The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-02-11
THE WORKINGMAN's VIEW.
The republican Tariff ns It Ap.
penrs 10 one OF Ancriru,s
Protected Laborers

EDITOR ST. JOSEPH GAZETTE The
Herald Is continually giving the work.
lngmen (Of whom 1 am one) "sOme-
thing to think about" by asking.
"what would be the effects in case the
working masses had free trade" liz
asks them 10 think how differently the
republican party has acted toward
them, etc., etc. AS workingman I
have taken the advice and here is what
iind the republican party has done,
so far as | can call TO mind at present.
to Tighten the burdens of the laboring
| mel:
In the first place, when the war taxes
CATER the war was over were BEGIN
ming TO pile up surplus, the republi-
cans, tor the relief of the laboring
classes (oniy) abolished the income tax.
Also the tax Oh silverware. For this
the workingmen were without Doubt
very hankful, rs it saved them many q
dollar. Then the abolition of stamps
Oh bank checks was another icvor TO
them, as the rich paid their bills in
cash and only the poor gave checks.
But the blessings were not st0pped
here. When they found that the sur.
plus was still accnmulatiux they re-
duced the rate of postage, and as the
correspondence OF the country il car
ried on by the poor this was equally a
relief to them. forgot to say that the
taxation Oh gross receipts of railroads
was also taken off to assist the moor
men. Alter all this was done tor the
relief Of the poor, finding thai thew
needed further protection and assis.
tsnce, their crowning act was to
demOnetize silver because it was held
by the rich, while only the laborlug
masses held the gold. The demoneti.
zation OF silver made the gold-held bv
the pSor-worth just as much more in
purchasing power: that is, if there il
TWO thirds gold and one third silver
money ia the country to buy the pro-
ducts of the country when silver was
demonetized, the purchasing power of
the two-thirds gold was equal to the
WhoIe before the act was passed; and IL
the gold and silver money were equal
IN circulation the purchasing power Of
gold was doubled and the laboring men
benefited 100 per cent. While this is
the state OF the case you can readily sea
why the laboring nen should rally to
the party that always acts for the
pest interest Of the working classes"
In the tariff "the republican party
has al ways acted for the interest of
American labor"
Go into the factories of the east,
where the benefits of the tariff are seen.
ana what do you see? The mechanics
living in luxury and the proprIetors
barely existing! Hardly-but the op-
poslte; the workmen barely existing
and manufacturers building up fortunes
in few years which formerly could
not be accumulated in scores of years.
Ihese are some of the great and
glorious acts of the grand old party
that always protected American labor,
as seen by working man.
Alter the blessings that have been
heaped upen the poor man. why not
give the rich man chance? Make it
so that the rich man eau go into u store
and buy suit OF clothes for sl5 which
he cannot buy now tor $50. Then hs
may not be SO dissatisfied about tae
condition of affairs. Suppose lie does
make but two.thirds as much money
ii he can hny twice as much with it he
will be jast as contented. The fact is
the country (according 10 the repubi-
can papersl has been run for years for
the poor men only, and |, for one, am
III Ior chaDge and say: Let us take
OF the tariff and give the rich man a
chance; take off the tariff, and. since
we must raise taxes, collect it off of the
incomes of aceatthy ta6oriag men.
Then again allow the mines of the
country, that are to- day unworked, be-
cause the product has been degraded
by the American congress, let the
miners begin again to carry 10 the mint
the precious metal that is the product
of our country. and we will laugh to
scorn the fearful forebodings OF the
millionaires who are so desirous "to
protect American labor"
This is what laboring man thinks
OF when "protection to American
labor" is howled by the republican
press. l am led to ask are there anv
chestuuts being raked ont oil the fire9
Ii so, who is the cate w.