The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-07-03
FAILURE OF PROTECTION.

FAILURE OF PROTECTION.
Serious Disturbances Among tho Organ
Grinders of the Plutocracy.
Among the 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 the wooden trade and steady de-
cline in the price of iron.
This produces just the situation Re-
publican orators declared must follow
the election of Mr.. Cleveland A num-
Der OF manufacturers contributed SO
literally to the campaign fund last fall
that they have recently been forced to
make an assignment, leaving their
creditors with the bag to 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 as the New
York Tribune begin to hedge. 1t de-
clares that as protection is not In
tended to retard the progress OF in
dustry, therefore" it does not hinder
the development Of cheaper instead
Of more costly sources of domestic
supply. This will be alarming in
formation to the contributors to the
Wanamaker fund. what are we
here for if not to be protected?' they
may well ask. 1t is not the strong
industry that needs protection, but
the weak establishment where it is
expensive to make iron or steel or
cloth. Other establishments able to
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 reduction of the tariff on
pig-iron from S. Y to Sc. The best To-
Gated furnaces make iron for less
than 50; certainly they do not need
protection to the extent OF Sc ton.
Seven million tons are used in Amer
lea, and the tax on this quantity would
amount to $4,000, 200, and may be
exacted 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 SIT to $l1
per ton. The present tax is equal to
100 per cent. In addition, freight, COM
mission, ETC., serve to put foreign
competition at disadvantage. Just
now $25 is the price for steel rails, and
if the tariff were reduced to Sc it
would be sufficient to protect the
cheaper sources of supply. But the
Republicans opposed any reduction be-
cause if there should be boom they
wish Mr.. Carnegie to have the privi-
lege of advancing the rate to $50 and
$40 without interference from abroad.
This is sufficient to show that the pur-
pose OF the tariff as it stands is to pro-
tect not the cheaper but the more
costly sources OF domestic supply. If
this had not been the purpose OF the
Republicans they would not have OPP
posed the Mills bill.
The Tribune adds: Neither is pro-
int cd m ,,,olyo oS
vance all the time This we are all
ready to believe; at any rate if 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-
tected. 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 if the tariff is re-
duced. Thus when the Democrats
proposed to reduce the tax on pig iron
seventy-two cents, leaving the tax at
six dollars q ton the working-men
were warned that it meant reduc-
ton of wages. though the wages in a
ton of iron do not amount to more
than half OF six dollars. The bill
failed; wages were reduced, and now
the Tribune is explaining that work.
ing-men must not expect wages to
advance all the time" We commend
this admission to the working men
who last fall were frightened into vot-
ing for Harrison. louisville Courier.
Journal.
QAMX EXIQAMAGAMNE