-
cation he represents. and whose success
he desires.
In the gigantic political struggle now
begun side issues count rs nothing except
To aid or hinder one of their principal
combatauts in the political arena. How
measure to secure which these separate
political organizations are formed, and
whatever strength in votes may be shown
mt the polls, the fact remains that the
candidates of either the Republican or the
Democratic party will be
TIE NEXT PRESIDENT
of the United States Therefore to him
who has the good of this country and the
welfare of her people at heart, the neces-
sity exists t9 choose to which of these two
old party organizations shall be given aid
directly or indirectly, by voice or vote.
While it may be that neither party offers
all that LABOR organizations desire, be-
lieve that the Republican party, in adopt
ing and advocating the American system
of encouragement and protection to the
labor and wages Of our own land, is near
er the declarations and desires Of organiz-
ed labor than its free trade opponent the
democratic party. The conflicts between
the American system, ms represented 10y
the Republican party, which would foster
and encourage the labor of our own people
and retain for them the market and wages
OF our country, and the British system, as
represented by the Democratic party,
which would break down the barriers of
protection and throw open our home mar
llet no the productions of foreign factories
and foreign labor, thus making idle our
own toilers and reducing to u lower level
the standard of American wages. When
the Knights of Labor and kindred organi-
cations shall have obtained in foreign
lands the same commanding position and
influence enjoyed in the United States,
the inequality i'll wages will disappear,
not by leveling our wages down but by
leveling their wages up. 1t Is farbetter 10
LEVEL Up THAN TO LEVEL DOWN,
ms the larger the income the larger the
power to consume. Until this equaliZa-
tion can be accomplished, and until the
wages of labor abroad shall equal those ut
fysx EtFAyt
of immigration, 50 that our land may not
be the dumping ground OF the pauper
and degraded labor of the balance OF the
| world. The restriction, supplemented by
| constitution OF thorough, systematic or
ganizatiOn OF the labor already here, in
| conjunction with the American idea of
protection to American labor, cannot fail
| TO secure for our people the best result of
| their toll. and by our example lift the la
| Dor Of the whole world TO higher and
| better plane of existence.
| Which ever party. wins. something
| must be done To regulate more strictly
| this importation OF foreign labor under
contract. and the immigration ot paupers
! and dependents. 1T u5tElHC should be
| done, then Democratic success would
! mean not only free rrndc II goods made
| by pauner labor. but the importation OF
| both the labor and tila goods While uu-
| der free IrlGc goods may be cheaper 10
| the Consumer in many lines, the labor
made iale by these lines mast turn 10 other
means of employment, ;-ld thus by COM
petition compel II lower rate of wages 10
| those already employed thcrein.
| The power Of Il working man TO consume
| depends upon what lie receives Tor his la
| bor Unemployed, his power 10 consume,
| except on charity or theft, ceases. pre-
| fer that America should be
| LAND OF WORKERS
rather than land Of thieves and paupers.
| What Is true of the individual, is equally
| true Of the Nation The primary elements
! ity are production, distribution and con-
/ sumption. Whatever affects the power of
/ labor to consume, affects the power OF the
| Nations. Whatever lowers the wages of
/ labor affects its power To consume. An
"average reduction - of Z per centum
on the cost of goods imported will not
compensate American labor for the loss
| of 100 per centum in wages iii the lines
| affected. and of from 10 10 so per centum
| in wages in the lines of employment by
| the substitution of the free trade for the
| protective system. / hold 1t To be far
| wiser craftsmanship to build up and re.
| tain our home market. by system that
| protects American labor, than To com
mand n market in foreign lands secured
by the wholesale degradation and pauperi-
| cation of our own people.
Every dollars worth of labor value inn
| ported is by SO much Il reduction of home
Iaborers' wages. This axiom is not Offset
| BY the declaration that there are more
goods in the imported dollars worth.
| The position Of the protectionlst IL rather
| strengthened by such II specious pcesenta-
tion of the matter, because the question is
then instantly forced upon every intelii-
| gent man-how can American labor earn
dollars III the industry in which he is ex-
perienced is transferred TO foreign lands?
The theory of protection advocated by the
Republican party Is the same rs the un-
deTly!Eg principle upon which all labor
organizations are founded. 4 friend t0
organized labor that believes IN the or
ganization Us Il means to enhance and
maintain wages
| CAN NOT CONSISTENTLY OPPOSE
party that applies to NIL labor the same
principle of protection from unfair com
petition, that the individual trade organi'
Zation gives to the single trade. Trade or
ganiZations SO aid in advancing wages In
their respective trades and the protective
system demanded by the republican party
viii secure for all the toilers in the land 4
similar fostering care.
That this is clearly understood by most
of the thinking leaders of organized labor
Is proved by the declaration recently
made in favor of the American system
| mud IL home market by the nrpsiIlaR Off