Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-06

tAAa0aA~V, 0AA0 tA3Q 0COA6A0yAOAl LIAG tine
tariff should be regardful of the work
men in such industries and of the in
vested capital. The overwhelming re-
lection Of these propositions, which had
before received the eanction of the
Democratic national conventions, is not
more indicative of the new and more
courageous leadership to which the
party has now committed itself, than
the substitute which was adopted. This
substitute declares that protective duties
are unconstitutional, high protection,
low protection-all are constitutional.
A Democratic congress, holding this
view, cannot enact, nor Democratic
president approve, any tariff schedule,
the purpose or effect OF which is to
limit importations or give any advan-
tage to American workmen or producers.
There il not thoughtful busi-
ness man in the country who does not
know that the enactment into law OF the
declaration of the Chicago convention,
on the subject of tariff, would at once
plunge the country into business con-
vulsion, such as it has never seen, and
there is not a thoughtful workingman
who does not know that it would at once
enormously reduce the amount of work to
be done in this country by the increased
importation that would follow, and me-
cessitate the reduction of his wages to
the European standard. Ii any one
suggests that this radical policy will not
be executed if the Democratic party at
tains power, what shall be thought of
the party that is capable of thus trifling
with the great interests of the country?
The threat of such legislation would be
only less hurtful than the fact. A dis
tinguished Democrat rightly described
this movement as challenge to the pro-
tected industries to fight of extermina-
ton, and another such rightly expressed
the logic OF the situation when he inter
preted the Chicago platform to be an in
vitation to all Democrats holding even
the most moderate protection views to
go into the Republican party.
And now few words in regard to
THE EXISTING TARIFF LAW.
We are fortunately able to Judge OF
its influence upon production and prices
by the market reports. The day of the
prophet of calamity hae been succeeded
by that of the trade reporter. An ex-
animation into the effect of the law
upon the prices of protected products,
and of the cost Of such articles as enter
into the living of people of small means,
has been made by the senate committee
composed of leading senators of both
parties, with the aid of the best statis-
ticians, and report signed by all the
members of the committee, given to the
public. No such wide and careful in
quiry has ever been before made.
THE president then quotes from the
report OF the senate committee such
paragraphs as would seem to fortify the
Republican tariff policy.]
The ninth annual report of the chief
of the bureau of labor statistics of the
state of New York, Democratic officer,
very recently issued, strongly corrobo-
rates, as to that state, the facts found
by the senate committee. In view of
this showing of an increase in wages, of
reduction in the cost of articles of COM
mon necessity. and of the marked ad-
vance in the prices of agricultural pro-
ducts, it is plain that this tariff law has
not imposed burdens, but conferred
benefits upon the farmer and the work
ingman.
[lhe president then goes on. at length
to show how. under the Mckinley act
American tin-plate production, the
manufacture of pearl buttons and other
industries have been built up, and con-
tinues: j
The act gives to miners protection
against foreign silver bearing lead ores,
the free introduction of which threat
ened the great mining industries of the
Rocky mountain states, and to wool
growers protection for their fleeces and
flocks, which saved them from further
and disastrous decline. The house of
representatives at it's last session passed
bill placing these ores and wool upon
the free list. The people of the west
will know how destructive to their
property these measures would be.
This tariff law gives employment to
many thousands of American men and
women and will each year give employ
ment to increasing thousands. Its re-
peal would throw thousands out of en-
ployment and give work to others only
at reduced wages. The appeals of the
free traders to the workingman are
largely addressed to his prejudices or to
passion. and are not infrequently pro-
nouncedly communistic. The new De-
mocratic leadership RACES at the
employer and seeks to com.
municate his rage to the en-
ploye. l greatly regret that all
employers of labor are not just and con-
siderate, and that capital sometimes
takes too large share of the profits.
But | do not see that these evils
would be ameliorated by tariff
policy, the first necessary ef-
feet OF which is a severe
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