The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-03-12
Fully .Elucidated.

feels in self-congratulatory mood,
but it is in that happy state Of mind
lust now. It has, after a deal Of
and labor. succeeded in
wringing from the Statesman a
complete elucidation Of Mckinley
protection, and is merry rs cricket
over its achievement. OF course
we do not Understand our contem-
porary's explanation, but that is
altogether owing to our obtueeness
and not to any lack Of lnoidity on
its part.
ut is opportunity" says the
Statesman, that is protected"
The price of raw materials, espe-
cially of cotton, wool, silver and
lead are reduced, the wages of OPP
eratives are declining, the importa-
ton of foreign manufactured goods
is increasing, perfect avalanche
of pauper laborers are pouring into
our country, whose necessities COM
pei them to underbid our native
workers or starve; but in spite of
these facts so glaringly inconsistent
with the theory of protection, it ie
plain that, in some occult manner
which our friend has not thought
it necessary to explain, both the
manufacturer and his hired man
are protected, and all the reader has
got to do is to have faith to believe
this and believe it. 1t is not a
question of fact, appearances or ar
gument at all, but of faith, purely.
Convenient arrangement and wor-
thy of patent
"A forty per cent tariff rate was
not enough to keep the Pennsylva-
MIA wooden mills running at a
profit" 1.-THE Mckinley law raised
the rate on WOODEN goods q little"
1.-THE advance was small, but it
sufliced to start the idle WOODEN
mills of that state TO running, and
afford their managers a margin of
profit" And all of this was brought
about not only without increasing
the price of WOODEN goods to con-
sumers, but in spite of an actual
reduction in their price, and the
"price Of goods is not swelled by
the amount Of the tariff" In fact,
the amount of the tariff has moth
ing to do with the price of goods,
tariffs being levied, presumably, to
frighten European manufacturers,
and not to raise the price of goods.
1t is opportunity that is protected,
"only that and nothing more" Not
even the laborer, about whom the
g. o. p. is so sensitively solicitous
before elections, is protected; still
neither the manufacturer nor the
laborer could survive the removal
of the Mckinley tariff. Very clear,
isn't it?
But the Statesman does not tell
what the opportunity is that is pro-
tected, an omission that does not
discourage us in the least, as we can
tell it now, knowing that our. con-
temporary will "get on to it" later.
Nay, we are glad to know it has
found out that American labor is
not protected. It is delightful
and most hopeful Symptom" of
progress on its part. When the
Harrison campaign was n,sthe g.
o. p. was constantly in a condition
of nervous distress bordering on
neurosis, lest the democratic party
should succeed in depriving the
wretched hired man of protection.
During all Of that period our re-
publican exchanges were bowling
themselves hoarse in their frantic
efforts to convince the "horny
handed son of toll" that their par
TVS sole mission on earth was to
raise his wages, and that we were
bribed by some disreputable Eng.
lishman to thwart that benevolent
purpose. Not a word was said then
about protecting opportunities.
1t is, therefore, something of q
compliment to us to learn that q
great leader Of the protection faith
has been forced by the logic Of
events, and the power of truthful
argument, to admit that the unfor
tunate laborer is not protected. II
is compliment to our discernmen'
and penetration and to the princi
Piles we espouse aud try to teach
| but it is rather hard on the hire(
man as we'll as on the veracity O.
craftsmanship of party leaders VIII
then 80 vociferously proclaimed tn
determination Of their party, what
ever might betide, to SO legislat
that no psuper made goods shoult
be sold in our markets at paupe
labor prices. Either they were no
sincere or they did not know; 70
the party has legislatcd, and eve1
80 purblind partisan as the States
! man now admits, and even declare
!, that nothing is protected but op
portunity. But what is hat oppol
tunity? We will tell you. 1t is tn
I opportunity to form trusts for tn
control of production and throug
, that labor and the wages of labor
This is the opportunity and til
). only opportunity that is or can b