Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-08-30
wAoewoRkERs DECEIVED.
High Tsrin spoiis DO Not Reach the
MulA !ngman,s Pocket

Nol..ngmaD's Pocket
The wo....iuyA n, who is not an rnreas-
enable being, VIII submit TO "a redu", on 81
ia wages when he sees the necessity Of T..
l5ut he will be the more unwilling 70 ad
nit such a necessity under any circum-
stances the more reason he has been given
20 look upon himself ~ at least one Of the
intended benefciasles of the laws which
have done 50 much to make hts employer
rich. He will be rather inclined TO argue
that under these laws he had hardly had
the full share Of the benefit that was
promised 10 him. and that somebody else
had unlawfuliy made of With a large por
tion Of what WAS the workingman's due.
And II upon this view of the case the la
boring man works out for himself theory
Of rights far beyond this, We muvt not be
altogether astonished TO find that the
tariff. with aii thoee promises with which
II hcs been commended 10 the favor of the
workingman. has become ono OF the most
effective propagissors Of socialistio IDEAS.
The workingmen will gradually open
their eyes 10 the fact that those fair
speeches have most cruelty deceived them.
They have only 10 look at the rates OF
wages In the different countries of the
world to satisfy themselves that high
wages are not caused by high protective
tariff, and that low wages are not caused
by the absence Of high tariff We are
constantly told. when comparing Ameri-
can wages with English wages, that wages
In the United States are much higher than
wages In England because we are blessed
with protective system while England
is not. But IL In notorious fact that
wages In free trade England range much
l. l..l A.. l.
other European countries blessed with a
protective tariff Now, II In one high
tariff country wages are higher than In
one free trade country, and II at the same
time wages In that free trade country are
higher thon In several high tariff coun.
tries, then II cannot possibly be that the
high tariff makes high rate Of wages and
the absence Of the tariff low one.
II the workingman pursues his inquiries
further he will find that during that IA
low tariff. from ie46 10 1891, wages here
European country az they are now, and
were steadily rising He win 1nd that
wages IN this country have always been
higher than European wages not on &C.
circumstances surrounding us-the large
quantity OF cheap, fertile and easily access.
ible land; the almost inexhaustible abun-
dance and variety of natural resources in
viting enterprise. the numberless opportu-
mites for fruitful activity; the exceptional
energy and productiveness OF labor In this
country, and no On
He will find that the wages OF persons
engaged In such labor a. Il not protected
by any tariff at all-such a. employees OF
transportation companies, house servants,
bricklayers, carpenters. bakers. longshore-
men, plssterers and many others-are
among the highest compared with cor
responding wages In Europe. Finally he
will find that employment and wages are
~ depcndent Oh the labor market and the
state Of business IN high tariff America as
In FREQ trade England, and no less; that
labor organizations have as much infiu
ence upon such things here as IN England,
and no p,orc, and that the promises with
which the protective policy Is commended
to the favor Of the laboring men cam
possibly be fulfilled by any tariff law, and
are therefore deiusion and a snare
Harper's Weekly.