Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-06-22
Labor VS.. the Tariff.

fought, becomes more intense.
Congress is naturally the center Of this in
terest. That grave body, unable longer TO
evade the issue, has resolved itself into quasi
debating society. Here all the force of logic,
all the arts of rhetoric and all the time OF our
legislators have been exhausted, with the re-
suit, that truth is so interviewer with specious
falsehood it would be difficult to tell where the
| one leaves off or the other begins. In the midst
| of all this it must be patent to every one who
has taken a passing interest in these debates
that protectonists are feeding on the hope
of imposing on the ignorance OF the laboring
classes. Intelligent working man of America,
does this fall harsh upon your ears II SO,
| then the shameful fact sh0dld make them
tingle with indignation. The demand for re-
form in the tariff that Is needlessly sapping
| your honest wages to corrupt the government
| is met and overwhelmed with the cry OF pro-
lection to labor. 1t is now time you we're
beginning to understand the nature of this
alleged protection-where it begins and where
it ends; and right here you have to admit
the most that has been done by the party ad-
vocating this sacred doctrine, to explain it
has been only to entangle and mystify, till
tickled with the sound of protection ard de-
spairing of understanding, alas too many have
come to regard the whole subject with the
mystery of the scheme OF salvation, and vote
on faith. Bare assertions masquerade for
proof and broad and sweeping statements
are made, excellent propositions in them
selves, but supported by no evidence what
ever. When this method of argument fails OF
the desired effect, the question is steered into
| unknown depths of political science where 1t
Is lost in maze of difficulty and doubt. The
fact is, there is nothing in the tariff in its re-
lations to labor that the simplest mind need
| fail to understand; and the conditions OF
the question are such that only the laborer
in the light of his own observations and ex-
| perience can intelligently decide it. Then
let the workingman lift the tartf-labor ques-
tion out of this maze of political jargon and
| settle it for himself.
For convenience, in discussing the law Of
wages we will observe three points in what
we shall call the scale OF wages. The first is
the maximum point, which is the highest
wages the employer can afford to pay in order
| TO carry on business, and this point depends
upon the employers profits. The second point
in the scale is the minimum, which is the least
the empoye can afford TO work for. This
point is fixed by the cost OF the necessares or
life. The point that remains to be defined is
the current rate of wages; and this depends
upon the law of supply and demand, limited
of course by the maximum and minimum
| points in the scale. AS the demand for labor
exceeds the supply, current wages gradually
| approach the maximum and as the supply
is greater than the demand, wages correspond
ingly descend to the minimum. From this
it is clear the wealth of labor depends upon
the margin between the minimum point in
the scale and the current wages. II we in
crease this margin either by raising the cur
rent wages or by lowering the minimum point
the effect is the same and the laborer is bene-
fited. On the other hand, when we narrow
the margin, whether by lowering the current
price or raising the minimum point, labor is
depressed Now how does the tariff affect this
sy stem2 The direct result of protective tariff,
il will be granted, is to raise the price OF
goods within its purview, and thus add TO
the manutaclurers profits. OF course this
raises the maximum point in the scale OF
wages, VIII ch as we have said depends upon
the employer profits, while It the same time,
it raises the minimum point fixed by cost OF
living. Now il the maximum point is pressing
down the current wages, then. to raise maxi
mum freeing the operation of supply and de-
mand must have the effect of improving wages.
But if the current rate is not so pressed
down, but is somewhere below the maximum,
then TO raise this point till employer makes
any profit whatever will not affect wages in
the least, but by increasing he profits of the
employ yerwithout u corresponding appreciation
in the price of labor, the lever which the en-
ployer holds upon the employe is thereby
heightened, while the minimum point rising
with the maximum, the cost Of living is rails
ed, thus actually intrudng upon the margin
upon which the wealth of labor depends.
Now the question for the laborer in these
protected industries to decide is this Are
wages at the maximum point Laborers,
you need no prophet to answer this question
Look on the gilded palace of your employer
and then on your humble dwelling, aud ask
yourself if your employer pays all he can
/ th LAT M hov N n q
and murmurings of discontent-let the lion
and the lamb lie down together, and by all
means don reduce the tariff, for ii this is so
then wages are at the maximum, and any re-
duclion in the profits of the employer $ busi-
ness must lower wages.
But il you conclude that your employer
could we'll afford to pay more then there Is
something wrong. For labor being The real
producer of wealth the only fair and equita-
table rule is that the laborer should re-
ceive the highest price for his labor that its
production justifes. Anything short OF this
is lust so much tribute which labor pays TO
capital. This is the secret OF the disconlen
among the labOring people-the seeds OF
strikes, socialism AND anarchy. This is the
true cause of the degradation of labor. 1t is
not the labor itself, but the tribute which the
laborer pays to his employer that brands him
with the badge OF slavery. The laborer is
worthy OF the maximum hire. Never until
this condition is realized will labor receive
its due reward, and the most important cir
cumstance over which the laborer has any
control tha, would tend to bring about this
happy condition is the tariff. Reduce the
tariff and thus cut down the price of the pro
,ected articles till the maximum point in the
scale of wages, falling with the manufactuI-
er's profits, approached the point at which
supply and demand have fixed the current
wages. Thus would we reduce the cost OF
living rs far as possible without affecting
wages, and increase TO its utmost capacity the
margin of wealth for labor. Wages would
then be at the maximum, and the laborer
could have naught to complain. Then will
labor aud capital have grand reunion; pow
erty fain would hide its face and every thorn
in The sioe of honest labor will be II flower on
the grave of the dead issue, protection.
"But," protecionists say granting that
the law of supply and demand is the ruling
principle in the scale OF wages, still the tariff
must be main ntained. The immunity it affords
certain industries invites capital into the bu-
siness and so has tendency TO increase The
demand" All, indeed Are the practical
workingmen OF America REALLY so theoretical
that they prefer an incorporeal tendency
10 solid reality? Are they willing TO sacri-
fee their immediate interest, aud in view OF
the vastly increasing surplus, the present ne
eessity of the country, tor the sake OF pros
pect their unborn grandchildren may never
realize? How long has this tendency been in
operation, and oh, how slowly have wages in
creased Well might labor exclaim "llow
long, oh protection, wilt thou abuse our pa
tience!'
This last argument, which is perhaps the
most damnable because the most specous,
has the merit of being ingenious, but this also
will not bear the light OF reason. 1t belongs,
like all the rest of the modern protection ar
guments, to the limbo of exploded fallacies.
Sons of toll, do you forget that agriculture,
because of its importance, must always be the
most potent influence in regulating the de-
mand for labor This is the root from which
all other industries are but the branches and
think you that you can oppress this great n-
terest with impunityP
The friction of the wheels of agriculture
must retard the whole machinery of indus
trial progress. The demand for labor in other
departments stimulated at the expense of ag-
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