Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-09-01

Homestead. have not time 70 discuss the
causes that led TO the unhappy conflict
But II Is known that ON every article, or
nearly every one, produced at Homestead,
the tariff was reduced In 1890, II is also
known from evidence taken by a house COM
mittee, that wages there have been for the
higher skilled operators relatively high,
some of the employees enjoying incomes as
great as that of cabinet minister, and
others compensation as large us that paid
to member of congress.
Destroy the tariff, as the Democrats pro-
pose or reduce II to n purely revenue stand.
ard and many "homesteadsn In the United
States will.be In desolation.
Any attempt 10 attribute these labor dis
turhanees to our protective policy Is absurd
In the last degree.
These disturbances and strikes are as
prevalent and as distressing in their results
in free trade England as In the United
states, hold in my hand an official re-
port OF the board of trade, covering 300
pages, showing the extent of these strikes
and lockouts In England and Scotland for
1870 and to some extent for 1891. II shows
more than 1000 strikes In the single year
1870, affecting nearly 1000 laborers In tho
different trades, mines and factories
LABOR TROUBLES COMMON TO ALI. COUNTRIES.
These struggles for higher wages, or
against reduction of wages, or for fewer
hours OF work, or because of the employ
meut of laborers not belonging TO trades
unions, have existed In England, ON tho
continent, and In the United States for
years. They are TO be depored, They
ought to be avoided. They are likely TO
continue, They often succeed and often
fail They generally entail LOSSES upon tho
employer and employed, and often larger
losses upon communities, They have en-
| gagged the study of thoughtful men to hnd q
| solution, They seem 20 be incident TO all
| countries having large industrial centors.
| lhey usually accompany prosperous condi-
lions and conditions OF great activity, or
conditions of great depression,
These strikes In England, aA shown by
| this report, were reduced TO the minimum
| In 1851, n period of industrial depression,
and were greatly increased In 1890 aud 1891,
| periods OF relative industrial activity and
prosperity. To attribute them to any tariff
| policy, whether free trade or protection, 10
| To show an measurable ignorance of tho
| subject.
| This policy OF protection has prevailed In
our country undisturbcd for thirty years
| and In Its pathway has shown u continuous
| growth of our country unexampled In the hiss
| tory OF nations. Changes have been made,
| from time To time, In the schedules, but tho
| policy has been uniform. aud though often
assaulted by indirect methods, usually called
| tariff reform, Ia now for the hrst time
directly attacked Ia the Democratic plat
| form, II IN no longer discussion OF
schedules, whether this ratio or that rats 10
| too high, but whether the whole system
shall be destroyed,
| DEMOCRACY AND THE TARIFF.
TUE DEMOCRATIC PARTY rms TEAR STANDS ron
FREE TRADE
There IL no evasion or double dealing In
the platform OF tho Democratic party this
year ON the tariff question. Its third 500
ton gives explicit declaration to tho plans
and purposes of the party II promises the
repeal OF the mckinley law" az one Of the
bcnefcent results that will follow tho 40
tion of the people In trusting power TO tho
Democratic party, IL not only promises
this, but II declares that every shred and
remnant Of protection, incidental or other
wise, shall be torn up root and branch.
| Nothing In 10 remain, no matter what may
| be the effect upon labor, upon property,
upon industries built up and established by
| the long continued and unbroken policy Of
| protection. What In this public policy
| 80 ruthlessly TO be destroyed 10 Ia thaA
| public policy which In lcvying duties upon
| imports TO support the government will 40
| adjust them as TO enable us TO establish and
| maintain such industries will make us
| industrlally independent, natural condi-
| lions being favorable, by discriminating
| In favor of those who labor here 80 that
| they may receive such remunerativc wages
ns will enable them To live In comfort and
| TO educate their children and provide for
| the wants of age. This policy Ii based upon
the idsn of our industrial independence "a
|
| pressed by Mr. Jefferson In his letter to
| Mr.. Austin In 1915 that will rend an az
trnct from bis letter, he said: "And thatts
| be Independent for the comforts of life we
| we must fabricate them ourselves, We must
| now place the manufacturer by the eide Of
the agriculturist The former question ia
| suppressed, or, rather, assumes n new form.
| Shall we mako our own comforts 20
without them nj tho will Of a foreign Ma
| tioni lie, therefore, who IN against
domestic manufacturers must ba for reduce
| ing us either TO dependence ON that foreIGn
| nation, or be clothed In skins and TO live
like wild beasts In dens and caverns. I am
| not ono Of these Experience has laughs
| me that manufacturers now as necessa-
ry TO our Independence M TO our comfortI
| and II those who quote me as Of difsrons
| opinion will keep pace with me In purchase
| ing nothing foreign, where an equivalent Of
domestic fabric con be obtained, without re-
gard Co difference Of price, II will not be eus
fault II wo do not soon have q supply ~
homo equal 10 our demand, and wrest thaA
weapon Of distress from the hand which hAA
welded It,"
THOMAS JEFFERSON WAS RIGHT.
What was important then, In his view, -
vastly more Important now when we may be
| quiokly overrun with tho products Of fov~
| oign labor, poorly paid In comparison and
when we have vast and rapidly inoreAs-
population. II II was important In the view
| OF Jefferson and tho statesmen Of his time
TO estblish this industrial Independence
| when we had b.UOO,OOO OF people, how much
more important is IL to preserve II with Ga
900 Of people
The Republican party docs not defend the
present tariff In its details, or any that have
| preceded H., as the wisest and best possible
adjustment, but IL insists that all tariffs
shall be constructed upon this policy Of self
preservation. This policy, which DIVERSE
| iies occupations and empioyments, stimu-
lates invention, opens up opportunities 10
tho young men and women of our country
to constantly improve their conditions, re-
cruiting the best talent and tho most in-
dustrious for leadership In the great Affairs
of our country that provide for the produo-
tion and distribution of the comforts thaA
secure independence and support 70 65000-
900 of people, and keeps them all actively
employed In composition with each other.
This competition will surely suffice to So
cure a fairly equal distribution of the pro.
duets of labor and the results of labor
Capital here Is so abundant and so cheap
that no one set OF men can long enjoy undue
profits without inducing this unemployed
capital TO invest to secure its share, in turn
| giving employment TO those who work %
| want to.
GREAT FORTUNES AND THE TARIrr.
| The great fortunes that are made, with
rare exceptions, are not made by those In.
vesting in manufacturing industries. Ed
| ward Atkinson. eminent economist
states that as soon as a cotton factory in
| New England develops q capacity for earn