Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-11-27
SOu,e Lower Tariff StraWs.

When the Pan-American delegates were
in New England Lowell mill-owner-a
republican, by the wsy-told them that the
need of the time is free raw wool.
That was only a straw, but it showed
which way the wind is blowing, and there
fore attracted attention.
Some of the manufacturers in Connect
cut-also high tariff men in the past-have
recently made the same remark or its equiv
alent.
A second straw.
Senator Frye, who regards the theory of
protection as an addendum to the four Cos
pels, and who would go insane if he were
accused of being a free trader, intimstes
that if the Southern republics will allow a
few of our goods 20 enter their ports free
of duty we will return the favor in kind
That is to say, be is cast iron high tariff
man during political campaign, and cries,
"This rock shall fly from its firm base as
soon as l." but like poor Rip Van Wrinkle
be "won't count this time" and tumbles off
that base as easily as he would roll off a
log.
Still another straw.
Aud now Mr.. T. V. Powderly, demo-
GRAFT and leader of the Knights of Labor,
comes to the front with his serious and very
sensible second thought. He will allow US
to say that he has been something of ia
natic as high tariff man. He has suffer
ed from the delusion that protection was
| intended to protect, and that the more the
country had of it the better off the working
classes would be. He has had that dust in
bis eyes for years, and flattered himself
that big wages would logically result from
a protective policy rigidly enforced.
His eyes are now clear; he has taken a
second view of the subject, has seen all the
trickery and humbug under the plausible
protective theory, and has talked very
plainly to the people of Atlanta, Ga.
| Powderly says that the wage earners are
not protected, but that the manufacturer is;
that the rich man gets richer under that
policy, while the poor man is constantly
getting poorer.
Well, IL has taken Mr. Powderly a long
time to get there, but we congratulate him
on his arrival.
Protection is the doctrine Of the aristo
Gratis, and they support it in self defense
The republican party gets its campaign
funds largely from syndicates and monop
olies which are bred and kept alive by pro.
lection.
The nobility of Europe spurn the notion
that they and the middle classes are made
Oub Vi tuo Shmo klHu Vi Cidys lucy DIT
special creations, while the multitude are
made by wholesale and dumped on the
earth by the million. So the men who are
making fortunes by protection have a theo
ry that government and laws should look
after their interests and let the working
men SHIFT for themselves.
! What is the consequence? Let the Knights
of Labor answer the question. 1t is just
this: -That an employer like Mr.. Carne-
gle is willing to give fair wage when be
can take y thousand day out of his con.
Germ, but when he feels poor and can only
extract five hundred a day from his bust
ness he deducts ten per cent from the wages
of his workingmsn IN.
Who is protectedf Well, Mr.. Carnegie
and ''tbe like of him" are protected with q
vengeance. Everything is on their side, thu
administration, the republican party anG
Congress; but on the SIDE of poor man
What? Starvation and all be can stand of it
His only resource is strike. In his des
peration at manifest injustice he disregards
law and order, gets up riot, is arrested
and sent to prison.
That is all the protection be gets, and II
is about time for the knights of Labor tt
borrow P1wderly's spectacles and see this
thing jlst as 1t is.-N. Y. Herald.