The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-09-20

have got over being passive, |
and deem it to my own interests.
have fully discovered that this honeyed |
sentence protective tariff does not |
mean any protection to my class of
labor, but on the great manufactures
monopolists make we lose by it. Why
let us see fact as to how this robbery
system works. Our market excepting
what can be used at home) is foreign
one there the great bulk of our pro
ductions are sold, there our great sur
plus does go, and there it must go,
where our congress hes no more au
thority than babe; there prices are
fixed by the inexorable law of supply
and demand, and the price of our pro
ducts on the market there fixes the
price of the same commodities here
This. you say, is free trade In selling.
So it is, we are free to sell wherever
we can find a market that demands
our productions. In this foreign mar
ket we must and do come in contact
with the lowest form of pauper labor
in the world, How is it with the SIS
and sheepskin coat year? When we
come to buy, how is it? Every article
of clothing, every article of material
that We use to make shelter for our
selves and families, and for our stock.
is protected by the tariff, for the bene-
fit of the mODopolists, so that the same
costs us twice and sometimes thrice
the proper value. You see this accursed
system, this swindle, compels us to
buy under protection, for the benefit
of great syndicates and trusts, and
then leaves us with our farm produc
tions, which we must either allow to
rot or sell at such prices as these for
eign markets will give on the law OF
demand and supply. 1 am writing
this as any other old man would VIII.
knows that he and his cIass of people
| are suffering under a public wrong !;
still have another purpose, and that
| is, to explain an unpleasant tTansae-
ton of late occurrence at our town
Our member of congress came home
the other day, and meeting was al
once called to hear i'm tell about pro
tective tariff l wa fool enough to at
| tend the meeting, but took back seat
In early life Wa whig (; in the war
| sent my sons to the field, paid my
taxes, and donated all could get from
he farm above our living. I am a
| Methodist class leader, and a man OF
peace under all circum stances. When
the meeting WIS called to order Was,
as usual, asked to preside, and declined
So Esq J. took the chair. Our Hon
M. e. took the stand and commenced
the old gush of the grandeur anu
achievements of the republican party
then he took up glowingly the pros
perity of our country, and said it was
all owing to the protective tariff. Thj.
made me uneasy. AT last he came tt
what he called the effect. and said il
lowered the prices of gods, knew
this Was false, and it stirred me up
and like an old fool got up sud asked
if might put que stiOn. Our Hon
NJ. c.. and in fact all the rest looked
at me surprised. He said, oh, ceri ain
ly! we are always pleased to hear from
our staunch old friend q. v. I was ,
little riled and 81 id, our staunch ole
friend wants you to explain, If pro
tective tariff lowers prices what is th,
COED of protective tariff? Certainly
cried our M. G., nothing easier! Be
fore protective tariff the foreign man
ufactdrer had monopoly end SO pu
prices up at his pleasure, under tn
fostering care of protective tariff thi
is stopped, home industries thrive, ant
competition brings down prices. Grea
applause from my old associates, at m,
expense. I was not to be yelled dow
! by a set of fools who never think, 80
said, if that is the end OF protection
why not have it in the beginning
Why put up prices on US only to pul
, them down again? No, he replied
our great object is to foster America
labor, and not capital. Under our sys
, tenn wages of labor 60 steadily uI
Then came a laundering round of ap
: plause at my expense. 1 was mad,
tell you 1 was pretty hot. / said, HOl
on 1 know. and you also know, this
the worst paid labor in this country
( your so-called protected labor. Loo
e right here in the Hooking Valley
g right under your nose, and see th
Y miners worked like mules, and pal
3 scarcely enough to keep their souls i
!, their wretched bodies. They're wOrs
g off than the negro slave was before th
J. war. At this the democrats preseI
:, caught on, and they made it fairl
roar with applause, and shouted, b
him again! go it, old Sol, we'll stan
by you! and the republicans began
hiss. 1 saw there was likely to be
L disturbance, and wished 1 had ker
: away, but just then our Hon. M. {
i said, 1t pains me to see our venerabl
friend lending himself to this rabbi
of unpatriotic people, willing to sacr
flee American labor to British intel
ests. Is he prepared to have thes
British pour in on US their cheap pre-
ducts By this time l was pretty we
warmed up for business again, and
q shouted, Yes, he is Let 'em pou
e If can get clothing cheap for my Lii
# tie grandchildren, and blankets chea
q to cover them in cold weather, 1 say
t let 'em pour. mean to be as patriot
j. as any man, but if that means putin
7 rags on the backs of these little one
: and taking my earnings which the
s ought to have, for the benefit of som
Q rich manufacturing company, an
/ thereby taking the food from thos