The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-06-20

Farmer and the Mechanic.
The philadelphia r-rss suggests -
another name tor Tie Mckinley bill
IAN Acs "a Prevent -Ac Reduction ~
The Wages 81 American Labor " an
European liasiS~
Nage~ are used 10 buy necessary sup
plies Tor the family.
Now. wages are 70 ~ protected ~
compelling wa1e-earncrs 70 pay more
~ all they buy.
Whether . man works In the factory
or u the field j. determined ~ the price
~ farm labor. The American manutzct-
urer bids NOT against the European
manufactures. but against tho American
farmer.
Why l. II that to-day. after thirty
years % a protective tariff. H. y necV
sary 10 50 To Congress 10 ret . law
PASSED 10 Prevent the Reduction of
tie Wages Of American Labor"
What Influences are AZ work reducing
wages IN American
Plainly the depression o. agriculture.
Whcn. in America. agriculture pros
pers. wages adsan when IL j. de-
pressed. wages in escsy factory in the
land decline.
In l>... ISIS and 1879 farm products
commanded profitable prices and every
section had a ''boom."
But in recent years the tendency has
been otherwise. the chief agricultural
crop has been the crop Of mortgages.
with the rcsulttnat wages have declined
in all industrial centcrS and strikes
have multiplied
Now. We are 70 have a bill TO pre-
vent the reduction o. wages Of American
labor 10 an European basis" How is II
proposed 10 do this? Simply By increas-
irg taxation.
Here is an illustration: A farmer
sends some early strawberries 70 his
city merchant ari tells him e scnd in
exchange twelve dozen tin cans for
peaches. tomatoes. ETC.. etc. Heretofore
the Government would take for revenue
thirty-thrce per cent: the farmer wo1ld
get nine cans instead Of dozen. He
finds that this tax has been increased 10
1--WE, leaving only seven cans in a de2En-
o. seven dozen in agrpSs-
Is docs not matter what the farr1cr
asks in exchange for his products. the
effect OF the Mckinley bill IS the same.
II b want a suit u clothes, . carpek.
household utensils. farming imple-
ments, knives, gums. fertilizer. any
thing or every thing. - iind- that in
exchange for his fruits and vegetables.
for wheat or corn. for cotton or for rat
tie. by an Increase Of taxation he must
accepS less or he mus. send more.
This IS the way farm wages are lin
creased Under the influence Of the
tariff. agriculture has declined. and
wages in the factories and mills have
followed Labor has been imported
and is to-day imported free OF any tax.
and so between the poorly-paid immi-
grant and the poorly-paid farmer. the
laborer in The cities find that liz wages
and the wages " the English laborers
approach every year nearcr and nearer
~ a level
Wages. come not from cspitai; they
come from the products Of labor. They
Are highest when and where production
IS highest per hand.
ANY natural or artificial impeachment
70 the highest production: any friction.
any TAXATION. any tariff. lessons the pro-
ducfive power OF labor and reduces its
rewards Taxation is always an evil:
il is to.erable only when imposed 10
the requirements Of the Govern
ment When imposed to enrich the
rich. To- add 10 the accommodations OF
the Forty Thieves, II is an outrage to
every person. and an especial burden
upon American labor in the Geld or the
factory
Deny il as our Republican friends
may. the tariff is a tax. ~ Louisville
CourieF~Journal-