The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-08-01


doubt now that tho political battle cry
for 1856! will be the Mckinley tariff, Ali
other issues seem to be fading Into
insignlilcancc. Protection versus Free
Trade is the same rs the Unlted States
versus the world abroad, as the United
States is the only nation whore pro-
lection has had practical tost This
being the issue It must necessarily 10
a campaign of education. Unfortu-
nately though protection has been a
part of Our government body polite
IL Is yet but improperly understood,
and still more unfortunate is the fact
that for want Of proper education on
tariff matters very many who should
be in favor OF protection are tho read
lest to vote against IL simply because
they have been affiliated with party
that opposes protection, ana opposes
ii simply because the other side favors
IL.
Boiled down the great fundamental
principle involved In the campaign
will DO that of work and labor for our
people who have to labor for living,
or by defeating protection are we to
furnish labor for tho people of other
nations in preference to our own? This
ought not to be difficult question to
understand. The principle of it in a
nutshell is about this: Our govern.
ment imposes tariff on imported
goods, or in other words it taxes for
oign nations for the privilege OF SELL
ing goods to this country not made
here and the amount so paid is paid
back to our workingmen in increased
wages. It is well known fact that
wages paid to workiusmen in this
country arc about an average OF one
third a day higher than foreign nations
pay TO their workmcn. ...-. ......
There arc things which are to be
learned during the coming campaign,
and will we DO saying too much if we
say that the voter who votes without n
proper understanding of tho question
ut issue would do the country a favor
II he would not vote at all. Work and
wages form the very essence of Amer
lean advancement. We cannot give
these away to foreigners withoutdoin
great injustice to our own people We
cannot do this any more than the boy
could eat his cake ami have 1t too.
Perhaps this question can be more
plainly calculated by referring TO
something right in our midst here
that nearly everybody either knows
or has heard something about. Some
three months ago Judge Balls tramp
law went into operation. This law
simply provides that healthy bodied
drunknrds and tramps who will not
perform honest labor If they can helI
II should be put to breaking stone in
New Cnstle jail. Everybody knows
that workingmen are opposed to pau.
per labor, but breaking stone for the
public roads OF New Castle county
was singled out as a branch of labor
that would interfere the least with
other legitimate branches OF labor.
Now mark what we are saying. These
tramps working for nothing and being
fed with cheap coarse food can pro.
duce these broken stone much cheap.
or than others could who arc com.
PEELED to ray higher wages for break,
ing stone.
This has direct bearing upon the
at al
Great Britain. Labor is paid more il
is true In the latter country than the
New Castle jail stone breakers are paid
but 1t is not paid as much rs it Is paid
In this country. As legitimate quarry
men conld not afford to pay wages and
furnish broken stone as cheap az the
Levy Court OF New Castle Count y that
pays no wages can do it. Neither can
the United States that pays - per cunt
more for wages than England pays
compete with the latter.
The American tariff comes right ii
here and equalizes the difference, Civ
lug each country an equal chance by
laying that 80 per cent. excess as u tar
IN on the cheap labor article On arti
eles that arenot produced in our coun
tiy no tariff is charged. We hope W,
have nude ourselves sufficiently flaii
upon this question to be properly Tin
derstood. We have given merely tn,
skeleton outlines of the tariff system
and we sincerely hope those reading
them may be induced to read and know
more about the workings and tn,
great advantages Oh tho American tar
III.