The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-11
REPUBLICAN, PROTECTION SURE
OF vINDICATION.

The labor vote of foreign origin has
elected Grover Cleveland president. They
have in face of the most prosperous con-
ditions that labor has ever known been de-
ceived into believing that the Republican
policy OF protection is opposed to the in-
terest of the workingman. The vote in
New York, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio
shows plainly that the immense foreign
vote of the cities has voted to put the
knife to its own prosperity by rejecting a
policy under which industry was more ac-
tive and wages better than at any other
period of our history. Labor has con-
scented to inaugurate a policy that will
place its wages on a level with those of
the Old World. Labor will repent in sack.
cloth and ashes its consent to the gradual
obiiteration of protection.
The United States senate will be Demo-
cratic in the Fifty-third congress, and
with the Inauguration of Cleveland's
policy of free raw materials, labor will be-
gin to feel like the pig that has jumped
overheard and cuts his throat with every
stroke as he swims to land. Labor will
feel the consequences OF its folly even be-
fore the enactment of Southern tariff of
the Mills bill quality. With the prospect
of a change of tariff policy to the extent of
free raw materials all capital embarked In
the production of raw materials will begin
to take in sail, and will refuse to extend
its industrial investments. The demand
for labor will be checked and ultimately
its wages will be severely cut down. for
capital that is engaged in the production
of competitive raw materials" will either
have to 60 out of business or cut its wages
down to the level of European labor. The
Eastern manufacturer will get cheap raw
materials free from Europe, and the West
ern producer will be at once placed In COM
petition with the cheap labor of the
European producer of raw materials.
Free raw materials would mean free
wool, free bituminous coal, free ore, free
hops, free farm products of all sorts. The
wool growers, the miners, the loggers, the
farmers would soon feel the Democratic
tariff shoe pinch sharply. Under the Mills
bill the farmer would have taxed sugar,
free wool and taxed WOODEN goods. Under
the Mckinley tariff sugar was free. re-
ducing the price Of sugar cents pound
to labor.
In the Mills bill the Democrats not only
retained heavy duty on raw sugar, but
they put duty on refined sugar ranging
from 2.20 10 go cents a pound. Under
any reform" of the tariff sugar will be
taxed, for the South will frame the tariff
and will be sure to reimpose the sugar
duty. as sugar is Southern product, and
all the friends OF q Democratic tariff for
revenue would be sure To vote for the re-
imposition Of the sugar duty. Instead of
protecting the workers in iron, coal. lum-
Der, wool and other such industries the
Democrats will withdraw protection from
them and place duties on sugar, tea
coffee, etc, those being articles on which
the revenue can be easily raised without
protecting American industries.
Labor has thus voted to take every pro-
lection from raw materials. thus placing
wool, hops, lumber, ore, bituminous coal
and farm products on the free list, and has
voted to tax the workingman's sugar, tea
and coffee that are now on the free list.
To the producers of raw materials this
means that 1hey will see the demand for
their labor decrease. see their wages cut
down in their own industries. and will pay
more for sugar. tea and coffee than they do
TODAY. Then what? Why then the labor
Of the West that is engaged in the produc-
ton of raw materials will have their eyes
opened and revolt will surely come.
The West, which will be the victim of
this one-sided Democratic tariff policy OF
free raw materials. will rise up and say,
"Give us fair and equal protection for
ali Industries, both for raw materials and
finished goods; for Western producer and
Eastern manufacturer: or give US free
trade for all. both producers and MANI
facturers" The Western farmer, rancher
and miner will say. If we must submit
TO foreign competition and low prices for
our wool, ores. coal and lumber the East
ern manufacturer must submit 10 low
prices and foreign competition for his
finished goods; his cloth, shoes and iron
manufactures. II the West must drain the
Gun of fres trade 20 the dregs, the
East shall drain it too, and We Will have
free trade all around" Ii the rich I'M
porteTs and manufacturers Of the East,
who, under the Mills bill. will sc; free raw
materials and protection for their goods,
shrink with horror from free trade, then
the West will say. Every well, NE will
both SO back TO protection; the tariff must
be fair tsr Fl; either protection all around
or free trade all around"
When tina. day comes Of revolt by the