New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-08
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL
HOW THE. TARIFF BENEFITS LABOR


To tho Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: Docs not competition control the price OF all
products natural and artihciall II competition does
50 control products does not competition also control
tho price Of abOrl If competition conros the pri'e
Of labor what protection has the workman OF To-Day
under the law known the Mckinley law outside the
increased demand for labor by the Introduction OF the
new Industry known the manufacturing OF terle
and tn-platesi Is 1t not fact that that workmans
share of protection decided by the composition among
them for places to work. the same as the quantity Oh
manufactured or natural products OF like KIND IS de-
cded by the number Of purchasers for given quantity
for salcl
Il the law excluding the Chinese from the country
constitutional Presenting II is, would not laws pro-
hibitng other natonatics also be
Would not tariff placed on immigration be direct
protection 10 tho workman and in fact their only pro-
lection except that voluntarily given BY the employers
Of laborl Docs not the skilled labor OF Northern
Europe hurt native labor more than the unsklled LABOR
OF Hungary, Italy and Chnal .,,. -
II seems to me a wordngman. n Protectionlst ana
a Republican, that these questions comprise In great
measure the principles for which |, wrhman' am 70
II TO me also that our platform would De
many thousand votes stronger did it advocate tariff on
Now. as = free independent voter, would like
answers 10 the above questions. Respectfully. 49,
MaSSillOn, Ohio, July % 1892. III. A. T.
Competition is doubtless one of the chief fac
tors in controlling the prices of products and Of
its greatest advantage under protection by the in
PRODUCTION, not Of one new industry only, but Of
many. The new manufacture of tln-plates is not
by any means the only one introduced by the
Mckinley act and though that already employs
many hundred hands directly, and far moe in
producing the ore and coal and iron and steel
formerly produced abroad, other new industries
do even better. No cotton ties were made here
formerly; not 1000, 900 pounds are I'M
ported in a year, against 100000 pounds i'm
ported in 1890. Pearl buttons were formerly not
made here; now works have sprung up all over
the country, over twenty, IL is stated, in Newark
alone Manufactures Of plush goods have been
removed bodily 10 this country, employing here a
multitude of hands Worsted and dress goods, in
great variety and number which were formerly
not made in this country at all, are now not I'M
ported at all, the enormous consumption OF such
grades being wholly supplied by American works,
many Of which are new, and Others recently ell
larged These are but few of many new branches
of manufacture which the tariff of 1890 has In
troduced. All these create direct demand for
labor in working their machinery, and yet larger
demand In supplying the workers with food, cloth
ing and materials.
4 tariff TO prevent immigration of laboreB has
not vet been found necessary and the proof IS that
the cOnOlllOH OF hItIlCdI IuoVl Ildo "''i
and rapidly rising, ip spite Of the large immigr'-
ton. Workers receive greater wages in money
by more than 80 per cent than they received be-
fore Republican protection began in 1861, and
every dollar they receive In wages will buy more
now than 81 80 could then have bought. As
long as this progress continues, Americans can
afford 10 welcome workers from Europe 10 aid
I'm developing the vast resources of this country
more RAPIDLY Ed