The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-09-21

portanoe 70 high wagsa Good wages
and continuous employment are each
essential to the prosperity OF labor.
But we look In vain for such employ
ment TO labor, even In the protected
industries, under the Mckinley system
of Ia xation.
The independence OF labor is de-
stroyed by such legislation. The ty-
rannical will Of capital becomes SUI
preme, and IL restricts and limits the
employment Of labor, both as to terms
and time. Reduction In wages, strikes
and lockouts become the order of the
day. Enforced idleness results. And
you know the rest The object lessons
Of the unfortunate conflicts between
| protected capital, relentless and cruel,
| and honest labor, begging only for tho
opportunity TO sell itself for living
| price, are indellibly stamped upon your
memorial and need not recall them.
Gov. Mckinley may cah this Amer
icanism and patriotism, II he will. But,
/ say to you, no darker page In Amer
lean history will be written than those
which record these irrepressible con-
fiicts between capital, protected, proud,
arrogant and all-powerful, upon the
one side, and labor, wronged, fretful,
1 impatient, contending for its just re-
wards, upon the other
We must have higher order OF
| Americanism than this; our patriotism
| must be broader than this; and we
must, under the guidance of wiser
statesmanship, break the restraining
shaokles Of this republican protection,
| and give.to labor, and capital as well,
o freer and larger market for the linz
itless productions Of our mines, our fac
tories and our fields
We are essentially an agricultural
people. There Ia no interest that has
contributed so much to the commercial
progress, advancement and wealth of
the country as agriculture; and none
that deserves higher consideration or
more favorable recognition by the gov
erpment
But this, the greatest of all our In
dustries, has been the principal victim
of this cruel and odious doctrine Of pro.
lection.
In 1850 more than one-haf Of all the
people In this country were engaged in
agricultural pursuits The farmers OF
the United States at that time, owned
almost one-half of all wealth and
property Of the country. They had
during the preceding ten years, when
McKinleyism was unknown, more than
doubled their wealth. The increase in
the value of their property had beer
over one hundred per cent
| But to-day, after more than thirty
years of seedtime and harvest, repre-
senting long hours and days and
weeks and months of slavish drudgery
and toll, they find themselves poorer in
stead of richer than they were in 1s60
The farmers of the United States still
constitute. according to the last census.
nearly one-halt Of our population; but
instead of owning one-half of the
property of the country as they did in
1850, they own less than one-fourth OF
1t; and that which they do own is stead
lily depreciating In value from year to
year.
What a commentary upon the bane-
full influence of this cunningly devised
and revolutionary use of the power OF
taxation. How great the tribute paid
during these thirty-three years, by the
American farmer TO the American
manufacturer.
The "home market" argument of
Gov. Mckinley and other protectionists
could not be more effectually disproved
than by this plain and simple state
ment of the changed condition Of the
agriculturists of the country. The
farmers loss has been the manufacture
er's gain. AS the one has grown poor
er, the other has grown richer. And II
is an insult to the intelligence of the
| American farmer, who has been con-
tinuously robbed in the interest of the
manufacturer, to longer attempt to in
duce him to believe that he receives
either protection or benefit from such
q system of taxation.
The republican charge that the dem
ocratic party Is responsible for the de-
| pressed condition in our agricultural
interests, existing at this time, Is base
less TO the degree of idiocy; and belief
ought not to be given to 1t by the most
| ignorant and credulous of men. Such
condition Is the Legitimate result OF
| protection We have been, for nearly
one-third of century, Sowing the
wind" and we are now ''reaping the
whirlwind" of this protective tax
alton
We are still under republican laws
No change In legislation has been made
by the democratic party. But 1t will
be made, and made soon; and In the
prospect for such change by the demo
cratic congress now in session, the
signs Of improvement have already ap-
peared, and the outlook for higher
prices and returning prosperity for the
American farmer is gradually but sure
ly growing better from day to day.
Awake then, my friends! Arouse
yourselvesl Shake off any feelings OF
Indifference you may have In regard tc
the final determination of this grea,
issue, the magnitude of which can no,
be overestimated. Be wise to-day
Realize the danger that confronts and
surrounds you before it overwhelmt
and destroys you.
Do not beseech you, permit your
self TO be reproached when it is toe
late with the thought that you could
have remedied this most grievoui
wrong, and you would not.
The only hope for a revision and re
duction of the tariff lies in the contin
uance of the democratic party in power
Tariff reform can be had in no other
way.
The defeat of the republican party IL
this state in November next will, by
common consent, be everywhere re
ceived as the full and final decision o.
the American people upon this question