The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-09
LABOR AND THE TARIFF.

We have received another long letter
from Eureka in regard to iron mining
in Michigan, much of which would not
interest the majority of our readers.
The writer explains some things which
were not made clear in his previous
letter published in The Herald He
says the cost of mining constantly in
creases through various causes which
he enumerates but adds mines oper-
ated by steam shovels can compete
with free imported ores. the others
cannot" He says the tariff has de-
veloped home competition sufficient to
supply the home market; it was never
intended to fix prices of labor or any
thing else
All that may be perfectly true. But
the point of contention was that pro-
tective tariff made high wages, not
fixed the rate exactly, but that its
purpose and effect We're to keep up the
figures in the interest of American
workmen. At the same time the ter
rible distresses among the iron workers
in Michigan under the operations of
McKinleyism are crying and awful
contradiction of the claim The des-
titution there is something mournful.
And Michigan papers show how this
has been increasing until last May it
eliminated, like other disasters in the
full tide of protection. in overwhelming
ruin TO the working classes.
1t may be true that number of the
employers have suffered loss too as
our correspondent afirms, and that
some oe them have been very consider
ate to the miners But the facts
remain that these depressions came
under the operations of pro
tective tariff and that is the
chief point under consideration. They
were not produced by fear of tariff
reduction"
The Herald has not taken the ground
when referring to trade and labor dis
asters. that they were in all instances
caused by the high tariff. It has
simply pointed out the fact that they
occurred under the workings of the
Mckinley bill. in reply to the stupid
declaration that they were the effects
of a policy not yet inaugurated.
Panics. and labor troubles. and. dis
tresses of various kinds occur fire.
quently-some think periodically-and
may have no relation as effect with
cause to any kind of a tariff. But
when Republican deceivers tell their
tales of faisehood for partisan pur-
poses, the facts have to be set forth
so that those who read and think may
not be led away with the rubbish that
has been stuffed into the unrefect-
ing.
Politicians deal in very great amount
Of raw material. we do not say it is
al on the Republican side by any
means. But we do claim that during
Tic ld-SS @1tAlk }cien 1QNdilldRG was taken
of calamities that occurred under the
protective policy. to place the Demo-
cratic administration in a false posi-
tion before the people That troubles
which, if they were caused in any way
by The tariff were the effects of Repub-
lican protection, We're so misrepresent-
ed that they We're pictured as the
actual results of Democratic control
or prospective legislation. This was
done to play on the minds of the ig-
norant and was only cheap and miser-
able demagoguery.
The reductions to be made in the
tariff viii be for the benefit of the
consumers-the great masses of the
people. In all changes of policy there
must be disturbances which at first
may cause some unfavorable condi-
tons. But the true results can only