The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-10

Kind Of meat much support to 1T.
The mistake in this article rs last
published is one frequently made by
amateurs, but ought not to be made
by an old timer He stands on too
small piece of ground to discuss Il
great American principle. 1t reminds
me of the man who went with me to
attend the Centennial at Philadelphia.
He had lived, up to this time in Il lit
tie country village of 200 inhabitants,
and had been for years its guiding
star When we returned to our room
after the first days tramp around the
great city, he said: "Well, this is Il
wonderful country Of ours; think Of
the enormous cities that we've seem
all on one side of us and of course
there must be just as many on the
other side or the thing would be out OF
balance" His idea was that the little
town of R-was the fulcrum or pivot
on which the United States was bal
anced, and all progress had been
made with an eye-single to that as a
common center.
Now the meat in the amended ar
ticle is that protective tariff, does not
supremely tit this one industry in this
one little portion of the great Repub-
lie. He compares the lumber business
in The state of Washington with that
of British Columbia, and says there is
not sufficient difference in the cundi-
tiOns Of this industry in the two coun-
tries to necessitate tariff on British
lumber. Suppose this were true does
not our friend know TN It this is one
country from the Atlantic to the Pa
clfic, and when congress makes IA law
it Is made for the whole length of the
line. Ours is not nation that deals
out bread to one locality and il stone
to another. We don't protect Maine
and Michigan and leave Washington
and California unprotected; nor is
ours a policy that would ruin dozen
industries to build up one. Does not
our friend know that there is no place
FROM Victoria to Halifax that wages
average as high under the British Lion
as they do under the American Eagle.
and does he not know that there are
places where the difference is much
greater than it is here; and THAT there
are points along the line between
Johnny Bull and Uncle Sam where the
conditions of the lumber trade are so
different that the removal of the tariff
would completely ruin the business on
our side of the line, where l.borers eat
NEAT three times DAY, sweeten their
coffee with SUGAR and stir it With a
spoon; dress respectfully, clothe their
children well, FEET and all, and send
them to school eight months in the
year; take the weekly paper and sub
scribe for Il book now and then, and
pay Tor all this out of the wages they
receive for their la, Orr knowing
all these things would our friend arouse
the baser> ylements'of human nature,
tt" condition that would permit the
laborer OF one portion OF this common
country to rob the laborer of another
portion.
But let Us leave for y moment the
broad-gaueed and noble principles of
American protection as generally ap-
piled, and return to IFS Special appli-
cation here III our state and see if the
argument ofour friend is well founded.
In considering this, let me say first.
that protective tariff as applied to the
lumber Industries of the Sound means
that tax or tariff of 81 per thous-
and must be paid for all lumber com
my here from IL forei gn country, be-
fore 1t will be permitted to land. This
tax is levied to equalize the conditions
between The two places of produc:
ton, or in other words it is to prevent
the foreign products from coming to
this country with an advantage over
our domestic products. And now let
us consider the necessity and effect of
protective tariff in this immediate To-
cality and if It'll good let us get above
politics and admit it, honor bright, and
1t 1t is bad let us Say So with equal
q
Our friend of the Sentinel SAYS that
the only difference in the cost of pro
ducing lumber here and lin British
Columbia is the difference in cost of
supplies used by the lumbermen, and
he says all we have to do is to take
the tariff off of the supplies and
bring them down where they ought to
be, then we can take the tariff off of
lumber and maintain the same wages
that how prevail. Now the time was
when this kind of logic would have
any one, but now it does not
even provoke laughter. 1t is good
dem G ,tlc doctrine and legal tender
among democratic politicians all over
the State with little variation, to-wit:
Here they tell you that the pro-
lection must be taken from the man
uiacturers of saws, axes, chains, ETC..
from clothing and the products that
enter into its manufacture, from bread
stutis and meats and the kindred prod
ucts, that yuu may be able to keep up
the wages of the loggers and at the
same time reduce the price Of lumber.
But when they get ON the other side
OF the hill among the farmers, they
put 1t the OTHER way. There the tar
iii must be taken off of LUMBER for
the purpose of giving the farmer
larger profits. And when they are id
mining and manufacturing localities
they have still another way of putting
the proposition. There the tariff on
LUMBER and FARM PRODUCTS mhst go
and the rascals that are engaged in
these avocations must stand back for
awhile and give the miners a chance.
This is the old "robbing Peter to paw
Paul" doctrine, without the advan-
tage of paying Paul.
Now would ask my friend in all |
harness, what he has gained for the
vage-wOrker of this country. when he |