Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1891-03-27
Dad ON the Tal.ifi:.

If our best learned and wisest men
quite busy thinking, talking and agita-
ing the same. 1t seems to be very
issue to place before the
people. Every tariff agitator appears
70 be in earnest and sincere as TO his
own opinion, that is right, let him be q
free trader" or ''protectionist," or
half and half, and there seems to be just
as many on one side as there is on the
other, not only of the laboring and
farming class. but among well educated
men. Each side is 4 power, and trying
to convince the other, but so far there
is but little light thrown upon the SUBJ
icct us to the advantages and disadyan-
tages of protection or free trade, and
the whole fight is for to improve the
condition of the laborer and the farmer
because the condition of the manufac-
turer and capitalist don't need any i'm
provement. The present tariff system is
improvement and protection enough
for them. The whole argument is,
"is free trade going to help us or benefit
us?" or "is it going to hurt us?' or is
the high duty on all imported goods:go-
ing to do one or the other? am not
so stupid as to read one side of the
question, but / have read and heard
tariff arguments every way could
catch 1T, but still l am in doubt as to
which side is right, and that must be
because am independent of any party,
and yet am anxious to read any essay
or hear any lecture on the tariff ques-
ton from any party, and SO far as for
being convinced, shall wait and sec it
tested before I will believe that free
trade will benefit or harm us. We
know the benefit of protection, if "bcn-
eft" 1t is called. have an idea how
ever, that free trade would benefit the
farmers, but it would undoubtedly hurt
the laboring class who are depending
on their every day wages to keep their
home and family. They certainly
would be able to buy cheaper, but the
working hours would be less, the wages
less, and more idle laboring men about,
but for us farmers we would profit by
u free trade system. because we could
buy cheaper, and never be afraid Of
the soil being effected as far rs yielding
is concerned by the FREQ trade, but if
the laboring class, farmers and all, cant
be benefited by it say let it alone. But
on the other hand, free trade would
give us some satisfaction in helping to
to break up some of our trusts and give
us farmers cheaper cloths, food and
machinery, but outside of the farming
class, it would be to no benefit unless
it is the manufacturer. Hon. Lyman
Il. Casey, United States senator, of N
Oak. in his able speech in the U. S. Sen
ate Sept. 9Th. 1890, made point when
he said: "Under protection. the Amer
lean has found behind the great manu-
featuring establishments a refuge, and
a bulwark, whence he not only can de-
fend himself against a reduction OF
wages, but can carry on warfare for
increased wages if he find himself, all
things considered, underpaid." 1t is
true that protection is the bulwarks be-
tween the striker and the employer,
but don't let us forget that it is protoc'
ton that enables the American manu-.
facture or employer to spend from be-
tween fifty to a hundred and fifty thou.
sand dollars to conquer the laboring
man in strike rather than to give an
increase of 10 to 15cts. per day. Right
here is where the capitalist manufac.
turing companies puts in their work
by being combination they all aid the
one whom is effected with strike, SO
the strikers must be crushed, because
if they gained their point, the other
manufacturers fear a similar result.
and for that reason our money men
on the protection side is death on free
trade. The present high tariff is not
the cause of hard times among our
working classes, although it may be the
cause of high prices that we farmers
have to pay for our goods. Although ]
don't lay all the cause to high tariff, but
according to my mind, some Of our
own rich American citizens are doing
much to increase the number of poor
people as the high tariff, and If some OF
our railroad companies would cut a
little of their freight charges, we farm
ers might get our goods cheaper, and if
the manufactures and employers would
pay such wages as would enable the
werkingman to place himself and fam
lily in comfortable circumstances, there
would be more money in the hands of
the poor, who would then buy things
they now go without, and more goods
would have to be manufactured, and
thus the manufacturer and laborer
both would be benefited. A laboring
man whose wages will just about reach
from hand to mouth will now wear his
boots, coat and pants with patch on
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