The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-10-23

So long as the capitalists and their
newspaper hirelings can keep the
working people fighting over the inter.
minable tariff issue their interests are
safe. They can continue to enjoy their
plumber 10 the comfortable knowledge
that whichever party triumphs their
unjust privileges are in no danger
the masses Of the people haYe vested
moro energy and time and political
effort over this barren and Improbable
question Of protection and free trade
than. il properly applied, would have
righted most Of their genuine griev-
ances. The tariff question, considered
in reference to the condition Of labor
and its amelioratiOn, Is an utterly false
and misleading issue--a rod herring
drawn across the trail to divert public
attention from the questions Of real
importance--ihe land, the currency
aud the transportation monopOlies. II
the panacea for poverty and lack Of
employment were q high tariff. the
people Of the United States should be
well paid, prosperous and cOntented.
There should be no ragged, homeless,
poor, no tramps or starving seamsiress-
es. We need only point to existing
conditions to show that as q means Vt
giving to labor larger share Of pro-
duction or better opportunities protec-
ton has been an utter failure. As to
whether ii has increased the general
wealth of the country, that is another
question. II. on the other hand, free
trade were all which its enthusiastic
advocates claim for il as promoter Of
the just distribution Of wealth, England,
instead Of being the country where
GLASSES are separated by q wellnigh i'm
passabls gulf and large proportion OF
the people are sunk in hopeless pau
perism, would be the workingman's
paradise. In the face Of experience it
is folly to expect that any sort or
change in tariff system will materially
affect the position Of labor. Were the
tariff raised even to the prohibitory
our country is SO vast and its resources
so varied that the exclusion Of all the
foreign goods would not Of itself be felt
q hardship. Nor is there any reason to
suppose that absolute tree trade would
to any appreciable extent relieve the
toiler of the burdens laid on his shoul-
ders BY the landlord and capitalist.
Yet political parties, and some work.
ingmens who profess to care little
about parties, can see nothing in the
situation requiring to be changed but
the tariff. Everything is regarded from
the sole standpoint of it's bearing upon
the protection question. Depression
IN business, lowering Of wages. slack
ness in work are all set down to the
tariff; to too stringent protection or NOT
enough protection, to the want of free
trade or the agitation in favor Of free
taade, Workingmen have been delud-
ed by this fraud long enough. 1t is
not the tariff which has caused disabil-
tiles, nor would free trade relieve them,
They have nothing to hope for from
l any possible modification or abrogation
Of the tariff Law, and nothing to fear
from it. The cause lies deeper, far
deeper. 1t is the system of monopoly,
/ the accumulation of capital in tho hands
Of. the few who coDtsoi all the means q
production and upon whose caprlces
the millions who must live by their
labor are dependent, the robbery BY
which the people are deprived OF their
natural and social rights, that enslaves
and degrades labor. Labor must own
and control the soil. the mines, the
al II al "a nh