Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-19

OF the country, the wages of our laboring
men must be maintained therefore high |
rates OF taxation must be continued. If |
had time, think 1 could show to the |
satisfaction OF every intelligent man
within the sound of INV voice
that the wages of the laborer are no
more affected by the rates of duties upon
imported goods, than the yield of corn
to the acre on your farm is affected by it.
And one OF the chief benefits of the svs-
tenn, in the estimation of Mr.. Harrison.
is the fact that the people do not know
bow much they are paying. When a
mans money is taken away from him
without his knowledge, some malicious
people call it stealing. will say that it
is the most dangerous form of taxation
that could be devised, because it makes
the people less vigilant of the expendi-
ture OF public money, and lulls them to
sleep while their substance is taken
away.
WAGES AND THE PROTECTIVE TARIFF.
l have said that this system of taxa
ton is continued on the grounds that it
increases the rates OF wages of American
laborers. There are two or three facts
which show conclusively that this argu-
ment is not sound. In the first place is
conceded the fact that there is as much
difference between the rates of wages
paid in this country to the laborers en-
gagged in the same occupation in different
parts OF the country as there is between
the difference of the average rate of
wages paid here and in European coun-
tries, and yet the same tariff law prevails
throughout the whole United States
The greatest differences between the
rates of wages paid here, and
the rates paid in European countries,
is found in those occupations which no.
body pretends can be protected under
tariff laws. For instance: There is far
greater difference between the rates OF
wages paid here to carpenters, plasterers,
painters, stope and brick masons, team
sters, railroad employees and steamboat
employees, and the rates OF wages paid
the same classes of workingmen in Eu-
rope, than there is between the rates OF
wages here in our mills and cotton facto-
ries and the rates of wages in the same
industry in Europe. The rates of wages
paid in this country, too, in the unpro-
tected industries, and the difference be-
tween them in the one case and those
paid in Europe in the other case, is still
palmer. They say if you reduce the
duties this country will be overwhelmed
with foreign goods and all manufactur-
ing and mercantile industries will be
ruined. Why, gentlemen, if all
the ships in the world were employed
continuously in bringing goods from
Liverpool to New York, it would take
them two years to bring as much as
single railroad company in this country
carries in one year. If all the Cunard
vessels plying between this country and
European ports were to be employed it
would require them seventy-five years to
bring to this country as much goods as
the Pennsylvania Railway carries in one
year; and yet these gentlemen expect
sensible men to believe that a reduction
of the taxation on the people will close
up our manufacturing establishments
and compel the people to rely upon for
eign products for the necessaries of life.
The proposition is too absurd and pre-
posterous to be argued.
CHEAP NECESSITIES OR CHEAP WHISKY.
We insist that the people shall have
cheaper clothing and agricultural imple-
ments before they get cheap whisky and
cheap tobacco. The Republican plat
form on the contrary declares that they
will repeal the whole internal revenue
system rather than suspend any part of
the protective system. Ahigh duty upon
woolen goods and cotton, and upon steel
and iron, is part of the protective sys-
tenn. The true meaning Of the Republi-
can platform is that it will repeal the tax
on whisky and beer and cigars and cigar
cites and cheroots, but it will repeal
no part of the duty upon the
articles I have mentioned. Are
the people ready to endorse that docu-
ment? How many of you are there who
are in the habit of purchasing and using
in your family articles of foreign produc-
ton, the like of which are not produced
in this country. Very few and yet these
are the articles upon which the Repub-
lican party's platform pledges to take off
the duty. l know that if the intelligent
and honest men of this country will take
this question of Federal taxation, un-
biased by political prejudice, unawed by
political power, they will give just and
righteous decision and Cleveland and
Thurman will be elected by a majority
much larger than that which secured the
Presidency for us in 1884.