The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-11-01

the wages in those or any other countries.
The reason is perfectly simple, and any
one with half sense ought TO see 1t. The
wages are lower in Italy because, for
every piece of work hired out, there are a
dozen ready TO take it. and OF course the
one who wants the work done. will give
it TO the one who will do it the cheapest.
Everyone who wants to hire a man in
Italy, knows that he can get someone TO
do it for a price running from 20 cents to
30 cents per day, according to the KIND
of work and the numbers who are waiting
TO take it. In some employments there
are greater number of persons who can
do this work, and the wages for that kind
of work are lower, and where there are
fewer persons to be had to do the parti-
cular kind of work the wages are higher.
1t is the same in Germany, England. Aus
tralia, the United States, and every other
country.
Australia is a Tree trade country and
wages there are higher than in the United
States. If the tariff had anything to do
with the question of wages they ought to
be higher in Italy than IN the United
States or in England or in Australia; be-
cause the tariff is SO much higher in Italy
than in either of those countries, but the
fact is wages are more than 200 per cent.
higher in either England, the United
States or Australia than they are in Italy,
Australia pays the highest wages of
any country in the world, and they have
no tariff-it is a free trade country
The United States comes next IN the
scale of wages. and we have a high tariff,
and England is next. which is a free trade
country.
Now, how can, or how does, the tariff
effect wages? If it does, why do we find
that the lowest wages of the countries
mentioned above Qtaly) has high tariff
laws, and the highest wages of any coun-
try mentioned (Australia) is free trade
nationo
What is the tariff anyway Did you
ever ask yourself that question:
The tariff is spoken of as if it was some
mysterious thing The tariff is a tax levied
by the government upon articles which
enter into general use, imported into this
country. The prices of imported articles
with the tax added fix the prices of the
same articles manufactured in this country,
just as foreign markets regulate the price
of wheat, corn, flour in our home market.
| The government gets the tax only on
imported articles The amount OF the
tax on articles manufactured here goes in
to the pockets of the manufacturers. The
earnings of the whole American people
are being exhausted by the imposition of
AZ per cent to enrich a very few men.
There is tax OF over 100 cents on the
| dallars worth of common window glass
over Io3 per cent on horse shoe nails,
| that is to say on every S. worth of horse
shoe nails purchased the tax is SI.o6.
You get 81 cents worth of nails and pay
| S. for them On wool there is a tax OF
over II9 per cent on sugar OF over 81 per
cent, on wooden cloth there is a tax of
over 81 per cent, on wooden shaWls OF
| 81 per cent, on East India shaWls of al
per cent, on silk stockings 50 cents on the
| dollar, worsted stockings 68 per cent; on
your tin pail and all kinds of tin ware
| there is a tax of SO per cent; on saws 40
| per cent; an axes, hammers, picks and
| hatChetS As per cent; on lumber 81 per
thousand feet and on nearly every article
of necessity and daily use, the govern
ment collects tax. If you paid this tax
directly, it would be quickly wiped out.
That is to say, if you were required when
YOU went to a store and bought SI2 suit
| of clothes and had to step to the other
side of the store and pay the tax on 1t,
which would be S64S, there would be
such general kicking that the tax would
be lessoned at the first congress that met.
You pay the tax just the same; however.
! The figures given above are correct and
are taken from the laws of the United
States on the subject.
These enormous taxes are yielding a
revenue of over one hundred million dol
lars annually more than required to econ
omically administer it, and the democratic
party SAYS: Reduce the tax on WoolenS,
tin ware, window glass, sugar, lumber and
other articles of daily use and necessity.
The democratic party also says: Take
the tax off plug and smoking tobacco, but
leave 1t on cigars, cigarettes, cheroots and
on all kinds of liquors.
The republican party says: that before
any of the taxes are lessoned upon wear
ing appearal, tools, tin ware, glass, lumber
and other articles of necessity, the whole
Tax DluSl COlllt Oh lODdICo stiiu NHIShS
Which means cheap whisky and dear
clothing.
Why do the republicans prefer to take
the tax off whisky and tobacco, rather
than lessen it upon articles of daily use
and necessity to all of our famllles' The
reason is simple and well understood by
those who have carefully watched the
course of the republican party.
This tariff tax has produced these great
and rich monopolies and trusts. Those
interested in them have reaped great for
tunes because they have been enabled TO
exact from the people far beyond just
and fair price for their products. These
men control the republican party and
furnish the money to carry on the party s
political Campaigns. That accounts tor
it and il is strictly true.
! From 1881 to 1886 strikes occurred in
22,336 manufacturing establishments, and
| over y per cent. of them were in those
monopolistic Industries, whose agents are
trying to deceive you upon this tariff ques-
| ton. In the same year there were 2,Io2
lockouts and over 90 per cent. OF them
were in the same kind OF high tariff estab-
| lishments. Are these the men that work
ingmen are selecting to promote their IN
tereStS2
Whv should the democratic party want