Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-10-01
PROTECTION TO AMERICAN LABOR,

II
Through the ingenious but wickedly
false plea Of protection to American
labor" and protection of infant indus
tries" war tariff statute has remained
upon the statute books of the country
for more than a quarter of a century.
and it is there to-day. enriching the
manufacturer, but sapping the SUBJ
stance of the people and depicting the
exchequers of the toiline and consum-
ing millions. 1t is the same tariff
that the democracy has persistently
and continuously declared a thing of
false pretense, inequality and injustice.
protection to American laborl Two
men start out in life twenty-five years
ago-one worth SIC, 200 invested in a
manufactury-an infant industry.
the other an overseer of the concern,
with health, muscle and brains as his
stock in trade. At the end of twenty
i've the one is worth 5000 600, the
other has gathered only the burden of
his years has less capacity to work and
therefore receives less salary. The in
dustry is still an ''infant." The tariff
protects only capital. labor must pro-
tect itself. Wages in mines and fac
tories are no higher than they were
twenty-five years ago. The tariff has
but one effect. 1t has enriched the
manufacturers, it is degrading Ameri-
can labor and depicting the wealth and
influence of agriculture, a profession
followed by nearly half our people, and
calling more honorable and noble
than which there is none other. 1t
robs to enrich; it takes from the needy
and oppressed to give to the rich and
powerful; ii places mortgage upon
the home of honest industry and gilds
the dome of the palace of it's benefici-
airy. 1t springs a leak in the roof of
him who earns his bread by the sweat
of his brow and scatters the perfume
of orchids and exotics in the abode OF
him it serves. Infant Industriesi"
That was the cry twenty-five and
thirty years ago. 1t is still the cry,
but the volume has increased as new
accessions in the way of paid ageUtss
attorneys and other bensficiaries Of a
protective tariff have been added to 1t.
The men who then plead for the pro-
lection of their Infant INDUSTRIES y
have died or retired to live ia ease upon
the abundance of their accumulations,
and their sons and their son-in- laws
stepping into their shoes still Sry
for the protection of their '.infant in
dustries.n The wage workers dig and
delye on. Their Fathers lived and
labored and passed away leaving be-
hind to their sons and daughters as
their only Inheritance the poor privilege
of taking their place in mine and fac
tory, and following the same beaten
path they watered with their sweat. and
tears and followed from the cradle to
the grave. No star of hope for them
ever shines out from the dom6of q
protective tariff. No rainbow Of
; promise ever bends above them. Nc
tariff has ever shingled The old roof
or added one comfort to the humble
home As they begin, so they end their
; lives, digging, struggling for bread.
The democratic idea is that the peo-
pie be made rich and the government
be kept poor. The protectionist's idea
. is rich government and poor people.
The democratic idea is that only
. enough be exacted from the people
to run tue government economi-
cally administered. When you
take more than that it is oppression
and robbery. Unnecessary taxation is
legalized robbery.-Atchison Patriot.