West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1892-09-15
THE TARIFF AND WAGES.
Written fer the ARGUS.

! VIII ADVANCE wages generally. Free
traders have declared that Republi-
cans say so, but they cannot bring
a single utterance of any Republi-
can leader, not a plank in any Re-
publican platform, which takes that
ground. The protectionist conten.
ton IS that Our wage scale is main
tanned at n higher rate than that OF
any other country by the protective
tariff that free trade would reduce
the wages OF every workingman
and that If they are to be kept at
the present standard the protective
system must be maintained.
The above is clipping from one
Of our Pacific coast dailies. 1t is
intended to throw more light on
the protective tariff, that popular
chewing gum which Is rolled as a
sweet morsel under the tongue of
the campaign Cicero.
The first sentence states, if | can
translate its meaning literally, that
tariff for higher wage earnings
will not advance all wage rates, but
that 1T will increase the wage scale
III some lines of industry. This
statement is worthy of all accepta-
ton or of acceptation by all. The
pantaloon- patched farmer is tariff
taxed on every article of manufac-
ture that is tariff-taxable, and his
income is cut short by having to
help pay the whole schedule of du-
ties on commodities consumed.
The protective tariff is the govern
mental method of insuring the
manufacturers business against
loss. Farmer Blue Jeans always
pays his pro rata of this insurance
though he is encouraged by no such
insurance against loss himself. Old
Blue Jeans must trust in God and
work away, but young Broadcloth
has God and the government both
to back him up. Poor Old Patch
and Blue Jeans and the farmers in
general when they come to pay n
hired man, can't pay him all he
ought in justice to receive, because
they have been forced by operation
of law to help pay the employees of
the manifold protected industries
of the country. Does it ever oc-
cur to Blue Jeans hired man that
he must throw off OH his wages to
help Blue Jeans meet this advance
in the rate of his brother working
mars wages, as well as help pay
protective insurance on what he
consumes himself?
This part of the contention is
true, and the part only that is pa
raded before the voter, namely :
the wage rate in certain classes of
labor IS advanced but the other
part of the contention is carefully
kept concealed in the cave, namely
the wage rate in other classes of la
Dor Is lowered. Herein lies wrong,
lies injustice, lies evil, lies danger.
Why are the farms Of New Eng
land being deserted and the fac
tories fieurlshing? Why are the
towns building up and the rural
districts going to waste? Protec-
tionists might answer, cit is our
duty to do So" But the duty OF
the high-tarif man is not the duty
OF principle, the duty Of equal
rights and privileges to all. The
golden rule of conscience as laid
down by Christ with its bcneficent
regard for universal right is not,
by long shot, the golden rule OF
our country to-day. His was one
of self-abnegation, ours one of self.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Morally it is Just
rs reprehensiblo TO take advantage
Of man because the law allows i,
rs if the law does not allow it. But
Carnegie is not a Christian and
don't want TO be. lie is at least
consistent. lie is better than any
OF his ilS who may profess to follow
a righteous savior. The law makes
1t legally right to deal out alcohol
for the sake Of robbing the victim,
Of depravod appetites, but morally
can never make the liquor traffic 4
righteous business. The present
banking system gives bankers a mo.
noPoly Of money, virtually double,
their invested capital, and open,
opportunities for them to ply Tn,
arcs Of the Insurer and profit by tn,
distressed circumstances Of others
but morally there can be no instiG
cation for lcgalized larceny. A pro
tcctiyo tariff is general statstor,
I pctty larccnv