The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1892-05-06
PROTECTION" AND WAGES.

Protectionisls profess 10 believe that a
high tariff secures good wages 10 Iaborers.
and this fact they have mainland was The
main reason .or adopting protection is a
national po icy. That the protection stem
has no:hirg to do IN securing COED wages
to labor people is So plain that resort to
proof Is hardly necessary any more.
Gladstone ard other English economists
show by history and statistics that Aages
In England have been much better since
that nation adopied 'free iradc" than be-
lore under prorcti ton. Wages today are
much better 10 England whcre"free trade"
prevails than In ans of England's leigh
hors. (France, Spain. Germany, ItaIy,
Russia etc..) where the protective policy
prevails. Wages are good IN the United
States not a. the result Of protection, but
despite of il. No manufacturer in the Un-
ted States pays any better wages because
he Is protected. When he enpioss labor
he does Ike all other prop.e Hs hires as
cheaPiy as hL can. And TO such au extent
have manufacturers studied the subject
that In many ptaces in ihe east they have
wages reduced down TO che l.yiag point for
laborers Who ale completely in ihe.r po~-
er. Every thing else i. protected excep, the
laborer himself. Foreign labor may come
In free from England. France, Germany.
Russia etc, and compete with our hons |
iaborers without question, aud the manu- !
faciurer raises no objection. and why'
Simply because he knows well that more /
laborers means cheaper labor. ami that is /
what he wants. But when !. c.,mes to 1
bringing into shis country iron foreign |
couhIne. the product of cheap f.reign Ia
Dor the manufacturer objects, and whys
Simply because lac knows that more goods
means cheaper goods and this he does not
want The great desire of his heart Is to
have cheap labor and highpriced goods.
for tn iha. is his gres, pIoit In this he Is
Dot different from otter men. But do la
Dor people asd consumers generally want
to see cheap labor and high priced goods'
Certainly not for herein Is the great burden
Of life. But what do we sees The man
knowr that no protective tariff
law on commodities can ever protect labor
or make wages good. But ne knows that
The mofe foreign goodsare kep: On, OF this
country b. the tariff means greater de-
rnand for his o~n, and the greater the &c
and sksrs or 81
in ,hIs Is his pros,. He does not van. 10
compete WIKI the foreigL manufacturer in
selling his goods and thus ne calls on the
strong arm of the government to help him
keep ou, the foreign produc, whiie he sells
his own to the 6s million consumers of
America Al sucn prices as the restricted /
supply may justify. T.o classes Of men /
In this country have been sadly hood
winked BY the cry of pro,ection-la5or
people and the gres, consuming classes
Now unde. our fern o. government q |
consumer Is entitled to the same privileges
inmunlises and rights of citizenship as is |
the manufacturer. Then why should the
government 50 legisl2se as 10 compel the
consumer TO paw tas manufacturer a
greater price for his goods under a pro-
:eciive tariff las than he would o,he. wise
have 10 Pays The truth is that ali forms
OF i-gisizsson calculated to benefit one class
of p>oP.e At the expense Of another is
simply an outrage without the sem5lance
OF excuse OF Justification. The whole
scheme of protection should be attacked
from top 10 bottom and eradica;ed from
our system of legislation. Whatever
duties are levied upon imported goods
should be for the purposes of revenue only
The sooner the people thus come VI and
assert their rights as American citizens the
better i, viii be for the pe'Peiuity of our
form OF government.