The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-09-07

1
that the wages of men working in protected in
| dustres would be larger than the wages o.
those employed in the unprotected, but unfor
tunately for the Republican side of this qucs
tion the wages oflabor paid in the great pro
tected callings in the United States have al
ways averaged much lower than in many OF the
unprotected
| Again, up TO 1850 we had the American sys
tenn OF FREQ exchange Of products with the out
| side world and the average wages in the United
| States were double those paid IN England
whore they had the protective system, but
| since that time England has adopted the Amer
| lean system OF tariff taxes for revenue only and
we have taken up the Chinese.Brltish system
| Of protective tariff slavery, and as result
wages in America are much less than one-hali
higher nominally, and with his tariff taxes de-
Quoted, are possibly in many instances actually
lower than in England, so that the American
laborer has been an enormous loser by allowing
our politicians to adopt the British system.
Again, II the protective or high tax tariff sys
tenn was best for the working man the average
wages OF labor would increase most under q
high tariff whereas under the low Democratic
tariff of siG wages increased in the United
States more in the fourteen years to 1860 than
they increased in twenty-eight years of high
tariff begun in 1861, and besides this the cost OF
living under the Democratic tariff of 1916 was
only increased by n tax of twenty-three per
cent, while under the present Republican high
tariff the cost OF articles affected by the tariff
has increased forty-seven per cent. or more
than double, so that high tariff taxes, rs shown
by the United States Census, tend to decrease
wages whilo they increase the cost of living,
thus taking money OFT OF both pockets of the
working man at the same moment. A low tar
in, Democratic, system, which tends to In
crease his wages while it reduces the cost of
living and gives him steader employment puts
butter on both sides OF his bread and sugar be.
tween slices.
II is a common but rascally fraud practiccd
upon the WORKING man by the advocates of high
tariff taxes to say that wages in America are
higher than in England because of protection,
whereas the difference in wages is due to the
fact that our natural advantages are so much
greater than those OF England rs to make the
reward of labor 100 per cent. greater here than
in England when we had no protective tariff
whatever, while wages fall away, relatively,
nearly nehalf under the insane system of tax
ing industry more than is required If protec.
tionists aimed to be honest and fair they would
say to the working man: Look at England
and Germany, both are old countries, both have
large standing armies and If both had the same
tariff system wages in each would be about the
same but England has tho American system
or tariff for revenue only while Germany has
a protective tariff and what is the result?"
Wages in England instead of being lower be-
cause OF what is often called free trade, are
much higher than in Germany and wages which
ought to be at least as high in Germany as in
England IL both had the same kind of tariff
are much lower than in England. But the dis
advantage to the working man in the high protec
tive tariff land of Germany does not end with
his lower wages, for the protective tariff there,
rs it does here. increases the cost OF nearly all
he has TO buy, so that his wages are really still
further reduced and he actually, because of
foolish system of tariff taxation
which unpatrotic and not over clever Republi-
cans want us 10 call the American system) gets
little more than half as much wages as the
English workman receives since England
adopted, in 1877, the American system.
Travelling all over Europe the same demon
jtration, that so-called protective taxes (such
Is our American workmen suffers from produce
ow wages is found. All that is needed is TO
find the rate of tariff tax in order TO determine
whether wages are high or low. In Austria.
where they have n high tariff with great natural |
'esourcos and advantages including wonder |
ully productive soil, they have low wages, and
n Switzerland, her next door neighbor, where |
hey have little else than rocks, ice and water, |
hey have lower tariff taxes and conse |
luence higher wages. AS cold weather forces |
he mercury down in the thermometer, so this |
orcign system of taxation. imported from |
)hina by way Of England, crowds wages down |
nd keeps them lower than they would naturally |
e. China, for hundreds perhaps thousands OF |
ection the world has ever seen practically |
being in this respect the protection
st solons ideaD and her workmeh get an aver
age of about Eve cents per day. have rice for
steady diet and dried rat about once week |
IS luxury. Mexico, one OF the richest lands on |
he earth, a land in which wages ought to be high |
las protective tariff, q very high one, and |
7ages average twenty cents per day. In
England after hundreds OF years of protection,
wages were low, pauperism and crime, wretch
dncss misery and suffering the lot OF the
iorIing people; but after she adopted the
american system OF o tarin for revenue only
ages began at once to advance and have since
Ri advanced fas er than they have risen in
ny country in the world md to-day England
ays the highest wages in the Il astern half OF
he world. while her working people are the
est clothed on the entire g lobe. In Ireland
nder the American system, wages have ad-
anced ovor 100 per cent, and among farm
iborcrs, II Daniel OConneh, the great Lbe
ator and our protectionist Consul lin 1879 at
,orlS. arc to be believed, the wages of farm
lborcrs have increased over 800 per cent. l
ee too, by the London Engineering of July
,, on page 49, that another advance of 2h
er cent in the wages of steel workers in
England has taken place just when Carnegle's
len have had theirs reduced 30 per cent.
England is to-day paving IA per cent above
he standard rate. and believe the actual cost
I making steel rail is anywhere in England
rom fifty cents TO sl10 per ion more than at
aanegie's works, ana yet Carnegie has tariff
lx Of sl7 per ton Ito protect laborD
1t might be right and proper here TO ask what
as the American worliingman done that the
'epublican party should rob him of the bless
lgs of the American system OF taxation and
nj upon him the curse of q foreign system of
lavish iaEation n system which robs him and
is family of many OF the blessings he is heir 10
nd which he has the same right to enjoy as he
as free speech, free religion. free press and
orsonal liberty.
Russia has the highest tariff in Europe, tar
Z which would delight our great Republican
and High Priests of Protection, and
ays the lowest wages the continent, while
er natural advantages are such that she ought
D pay larger wages than England. Germany
as for years been increasing her tariff taxes
ntil now she Is so well protected that she has
lmost constant strikes and locEouts among her
;orlinen and wages have declined so much
hat Inc report of the German Chamber OF Com
lcrce says: '"rhe heavy duties have greatly
nhanced the cost Of the necessares OF life
'hile wages instead OF rising as was predicted.
ave either remained stationary or declined and
he condition of the German worsngman has
materially dctoriorated." Does it not look,
as II the interests OF every man de-
endcnt upon his labor either In Germany or in
)hio required the adoption OF the true Ameri-
AN system OF tariff taxation for revenue only?
Finally. in regard to labor and wages, the
lain that we can equa iZe wages by tariff tax
ton is laid away 10 rest by the fact that here In |
he Unii c1 States where we all suffer from the
anne system OF tariff taxation, a system which
uniformly and hopelessly bad. our wages vary
iore between the several States than they ay-
rage TO vary between the United States and
,rgiaad. Why, the tariff see from the 1888
n nj N Ohio nurnnm n NJ fistk |