The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-07-15

be to put certain articles on the free
list he read dispatch dated at Otta-
wa Ontario. March 10. as follows:
OTTAWA, Ontario, March 10.
Anticipating removal of duties from
coal imported into tho United States, a
syndicste Of American capitalists have
bonded several valuable coal areas in Cape
Breton and Pictou, Nova Scotia, to enable
them to compete with the Pennsylvania
mines in the New England market, if coal
is put on the free list
That shows you what grows out OF
this protective tariff system. Under
that system these monopolies have
grown up and capitalists have bought
up the mineral deposits of this coun-
try everywhere that they could dis
cover them Over in the neighboring
commonwealth of Virginia there are
200. 900 acres of the best iron deposits
in the United States but those de-
posits are not developed. they are not
used. because they would come into
competition with the iron mines OF
Lake Superior and Pennsylvania. And
that land is assessed at the low valua-
ton of s.. 50 an acre. That is the
system OF monopoly which the pro-
tective tariff tends to foster.
Under the system Of protection,
competition from abroad is shut out
The capitalists buy up.t coal de-
posits the iron deposits all the
mineral deposits Of the land. and
hold them out of usa and thereby
labor is denied access to those
resources of nature and so a surplus
of labor arises; a fierce struggle for
existence among laborers sets in and
by protective tariff system. which
SO far from opening up new avenues
Of production really enables the few
to still further monopolize the natural
resources OF wealth.
l speak in the interest OF the la
borer. l can properly speak for him.
because l have been laborer all my
life; having come in contact with Ia
boring people think know their
views and wishes as we'll as any law
yer or manufacturer. 1t appears to
me that when the laborer exchanges
his labor. although directly he may
exchange it for money he in fact ex-
changes his labor for the product of
the farmer or the factory. He wants
something to live on; he wants some.
thing to eat something to drink.
something to wear Now. when you
put protective tariff on those
articles what do you do but increase
their cost to him? And how do YOU
benefit the laborer by increasing the
cost of the products OF the factory or
the farm or anything else for which he
must exchange his labor? Some good
Republican will please tell me how the
wages OF the laborer are increased by
increasing the cost of articles for
which he exchanges his labor? Mr..
Simpson paused for reply. No one
ventured to speak. he proceeded.
Furthermore. we hear good deal
said on this (the Republican, side of
the house about protecting American
labor against the 'pauper labor of
Europe" Now will some Republican
tell me what nation do you want pro-
lection against? Do not all speak at
once There is surely some Republi-
can who can tell me what nation in
Europe he wants to protect our la
borers against After all this gush
over the laborer cannot any one of
you tell me what nation in Europe
you want to protect the American la
borer against? Applause. Well.
gentlemen, if you were frank you
would say Great Britain. Is not that
right? Great Britain is the nation
that you fear. But gentlemen. the
facts are against you. The cheap la!
Dor of Europe is not in Great Britain.
The highest wages paid in Europe to-
day are paid in Great Britain, the
nation that comes nearest to free
trade. On, no; if you were not COM
scienceless hypocrites trying to i'm.
pose on the laborers of the country.
you would say that you want protec.
ton from China
China that has had a protective
tariff for thousands of years-China.
that built wall around her country
cutting off all intercourse with the
outside world-China under a pro.
tective tariff such as you are building
up pays the lowest wages in the
world. You cannot get away from
the facts. Yet you passed law here
the other day that would be a dis
grace to any civilized nation-to pro.
tect this country against the laborers
of that high protective tariff country.
Why did you do that? 1t was in the
interest of laborers of the state of
California-California. one of the
grandest states in the union. although
her resources are nowhere near De-
velopment. state with the grandest
climate and most productive soil
in the interests of the people of
such a state you come here asking
protection against the Chinese laborer
Why, because under this policy of
protection you have allowed monop-
olies to buy up to close in and hold
out OF use the larger portion of that
grand state: denying labor access to-
that stOrehouse OF wealth. so that in
self defense we are compelled to pass
laws restricting immigration from
other countries; and I. in defense of
the laboring people was compelled to
vote for that bill. Oh. you protect