Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-09-24

lhe clouds and voked the tremendous power ~
water and steam TO almost every conceivable
ocNlce Tor the lesscning Of human labor in the
production of these necessities, and as this has
been reduced their cost has been diminished in
every market Of the world.
Tariffs have nothing whatever to do with
th's Prices have receded in countries that
nave no tarlns lust as rapidly as they have in
lhe most hghlyprotectcd markets in tie world
Put away this argument, for assure you IL
Is q fraud. Some OF the men who use it know
thiS' For these we may well blush Some do
not They deserve our sympathy,
But our friends say this protective tariff ia
made for the benefit of the laborng men. tits
not intended for the benefit of his employer:
ne Is simply the agcn, through whom the gov
trhmcnt, after compelling one class to pay the
taX' distributes it to another. All that the tax
Is intended to do is TO equalize the difference
between the wages OF American workmcn and
the pauper labor of Europe
"a beniiccnt theory indeed, but how does il
workt
1.-THE employer, usually member OF trust
leNles the tax on domestic goods when no fixes
the price OF his goods and collects It when he
sells them a the enhanced price the tariff gives
nm who keeps this account? No one not
even the man who levies or collects it. The
manufacturer distributes it to his worllmen
when he pays them their wages, Who keeps
that account The same fellow who kept the
other and in the same way. II it is true, my
hearers, that this tax Is levied or collected
for the benefit OF American laborers, did any
one ever hear OF such shiftless way of doing
business?
The men who levy and collect 1t distribute
It, They keep no account on either side They
Keen no hOnu They r. rps tn no
er on earth for good faith even II they cmbez-
zlc every dollar they collect it is not crime,
not even moral delinquency of which the
most orthodox Of Christian churches could take
cogni2ance
III our friends are honest when they say they
made the Mckinley bill for the benefit Of Amer
lcan workmen, every man who voted for ii
ought to be impeached for incompetence.
III this was its purpose there is no parallel
for such legislation in the history OF the world.
But II was not its purpose. When 1t was under
consideration it was not the laboring man who
appeared at the capitol of this nation and asked
TO have it passed, Hundreds, if not thousands
of manufacturers with the ablest attorneys
they could employ, did so appear 1t has now
been in force for two whole years. Has it al.
laycd the struggle or lessencd the contest be-
tween capital and labor? Let Homestead an
swcr first, and then let US examine broader
field.
"The war tariff although at the beginning
levied for revenue alone, was, because Of its
magnitude and general application to all manu-
featured goods, highly protective 1t has been
continued for more than quarter Of a century.
If the laboring men of this country have re.
ceived its benefits they surely should be indie,
pendent by this time What are the facts?
thIhp is a tynniprf,I cd 5;e
pels many an illusion that could not be gotten
rid OF any other way. The results of our last
one are made public as yet 10 limited extent
only. A bulletin issued on July 30 OF this year
deals with the state OF Maine This is one of
the states Of the union in which the protected
industries flourish and whore laborng men
should be independent If protection is for them.
The census tells us that 81 per cent, of all the
families OF that state are homeless 4S per cent.
alone live under roofs they call their own To
which of these classes do you suppose the man
ufacturcrs OF that state belong-to those who
own their homes or those who rent them?
Turn from this to the city Of Boston, in the
very center OF the protected industries Of this
country From the report of the labor commits,
Si0ncr of Massachusetts we find that the total
number of houses in that city is n, i,i; Of these
li,dSS are occupied by owners, J6, ,223 by renters
The number OF persons living in these rented
houses is e. per cent of the entire population;
81 per cent alone own the homes in which they
live.
(which Of these classes do you suppose are
the manufacturers and which the laborcrs'
"No, my friends, this will not do. Put aside
this argument To all except those who will
not see ii is a transparent Illusion A protec'
tive tariff is made for the manufacturer, not for
I, tnrlyr, IIn hiuh h.1, niya1r