Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-13
UNPROTECTED CLASSES.

In his speech at Covington, KY, upon
the occasion of his denomination to con.
gress from that district, Mr.. Carlisle in
dulged at length upon the favorite Dem
ocratic theme of unprotected industries
The carpenters and brickIayers and rail
road men, he said, and he might have
added the commercial travellers, in this
country get higher wages than they dc
in Europe, and YET they are not men
toned in the tariff. 1t is true they are
not mentioned, but their interests are no
less involved.
The Louisville Commercial, in its COM
ments upon the speech pertinently re-
marked that it is not denied even by
free traders, that protective duties slim
ulate manufacturing enterprises, and
promotes the industrial development of a
country. All they say is that it costs
too much to develop that way. The dis
pute is over the profitableness of that
development and prosperity induced by
a tariff, and not about the fact that
there is development and prosperity.
Industrial development and prosperity
mean the building up of factories and
mills and storehouses, and homes for the
men who work in them, and of shops
and houses for those who supply these
workingmen, and the transportation of
material for the mills and factories, and
all this building and transportation
means brisk demand for carpenters
and bricklayers and railroad men, and
brisk demand means steady work at
good pay. Every railroad man knows
how the building up of factories along
his line increases the work of the road.
Every employe of every road knows
how the business of his road has
grown with the increase of manufactur-
ing industries in the territory through
which its system extends. Every me-
chanic knows that industrial growth and
general prosperity means good work and
good wages for him. The free-traders
do not deny that protection causes in
dustrial growth and prosperity, but say
that it enhances the cost of Lying SO
much that nobody is better off.
That we are better off can be shown
and has been shown. but what is to be
emphasized now is the admission that
protection stimulates industrial growth
and prosperity. That is where the car
penters and brick layers and railroad
men come in, and that is how they share
in the benefits of the tariff.
Commercial travellers are not mention
ed in the tariff either, but no class of men
in the country are more directly interest
ed than they are in the maintenance of our
protective system. If it is abandoned,
and free trade inaugurated, they will be
supplanted by the representatives of for
eign houses, who will overrun this coun-
try from one end of it to the other. ready,
as soon as the tariff bars are let down,
to get possession of the market by sell
ing at any price they can get till they
drive out opposition. Free trade will
throw our commercial travellers out of
business, or compel them to seek service
with foreign houses, who are already
pretty well supplied.
For wage Garner in any class to sit
throw of the protective system, because
his particular line is not named in the
tariff, is just the same as ii an officer
holding the center of army should see
the enemy assailing and driving back
the wings and refuse to fire gun, on
the ground that he was not interested,
because the enemy was not attacking
him. He would find out when the en-
envy got in his rear and cut off his sup
plies and demanded his surrender, that |
he was being attacked from the first. |
That is what the carpenters and brick |
layers and railroad men and commercial !
and all other wage earners !
will find out about the raid on protec-
ton which is now in progress. The raid |
is on their wages aud on their chance Of |
getting work as much as it is on any in
dustry mentioned in the tariff. We be- !
lieye they know more than Mr.. Carlisle
and men Of his school give them credit |
for knowing, and that they Will stand |
firm for their true interests.