Morning journal and courier., 1888-10-22
THE TARIFF QUESTION.

To the Editor of the JOURNAL COURIER:
 Which parent will the people of this nation have for the next four years-the Republican. which has for its most conspicuous policy protection and that labor and capital shall not come Into open competition with foreign nations either 6 whole or in part; or will they have the Democratic, which has for it's most conspicuous policy that it will break down the wall of protection if not as whole in part. But, say the Democrats, we are strong protectionists-free raw material, that's all. Raw material for all is the land itself, the plant food in the land and the minerals. They would have wool free, which is the finished product of the farmsr, and the raw material for the manufacturer Potatoes are the finished product of the farm CT and the raw material of the cook. All the produce of the farm is either raw material for the m anufacturer or the cook. Free raw material is 8 step of free trade.
 Free raw material will bring the land into open competition with other countries, and will also bring the capital in the farming in- dustry into competition. The farmer and the farm laborer and all other laborers will thus be brought into open competition. The Democrats claim to wish to protect the man ufacturer and the mechanic. At the same time they cry free raw material and cheap raw material MT. Mills said that free raw material would increase manufacturing, would increase the demand for labor at 8 higher rate of wages, and the world for @ market. And when raw material is 80 cheap that it is double acting, increasing the me- chanic's pay and enlarging the market, how low must be the reward of the producer of the raw material, and how great the sacrifice of his power to consumea It has been the theory of the free trader that the manufacturer under protection was little better than c robber. Will he now turn about and help the robber to roba Will he leave the farmer unprotected and assist the manufacturer at the farmers expense by cheapening the farmers product; and thus bring him into open competition with other nations while the manufacturer remains protected?
 What does the laborer of this country take to himself by his labor in comparison with the laborer of England? The first and great est necessity is food. How does his food compare with ours! The next is clothing, and the next Is rent or shelter, and how does the mechanics food, clothing and shelter here compare with the mechanics in Englandf The laborers and mechanics in England do not take as much to themselves by thif labor as we do in this country. The necessities they must have. The necessities cost but little, the Injuries great deal. Food is the greatest necessity and one of the greatest luxuries as we'll, and if the laborer and the
 mechanic in this country come into open competition with the laborer and mechanic of other nations they cannot take as many lux uries in food as now, nor as many in cloth f,,rv t1 1ah must take to itself less in rent. The same family must take @ less number Of rooms at less cost per room and the capitalist that has his capital invested in tenements must take less. If labor takes less, it cannot pay as much for rent and capital invested in tenements must take less, and when this comes what must the builders and boss carpenters and masons dol If we are compelled to live as they do in England, capital invested in houses will have to take less and the families will have
 to live in 6 less number of rooms, and when
 this comes there will be little or no work for
 the builder and his carpenters and masons, for time at least. In opsn competition
 with other nations both capital and labor
 must suffer along this line. And
 as, as food r.s..r is ,u greater 1h necessity ss,1y
 so will the loss be greater both to capital and labor. And what must the farmer do that raises the luxuries when the mechanic can no longer take them continuously, and the farmer that now raises the necessities is brought into
 open competition with other nationsa When this comes the farmer cannot take as much to himself as he now does. Neither can the mechanic. Neither can capital take as much for it's share.
 But, says the free trader, protection is an abnormal condition. We are outgrowing our neighbors, and part of the business at least which we ought to have we are leaving be- hind us. We cannot compete with England in ship building and ship carrying upon the high seas, and this shows that we cannot compete with England in an open competition without Ia bor and capital both take less. A thousand dollars will build more ship in England than l it would here for the reas n that labor and capital take less, and if two thousand dollars | will build as much ship as three will here, and believe it will, capital cannot take this industry, neither can labor. They both can l find better employment. It costs more to build the same amount of ship here because
 labor costs more, and that is not all. Capital takes more. The rate of interest in England 1 is three per cent. and in this country on an
 average six per cent. or more, and if it takes three thousand dollars to build as much in this