Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-10-14
TARIFF ANDLABOR.
An Argument Showing the Real
Operation of Protection.
NO BENEFIT TO WORKINGMEN.

Practical Demonstration of How Labor Is
Cheapened by the Working of the Repub-
Iican Idea-Something Worthy the Pc
rusal of All Men Who MUST Depend
Upon Their Own Energies for Liveli-
hood.
SD Smith, of Roeeville. hss written
an excellent argument on the practical
working Of the protective tariff as regards
workingmen. 1t is appended:
RosEvILLE. Sept. 31.-rhe business
of working for wages is, in other words,
the business CT producing and selling
labor. II is proper TO consider wage
workers as producers: labor as their pro-
duct and wages its selling price. Arti-
cles which are produced oy means OF tn e
labor of wage workers cannot properly
be considered as their products. but as
products of their employers, who simply
buy their labor, am by the use of it pro-
duce for themselves the articles in ques-
ton,
President Harrison. in his first annual
message said, on the subject of revising
the tariff: The inequalities Of the law
should be adjusted, but the protective
principle should be maintained and fairly
applied to the products of or farms as
well as our shops" In the Mckinley
Ia" tIC PIoLtStlsC IL hDpiItU
to the products of our farms IS well IS
our shops" but ii is not applied nor has
existed in application to The product of
our wage workels-labor. Let II be
asked, lis labor a product of our farms
or shops?" 1t is the product of muscle
and brain. Grain and dry goods are-ex-
smples of products of fsrms and shops
The same relation that grain and dry
goods have to farmers and manufacturers
labor has to wage workers. 1t is what
they sell 1t follows then that in order
for wage workers to be treated with fair
ness and placed on equal footing with
farmers and manufacturers. the protec-
tive principle should be applied directly
to labor or else abandoned and abo.-
ished altogether.
The protective principle applied to
farm aad shop products protects them
from foreign competition in the home
market. Fairly applied TO labor. it would
protect it from foreign competition in the
home market by exscting duty on every
days labor done by q foreign workman
entering this country and employed after
taking effect of the law. II the use of
other competing foreign produces is to be
discouraged in this country. and fairness
to wage workers be an object the Use of
labor OF foreign origin should be equally
discouraged. The fact that foreign work
men come here 10 make their
homes while foreign proprie-
tors do not, but only send their pro-
ducts. ia no just cause that there should
be free trade with the workmen and pro-
lection against the proprietors Foreign
workmen come here to compete with
home workmen, and do compete with
them. Home workmen have. therefore,
perfect right TO insist that the labor of
their incoming foreign competitors be not
hired or used in this country without pay.
ment of duties proportional to other pro- |
tective duties The business of working |
for wages is an industry in itself. as much |
entitled to protection as any industry |
whatever. |
The protective system. IS it now ex |
lists. operates to lessen foreign produc- |
ton by shutting certain foreign products |
from American markets. An obvious 1
effect of this lessening OF foreign produc-
ton is to cheaper labor in foreign lands.
Now with our tariff system obviously |
operating to cheaper labor in foreign
lands and yet leaving foreign workmen
free to enter and settle in this country.
is it possible that the tendency can be
otherwise than to cheaper labor in this |
1t is q fact that an enormous
number Of foreign workmen come to this
annually. When they arrive
they are reduced to more or less neces-
sity by expense of their journey and loss
of time; consequently they necessarily |
become very earnest competitors with
home workmen. Evidently the effect on
the labor market is very far from being |
publish"
The abolition of the protective system.
by opening American markets. would re-
vive business and increase production in
foreign lands and thus furnish wider en-
ployment to wage workers there and |
somewhat check the emigration of them
to this country, already sb ,nd4ntly
stocked Greater demands FOR American
products would eusue abroad. because
foreign nations would need more OF
them and be better able TO buy them
Certain Industries in this country might
decline, but as the taxation which sup
ports those industries would be removed
the vast majority Of people would be
gamers. Raw materials made free To
and increased expectations
of all such comm ODDITIES as this country
is best adapted to produce, together with
imporlations and cheapening to
consumers of such comm ODDITIES ss other
countries are best adapted to produce.
and the consequent enlargement OF the
bls ness OF international commerce
would. it is reasonable to suppose, in
cr ease aggregate production and demand
for labor in this country.
Lstor has in all ages been best paid in
new countries. 1t is now considerably
better paid in the newer states of this
union than in the older states. 1t is be-
cause the supply of workmen is least in
new countries compared with the de-
nand for them made possible by the re-
sources. So long as Europe is more