The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-15
MAI. widmsr on the Tariff.

MAI. widmer on the Tariff.
A little over week ago our Republican
friends invited US to listen to an argument
by that eminent and learned republican
undoubtedly the ablest advocate OF repub'
licanism In the county, Major j. Il. Wild
mer They promised us that he would es
tablish beyond question, first, that the re
publican position on the tariff question
was all right; second, that the democratic
position was all wrong. l among Others
was very anxious to ascertain whether
was In the right, or III the wrong. If wrong
as an honest man and good citizen, fell
II my duty to abandon that party whose
principles were wrong. l felt that my coun'
try had higher claim on me than my
party, and that whenever that party be-
came the promoter of policies injurious tt
the welfare Of my country, l would be false
to my manhood, a traitor to my country
were to remain longer member OF such
party. went.
The speaker first told US that We were
there to discuss the question Of wages ir
relation to the tariff, or that In meaning
whether under a protective tariff the con
sumner paid all the tariff, and whether the
object of the democratic party was simpl,
reduction of the sHplus In the treasury
or whether Its aim was the entire destruc-
ton of the protective system. II he had
told us that were there to hear why we
should vote the republican ticket, 1t would
have been a more direct method of stating
the case.
He then told US that there were two
classes of persons who we're NEST Inter
ested In lowering the price Of commodi
ties (meaning things that we wear, things
that we eat, things that we use In our bus
iness, and in fact everything that We pur
chase.) He said that one of these classes
was the millionaire class who we're worth
large amounts of money, and whose income
was derived from bonds; the other class
was the cotton grower of the South. Now
lot me state right here that this was not ,
bloody shirt" srgument-the Major said
it was not, and the Major ought to know
Those two classes, the Major said were in
receipt of an annual fixed income and they
were much interested in getting things
cheap. He forgot to mention that persons
whose income is not so fixed or so we'll de-
fined are also DESTROYS to have things cheap
had always supposed that the millionaires
both north and south were proportionately
better able to pay higher prices for their
goods than the man who was getting dollar
auds half day and supporting nine child
rem and wife and paying house rent.
Ofcourse this was only guess on the part
ofthe Major. He simply took 1t for granted
that the millionairss wanted things cheap,
and likely he was right. Everyone that
ever know was inspired with the same de-
sire. He also said that they were interest
ed in the lowering Of wages; that Is, the
millionaire who does net manufacture but
has his money invested In bonds and who
does not employ much labor,-not the mil.
lionaire who makes million and half q
year and cuts down his men 10 per cent and
goes to Scotland NOT that class Of million,
aires, but the other class: they are the ones
that want to get cheap labor; and. of course,
the Southern devil. he wants to cheaper
labor That is what the Major said, and the
Major says he knows.
Then he attempts to discover how the
line Of policy advocated by the democratic
party will affect the northern people. He
puts his position thus: "Will the object
end aim Of the democratic party lower wa
ges! lit does and you are not enabled to
purchase what you want as cheaply relative.
ly as wages are reduced, then you certainly
will not be benefited. In other words, if it
makes wages come down, then, in order that
you may be benefited, or in order that you
may simply hold your own to purchase COM
modities, everything that you have to buy,
everything that you have to purchase. must
come down In equal ratio. and if 1t should
not, then tho reduction of your wages would
result in your injury. You all understand
that" Observe that there are two PROPOSE.
tions involved here. First, will the demo.
cratic policy lower wages? Second, Assam,
ing that it will lower wages, will it lower
the cost Of what you buy, so that you can
luy as much with the lower wages as you
could with the highC) wages you now revel
in? That ia the plain English Of the Major 8
propos.. ions. Then he draws fair conclu.
sion, one that we all admit to be correct-if
it lowers wages and doesn't lower prices
relatively, then you will be injured.
Now, let US see how the Major proves the
first proposition, viz, that the democratic
policy will lower wages.
He says we claim that the tariff has moth
ing to do with raising or lowering wages,
except Of q comparatively few men. He
says: They say, true, in the industries
that are directly protected, for instance, the
manufacture of glass, that there the wages
are higher that in the making Of CIGARS.