The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-08-18
PROTECTED TARIFF AND WAGES.
A Toledo Laborins Mar, Who Was Once
q Republican Talks sensibly and Foroi'
blv on This Subj cot.

A Toledo Laborins Mar, Who Was Once
a Republican Talks sensibly and Forci-
bly, on This Subject.
It should be every mans right to buy
in the cheapest market. To prohibit
men by law from buying where they
can buy cheapest is simply tyranny, and
contrary to the laws of nature and the
progress of civilization. Protection Is
an interference with the natural laws of
commerce.
Protective duties, to be effective,
must and do, operate partially, un-
equally, and therefore unjustly. The
very best argument for free trade is
that 1t tends to promote peace end
friendliness between nations through a
sense of interdependence. A great
portion of the wars that have cursed
the human race have been caused by
restrictions on trade. This dates back
to the earliest knowledge Of trade with
ancients across the deserts of the east.
1t has been seen that trade be-
tween nations, as between individuals,
has been mutually advantageous, and
has been blessing to the human race.
The plea that protection will keep
wages up is utterly false. First, be-.
cause 1t does not protect labor, but
commodities, and those who manufac-
ture those commodities. They repre-
sent the capital of this country and
! capital and labor will be antagonistic
under this system 80 long as the world
stands. / say again that it is not
human to pay one cent more for labor
than the employer is compelled to-
| Protectiun does raise the price of a
commodity, but tbs disposition Of the
manufacturer remains the same, fol
there is nothing in the law that says
while we protect you against foreign
| goods of your make, you must pay y0at
help propCrtionately higher. Not any
| IL such we're the case you can rest as
surei that there would be less money
forthcoming to lobby these bills for
| protection through our Congress.
No, my fellow laboIers, it is simply to
| get the better price, and you with my
self are an after consideration, and
only for our vote. H...
Men will say the tariff does not In,
crease the price Of living for it is only a
| tax on foreign goods, and we can get
| along without them. | will allow that
we can get along without them, but at
theIsame time the prices Of the foreign
article and the tariff determine the
price of our American articles of the
same class. If not, why should they
ask for the protection? / know 1t TO
be fact that hundreds of articles in
the hardware line (not foreign) ad-
yanced steadily in anticipation of the
passage of the Mckinley bill, for l was
at the time in the business, and when 1t
did finally pass aud became q law, we
had general advance that took a num-
Der of days to complete the schedule.
But let me ask the iaboring man-did
it take long TO fix up the advance in
| your wages or has II done so since? |
can safely say with all the support you
keep giving this class Of men, you will
never receive any benefit, for If these
same manufacturers were to have an
hundred per cent. added to theif profits
not one cent of it would go to labor
unless they were compelled to give it
either by law or force. Protection is a
fraud because it is partial. Free trade
a blessing because 1t makes every man
equal and free to buy in the cheapest
market.
Think before you vote.
A. II. GRAVES.
Toledo Aug. 10, 1892.