The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1888-02-17
THE ABoMINABLE TARIFF.

MAtt - Moofesfn the new 0Tk <UHfsi
shows how the protected weoIcn goods IL
divided between capital and labor. lie
ays
The whilem slave regime fought for
siavery, because It WAS to them an inherit
cd property. The protection regime fight
for the continuation Of high tariff, be.
cause through class legislation and trick
cry the whole population Of over 6oooo,.
600 have been cnsiaved as taxpayers to a
comparative handful Of protectionists.
The most harcfaced OF ail lies Il the as.
sertion that m outrageous high pretection
u indispensable On account Of the high
wages that are paid IN this country that
IN short, the vIrtuous protectlealst bosscs
are not the gamers by protection, but
simply the working classes. Now, let me
show up some statistical facts, and dare
the whole congregation Of the advocates
ol protection 70 galnsay my statements Of
figures
First, the average protection on import
ed woeien goods l. 67.zo per ceat and was
about the same figures In 1880. Now, we
will see how the profit Of such protection
IL divided between capital and labor. From
official statistics during the census year Of
1886 when labor was paid higher than II
IL now) the whole amount of wooden fab
rIcs manufactured. exclusive OF worstsd
goods, was sr6o.6o7.63I. The cost Of all
material used In producing the above was
SIoo.sIs,6iI. Now II NC deduct the cost
OF material from the value of product we
get net surplus of $s976rrIo.
This surplus was thus divided
Total amount paid for labor. .S7s.s3o, aga
Net profit to capital Invested. 33.os4,siS
Tstai ..................$s .$so76T,IIo
The hands employed during the year
1886 were
Males above y years old $47,o7S
Females above IS years old....... so.372
Children. u...s.s...*...s tost5 81
Total. tai.................. poo, 5o4
These hands got, a. stated, S7s,s36,soa
wages, which l., on an average, little
less than $500 per year, and. altogether.
very COED wages. Now, let Us see what
wages the capital made out eta protection
Of Gag per cent Well, then, the total
capital Inyested. as given By the saanniac.
iursrs,whieh we nay feel assured was not
undersstimated, is given ss Sos,oss,s64.
a.. <.f @a~EtaA L. xGEG
Ss7.os4,sIs, or trIae over IS per cent. In
other werds, the average Of a working
mans wages was, - have shown, $50
per year, and $1,000 Invested yielded a
profit OF $3.50 daring the same period.
This Is exactly wisaf the figures show.
And LEI us refasnber. these figures, as TO
the Invested capital and value OF product.
sre-given officially By manufacturers In.
teressed.
Another point which have made over
and over again ID thls, namely; What Is
the percentage Of the cost of labor to the
value Of the manufactured product We
find that tae wages paid - produce Si6o,.
6o6,7sI manufactured woolen gosds was
$sss56,sos- that Is 70 say, every doIlar's
worth Of finished woolen goods represent
ed In cost Of material and profit 81 cents
and labor I6 cents total, 81. Or, say In
rouad numbers. 70 per cent. Now, In
Heavens name, why should there be an
average protection OF 67.7o per cent en-
wooden goods, when the setaI cost Of labor
Ia only Io per cent And, above all, why
should such a stupendous falsehood be
maintained that 81 per cent protective
tax Is indispensable TO keep up this rate OF
wages suppose that foreign labor only
costs hall, or oK per cent a protection of
simply 10 per cent would more than
equallze the cheaper laber Of abroad. And
yet II enc were TO propose reduction OF
the present average duty Of 81 per cent to
90 per cent there would be great outcry
that II Is contemplated TO run the working
men In the weolen factories. Now, Messrs.
Protsctionists Of woelen goods, answer
these figures, II you can.