The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-06-28

FAt@0nG " FUOIGSItOrs
Serious Disturbances Among the Orgsn
Grinsisrs at tho fiusocracy.
Among tho newspapers defending
the doctrine Of protection. we notice
several signs Of atmospheric disturb
ances.
Ever since the Inauguration Of Har-
rison there has been an uneasy feeling
In tho wooden trade aud : steady do
cline 10 the price Of iron
This produces just the situation Re
publican orators declared must follow
the election OF MIR. Cleveland A mum
Der Of manufacturers contributed so
Literally TO the campaign fund last fall
that they have recently been forced TO
rAake an assignment leaving their
creditors with the bag 70 hold.
To reconcile this situation with their
promises and prophecies exhausts the
ingenuity Of the average editor. or his
faith in the credulity OF his readers.
SO even such organs rs the New
York Tribune begin to hedge II de-
clares that rs protection Is not in
tended 10 retard the progress OF in
dustry, therefore. il does not hinder
the development OF cheaper instead
OF moro costly sources Of domestic
supply. This will be alarming in
formation to the contributors to the
Wanamaker fund. s'What ore we
here for II not 10 be proiected?" they
may well ask. 1t i not the strong
industry that needs protection. but
the weak establishment where II il
expensive 70 make iron or steel or
cloth. Other establishments able 10
cope with foreign competition do not
need protection. This was the burden
OF the Republican speeches In opposi-
sition to the Mills bill. 1t was to pro-
tect the costly sources OF domestic
supply that the Republicans voted
against a reduction OF the tariff on
pig-iron from 81. - to So. The best To-
Gated furnaces make iron for less
THAI -; certainly they do not need
protection TO the extent OF IS a ton
Seen million tons are used in Amer
lea. and the tax on this quantity would
amount 70 1000. 900. and may be
cxacted before foreign iron can be i'm
ported to any considerable extent
1t was to protect the most costly
source Of domestic supply Of steel rails
that the Republicans opposed the re-
duction OF the tariff from $i7 to 81
per ton The present tax Is equal TO
100 per cent Ia addition. freight. com
mission. etc. serve 10 put foreign
mpetition at disadvantage. just
now $15 j. the price for steel rails. and
If the :aritf were reduced to Sc it
would be sufficient TO protect the
cheaper sources Of supply. But the
opposed any reduction be-
cause il there should 30 boom they
wish Nr. Carnegie TO have the privi-
lege OF adytn ling the rate to $3J and
$40 without Interference from abroad.
This i sufficient to show that the pur-
pose OF the tariff a. it stands j. to pro-
tect not the cheaper but the more
costly sources Of domestic supply. II
this had not beer the purpose OF the
Republicans they would not have OPP
posed the Mills bill.
The Tribune adds: Neither Il pro-
lection intended to make wages ad-
vance all the time This we are all
ready 70 believe; AT any rate il such
were its purpose it has failed lament
ably The plea for protection is that
as wages in America are naturally
higher. As manufacturers must pay
these high wages. therefore. these
same manufacturers must be pro-
tecssd- This Is the plea that gets the
money from the manufacturer. To
get the vote OF the working-man the
assertion changes and he is threatened
with lower wages II the tariff IS re-
duced. Thus whom the Democrats
proposed to reduce the tax on pig iron
seventy-two cents. leaving the tax at
xix dollars a ton the working-men
were warned that II meant reduc-
ton Of wages. though the wages in
ton Of iron do not amount 10 more
than half OF six dollars. The bill
failed: wages were reduced. and now
the Tribune i explaining that work
ing-men must not expect wages to
advance All the time" We commend
this admission to the worklnr-men
who last fall were frightened into vot-
ing for Harrison Louisville Courier