Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-09-27
REPUBLICAN HERESY
ADDRESS FROM THE RICHMOND DE-
MOcRATic TARIfF-REFoRM CLUB.
Points for the Consideration OF Those
Employed ia Protected and Nom
Protected Industries.


this city have, through their president,
Mr.. John Hunter, Jr.. issued the following
address TO those who are employed in pro-
tected and non-protectod industries.
The Address.
There IL no free-trade party in this coun-
try. Since 1859 we have always had q
tariff on imported goods. The difference
between the Democratic party and the Re
publican party is not that one party is Tor
free trade and the other Tor a tarin. The
real difference is that the Democratic
party is low-tarif party. IL fayors such
an adjustment Of the tariff on imported
goods a. viii yield an amount sufficient
for the necessary expenses OF the govern
ment. aud nothing more. It says that to
take from the people in the way of taxa
ton more money than the government re-
Quires is leealized robbery. The Repub-
lIcan party is high-tarif party. Its OBJ
ject is protection, and revenue Is Incl;
Dental. 1t proposes 20 levy taxes 10 build
up home industries. IL does this by
imposing such heavy Import duties
as TO destroy foreign competition.
and thus enable homo manufacturers
20 put mp tho prices OF their products.
This, of course, imposes heavy burden
upon all the consumers OF such products.
II they buy imported goods about one
third OF the price is tax paid to the gov
eminent. II they buy domestic goods,
about one third of the price IL tax paid
TO the manufacturer. Only about ore
third of the tariff taxes paid by the people
poas 10 the government and the other two
thirds 90 10 the protected industries. Inc
protection,sts have tried very hard 10
make it appear that the laboring classes
share in the benefits OF protection. lney
can not deny that the laboring classes
must bear the burdens Of protection ~ the
increased price of clothing. household and
kitchen furniture, and such things, but
the claim is that they are unidentified by
inoreased wages. Unless this Is true, then
n is obvious that the laborers even In pro-
tected industries are injured rather than
benefited bv high tarif. The prolec-
tionlsts have deemed IT best to appeal 10
passion and prejudice rather. than to
reason. They have not been able to show
how the laborers are benefited by protec-
ton. but they resort to every sort OF clap;
tran 10 keep them from seeing the NAKED
truth.
POLITICAL cATCH-woRDs.
Those catch-words. protection to Anne
rican labor protection 10 home INDUS
tries" and protection against European
pauper labor" have been rolled under
their tongues as sweet morsei.
We think the laboring classes have be-
come too we'll informed to be gulled in that
wag any longer. They Will require SUD
smntiai reasons before they will believe
that they are the benefciarles of the high
tariff system. 10 is insisted that the posi-
ton of the protectionists, that high
tariff makes high wages, IS sustained
neither by reason nor experience. Status
tics show that out OF population OF sixty
odd millions only about 100000 persons
are employed in producing things which IN
some measure might be competed with by
a foreign product imported In this country.
Ii is obvious that the vast numbers of peo-
ple employed as millers, farmers, cattle
raisers. carpenters, tailors. printers, teach
ers, blacksmiths, in keeping hotels and
boarding-houses in building and operating
railroads. and in many other like employ
ments, are not protected by high tariff.
They bear its burdens, but do not share its
benefits.
But il IS insisted that even In PRO
tected industries a high tariff has no
tendency to make high wages that so far
as it affects wages at all it rather tends TO
depress them. We find that the wages of
the laboring-ma in the same protected
industry are different IN different States,
which shows that wages are regulated by
the law of supply and demand rather than
BY the tariff Wages are not better in pro-
tected industries than they are in nom
they are less The employer must pay the
market wages, and If he can't afford to do
so he must close up his business or lose
money. However remunerative his bus-
ness may become he does not pay any
more than the standard rate of wages. He
does not share his increased profits with
the laborer. Skilled labor VIII of course
command better wages than unskll,ed
labor, but NOT better III protected than IN
non protected industries. If at any time
in protected industry there should be
"A great demand for skilled labor and
wages above the standard rate should DO
offered the supply would be so great that
wages would fall at once to the ruling
rate.
IRrKIoUs OPERATION.
SO far as high protective tariff has ary
effect at oil upon wages in protected
industries" ats operation ~ injurious
high tariff tends 70 concentrate the manu-
facIuring interests OF the country IN the
hands of o comparatively small number;
II tends TO contract the field of manufao.
turing operations and thus restricts the
demand for labor; it stimulates the use
of mechanical inventions by which the
labor of individuals can be dispensed with;
il introduces the element OF uncertainty,
the stimulus of a high tariff sometimes
creates over-pTOductlon and this taken In
connection with the limited market which
the system produces, often makes 1t in
advisable for the manufacturer to con-
tinue his operations. The system
produces unnatural seasons OF pros
perity to be followed by cores
bonding seasons of depression. The
manufacturer has reaped golden
harvest and when the evil days come he
can shut down. But how is it with the
laborer? His wages have never kept pace
with the gains OF bis employer. Even in
the best times, he has only received living
wages and has not been able to lay up any
thing against the season of depression, and
when il comes he finds himself without
money and without employment; he
realizes at length that protection protects
. the employer, but not the laborer. In
many cases in bad times the manufac-
turers do not shut down, but go on paying
dividends by cutting down the wages of
the laborers.
Again: The hIgh-tariff system enables
manufacturers to form combinations, by
which they diminish production, and thus
keep up the price of their products; and
OF course this diminished production
means the employment of less labor
greater competition for places and de-
preston of wages.
The suggestion Of the protectlonists.
that our laborers cannot compete with the
pauper labor Of Europe, is based upon an
assumption which IS not true. The pauper
labor of Europe 10 not employed in making
the products which come into competition
with like products of American industry.
There, as here, skilled labor and improved
machinery are employed. The farmers of
this country have TO compete In the mar
kets Of the world with the pauper labor of
Europe and of Asia. but not so with the
laborers in our protected industries"
WHAT KxPKmKNoK SHOWS.
The experience of every country where a
tariff system has prevailed tends 10 show
that high tariff does not make high
wages. Ii il dia, then wages ought to be
lower Ia free-trade England than III Ger
many, whore there is q protective tariff,
but the reverse 10 true-waees are higher
in England than in Germany. Germany
has higher tariff than France, and vet
wages are higher IN France than III Ger
many. Italy has higher tariff than Ger
many. but pays lever wages. From 1916 10
1860 we had low tariff. Fourteen years of
low tariff was certainly long enough TO test
its effect upon oil our industrial interests.
IL cannot be denied that its operation was
successful aud benefcent. There are living
witnesses TO the fact that the low-tariff
period was one of unusual prosperity. and
that the laboring man never received bet
ter wages or was more contented. Stats
tics taken from United States census re-
s,~eU nd eel II. 4.