St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-27
THE TARIFF.
A Few Thoughts of Northwestern
Farmer on Protection.

To the Editor of the Globe.
In the last year or two l have noticed
in the papers quite discussion about
the tariff as affecting the different Occu-
pations of the labOrer and manufact-
urer. In giving my thoughts in regard
to this l will divide the subject into
first: Does it benefit the manufacturer?
No one will deny that it does. Some
of our infant industries have been foS-
tered until they can almost chaStiSe their
mother. The labOring class comprises
skilled, common and farm labor. | sup
pose that it does increase the wages of a
certain class of skilled labor to a
small extent. But when we take into
consideration the amount he pays back
to skilled labor on each article
which he buys that is protected beside
the large per cent TO the manufacturer
he is not so much better off than he
would be under tariff for revenue
only. Beside, does a skilled laborer
need protection? Can he not get fair
wages anyhow? Suppose he cannot, is
it fair or lawful to tax the many, some
of which are worse off than he is, for
his protection. The common labOrer
tariff because to-day there is a surplus
of them (and as more labor-saving ma
chimes are invented there will be more).
Hence the great law of supply and de-
mand steps in and factories. and every
one else for that matter, will buy his
labor as cheap as he can. There is but
one way, and that would be to
put high tariff on emigrants.
The more laboring people the
lower the wages. Take the coal
miners for an example. See how low
their wages are getting; but does coal get
cheap? In this, as in other manufact-
mand touches them, they form their
pools, trusts, etc, which the labOrer and
farmer have tried to do. and will never
succeed in doing. In times of over
supply or depression in business the
wages are lowered, perhaps the product
also. But are they raised in the same
proportion when good times come
again? | don't think so. In the course
of time, as wages are cut 25 per cent and
raised 10 per cent, will not they be as
low as the so-called pauper wages of
Europe. The reason that wages are
lower i'll Europe than in the United
States is the same that farm laborer
receives S12 in Massachusetts, SIS
in illinois, SIS IN Minnesota, and
S35 to $40 in the far West.
The older the country the lower the
wages. Ny position is this-you cannot
pass law so that the three classes,
manufacturers. labOrerS and farmers,
can each make money off the others.
Too much like the three boys getting
rich trading pennies. Does the glass man
ufacturer or the steel manufacturer pay
more for his common labor than the
harvester works? One is protected and
the other is not. Do | receive more for
rI,nTf Il
is protective tariff? Do | pay more
for my clothing. lumber, salt, coal. steel.
ETC.? Ii we did not raise enough wheat,
corn and pork we surely would, but as
we raise surplus our prices are Liver
pool prices less freight and other charges.
Says to me farmer: You can sell
for what you can get, but you must pay
a big per cent to our infant industries
when you buy. This is worse, or at
least as bad as England served the
thirteen colonies. j. q. B., in the last
canvass, said the tariff gave the farmer
a fine market in the East. It may
probably benefit few farmers in the
East by giving a market for a few
perishable products. But the Western
farmer, as | said before, must rely on
Europe for his prices. The protectionist
refers to statistics in former free trade
times to convince you of its benefits. |
have not seen those figures or the
present ones. But think am safe in
saying that from 80 to 60 per cent of the
Western farms are mOrtgaged at the
present time. and that the farmers are
hard up. This is worth more to me than
volume of statistics. Think that the
| manufacturers of protected articles are
making good per cent on investment,
besides paying high salaries to their
officers Farmer in 4
to $4,000 or more in his business be-
| sides his own time and does well if he
keeps his head above water. Do you
not think, brother farmer, mercant, rail-
road man, carpenter, plaSterer, brick
layer and almost all others that are
chipping in this little sum of $500, 1000
| per day. over and above all that is
necessary for this government that we
have fOstered these infant industries
long enough? Can we afford to do so
longer? Are weable to? The carpen-
| tiers, masons, type-setters, bakers rail-
| road men, farmers, city labOrers, binder
| and pillow workmen, in fact all the
| laborers in the West, vote money out of
their pockets every time they
vote for protective tariff
man. The protective tariff claims
| to benefit all of these men. Let them
| sit down and think how, where and in
| what manner it does so. /, as farmer,
| have done so, and am prepared to say
| that the whole thing is swindle on the
| Western country. Think of this, gen.
tlemen, and next fall vote only for the
man and party that agree to help us in
| this. | am user of j. q. B. neceSsaries,
but don't want the tax taken off to-
| baccO or whisky. Put it high on the
luxuries, but as low as possible OH the
| necessaries.
! NORTHWESTERN FARMER.
CrookSton, Mimi, Jan. 81.