The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-01-30

industry. 1t has ever been the pol
icy of the government; it has beer
maintained by every President from
Washington to Cleveland, varying
only in degree, and no political par.
! ty can hope for success with the
people that does not advocate ths
full protection of the wages o.
American labor in all industries
which are competitive with foreign
labor.
But there is protection and pro
lection. There is protection to Ia
Dor and there is protection to mono
poly, and tho greatest peril that has
confronted the true protective policy
of Washington and Clay, is the
powerful effort made during the
Hast dozen years to prostitute pro
lection to the sole advancement Of
centralized capital and monopoly.
The protection to labor, which in
wolves not only tariff taxes on foreign
competitive products but also the
cheapening of the necessities of life
consumed by workingmen, is the
sole aim of the true protective policy;
and any and every departure from
that standard must be oppression
for the many to enrich the few.
The recent action of the Senate
in amending the wooden schedules
of the tariff, presents the most point
ed illustration of the absolute pros
titution of protection to oppress the
people without protecting labor and
benefit only the few capitalists.
The proposition to increase tariff
tax on woods and woolens in this
enlightened and progressive age. is
simply monstrous mockery of pro-
lection. Looking to the interests
of workingmen, who constitute the
great mass of the people, it is a
studied prostitution of protection to
Cypress labor; and looking to par
ty policy, it is midsummer madness.
1t protects only centralized capital;
it impoverishes labor, and it imposes
crushing and needless taxes upon
the whole people.
Who can justify or excuse the in
crease of the present tariff taxes on
wool to increase the burdens of our
mills and labor? Why tax wool at
all? 1t involves practically no Ia
borin its production. Pennsylvania,
with her million sheep, does not
employ 500 able bodied men in the
care of her focks, while every man,
woman and child in the State wears
woolens. These woolens are now
taxed over go per cent, which is
paid by every citizen old and young,
rich and poor, because there is a tax
of 40 per cent. on wool and like
taxes on chemicals, dye-stuffs and
other raw. materials. With free
wool, which would destroy no in
dustry, woolens would be cheapened
at least 90 percent. to the people,
our home mills and labor would
supply all our wooIens, and the pro-
lection and profit to both capital
and labor would be greater than
now. 1t would enlarge our indus
try, supply our woolens chiefly or
wholly from American mills and
labor, and would add to the pros
perity of all branches of industry
and trade.
But the Senate assumes that the
late election sanctioned the prosti-
tuition of protection to the most OPP
presssve monopoly, and has in
creased the present tariff taxes on
every grade of wool, on every quail
ity of woolens, including fannels,
blankets, hats, carpets, wonderland
ehiIdren's dress goods, and in short,
everything composed wholly or
partly of wool that is consumed by
the people. This is studied and
needless oppression of the great
mass the people; it is fragrant
prostitution of the policy of protec-
ton; it lessons instead of enlarging
our industry; it increases instead OF
lessenipg the cost of tho common
neeessaries of life, and it is a per
version of protection that invites
and will surely bring revolution
There is not another protection
country in the world that does moi
furnish free raw materials to its
mills and labor. France, Italy and
Germany are protection nations.
but French, German or Italian
statesman who proposed to tax the
raw materials of his mills and labor
would be regarded as idiotie. II Is
one of the cardinal features of q
true protective policy to cheaper
the products of industry when II
can be done without cheapening
labor: to enlarge consumption, multi.