Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-08-31

IOllOWllS.
American Wages for American workmenl:
American Markets for American Peoplel
Protection for American Honest
Is, then, protection" the conservator
Of American workmen, markets and
homes? Does it keep out foreigners
who come here to compete with Ameri-
cans and lower wages? Does it make
home markets where the American peo-
pie can supply themselves with goods at
the lowest possible price? Does it pro-
tect American homes by reducing the
expenses of running them, and thereby
encouraging their foundation and max
ing it possible to bring up and educate
the children, which are the necessary
sequence of American homes? Let us
examine history little.
Our present protection period began
with the high tariff act of July II, 1862,
and was perfected on June 80, 1861
that is, until the genius of Mckinley
took up the subject. On the 4th of July,
1864, before real ''protection" was a
week old, congress passed and the presi-
dent signed the contract labor law"
entitled "An act to encourage immigra-
ton" Its object, as explained by Sena-
tor Sherman at that time, was "to en-
Courage, facilitate and protect foreign
immigration to and within the United
States." The avowed object was to
keep wages down by importing foreign
eYs to take the place of American work
inen who were then absent fighting for
their country, and who on their return
would thus find their jobs permanently
gone, unless they could underbid the
foreigners whom their bosses had inn
ported. That's the way our tariff was
planned to work; certainly not much
American wages for American work
men" in it.
Laws in regard to contract labor"
have been changed since 1864, but the
customs of protectionists in importing
under contract the cheapest and most
degraded labor of Europe and Asia has
not changed There has probably not
been year since 1864 when protected
manufacturers did not have agents
securing the Old World offering to adj
vance passage money to those who were
SO poor aud miserable that they were
willing to make any change. 1t is upon
this importation Of miserable wretches
that manufacturers often rely TO win
when American workmen strike for
American wages. Not that this class Of
worlImen are always or generally cheap
er, but that they are useful to lower the
wage scale, after which American work
men will be taken back into the mills to
work at European or Asiatic wages
alongside of foreign worlmen. This is
one explanation of why wages are lower
in protected than in unprotected in
dustries.
A typical illustration of the class OF
men brought over by protectionists is
found at Homestead, Pa: "The total
population of Mifflin township, which for
all practical purposes is nothing more
than Homestead, is II, IA, and the total
number Of foreign born and native white
of foreign parentage is 7,7l2. Of foreign
born males eighteen years of age and
over there are ,773; of native born males
OF the same age limit there are 1,747. a
precise division Of the native and foreign
born in the total population shows that
in the former classification there are
1926 as Of them colored), in the latter
3,6l9."
But many of the males over eighteen
that are classed as Americans are the
offspring of foreign parents, and in their
habits and customs are as much foreign
as their foreign born brothers. Thus
Loarly two-thirds of the American"
workman at work at american" wages
in this leading protected american" in
dustry, located at Homestead, are virtu-
ally foreigners.
Next, does "protection" make markets
where American people can get the full
worth Of their money? On the contrary,
a tariff, whenever effective, always en-
hances the cost of goods, increases the
cost of living, and therefore virtually
lowers wages. Prices of all protected
articles are always higher in protected
than in unprotected markets, whether
or not there is any economic necessity
for it. Often when goods are made
cheaper here than elsewhere our manu-
facturers utilize their protection and
sustain high prices at home, though they
sell much cheaper to foreigners. This
is the case with axes, saws, agricultural
machinery, cartridges, etc. Drawback
duties also enable foreigners to procure
cur manufactures at lower figures than
We must pay for them. Never, under
any circumstances, does ''protection" in
crease the amount of goods that can be
Purchased for a certain sum Of money.
Many of the leading advocates Of pro-
lection hold that cheapness is curse,
that it is un-American, ETC.; hence it is
not strange that they so legislate that
neither our own nor foreign manufac-
tufes may be sold cheap here, though
both may be sold very low abroad. Pro-
lection, then makes the worst market
imaginable in which to buy.
Now as 10 this American home"
question. Just how does q high tariff
protect American homes: Is it by en-
couraging the importation OF contract
labor to lower the wages Of American
labor? This might build up some for
eign homes here, but they would occupy
the ruins of American ones. Is it by
increasing the cost Of running a home
by making dearer nearly every article
from the wedding outfit to the funeral
shroud? Not bit of it. Many couples
would establish homes earlier in life If
competition were less severe in the labor
market and more seyere in the goods