The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1893-04-28
HOW DO WE PR0TEOT2
ONE or THE pELusloNs or Pro-
TEcTloN EXPOSED,

when the Manufactures Is to 30 rrotee,-
cd, Tax Is Clapped On the composing
Article. aud this protected" AaboreF
rays tho Extra Price.
Now, MIR Chairman. do not believe
that protective tariff could be main
tanned Ia this country for "a hours If il
were not for two deluslons The first Of
the delusions is that it makes things
cheap, and the second is that it protects
labor. say that II does neither,
How do we protect anybody That is
the primary proposition of this whole
controversy How do we protect an
American, and against whom do wepro-
tect himf We protect him against bis
rival, Of course against his foreign con-
petitor, When you want TO protect tho
American steel manufactures, what do
you dor You simply levy tax upon the
competing article, which Is foreign steel
When you want to protect the American
wooden manufacturer, you tex foreign
woolens, and 50 you SO on Through the
whole list,
Nov, you will notice that no man can
be protected unless he has a competitor
unless he has q riyal-in other words,
unless he has something TO sell and is
selling it Ia competition with like articles
or commodities which are the property
of his rival II, then, by exercising tho
taxing power, this competition can bo
either lessened or etrangled altoget her,
protection Is accomplished II can be
brought about no other way, There can
be no possible difference Of opinion as 70
how this thing works. It Is not only
plain, but SELF evident
TO handicap his rival with q tax or ex-
pei him altogether Is the orthodox way
Of protecting the American But f wa
tax foreign hats to protect the American
hat manufacturer, and II we tax foreign
glass to protect the American glass
manufacturer, if in eaeh case when we
wish to protect we never vary the rule,
but uniformly pursue the same course
slap tax on the competing commodity
loan any one explain to mo why we do
not apply Che saIna rule IN the case Of
the American laborerf
Above all other men he is 70 be pro-
teeted, This whole system issaid to have
been Invented for his exclusive benefit
He is to be the sole beneficiary Of this
benevolent legislation. Then why vary
the rule in this case which you apply IN
every other and which works So wellf
The American lahoreT can undoubtedly
be protected because he has commodity
upon the sale Of which be depends for
living, He also has rival, competitor,
who is selling like commodity IN the
same market May | ask what 1t is the
American lahorer sells2 Unfortunately
for him, he sells only his lahor He has
absolutely nothing else, and labor Is and
always has been upon the free list.
Now, If you want TO actually protect
the American lahprer, YOU must be con.
sistent and tax that commodity which
comes in competition with what he sells
wiz, the labor Of his foreign rival, tho
competing Grticle, But ypu all know
that no political party can stand for ona
day Ia this country that would advocate
SO preposterpus d proposition have
gpnetimes illustrated this question BY
citing my own case and will take she
risk Of doing SO here,
Thirty-hYe years ago, when IA years
old, left Germany, my native country,
and landed upon your shores When
arrived, was Veritable paupeF, not hay
ing money enough 70 procure q nights
lodging. Immediately BECAME q COM
petitor with you ia the labor market !
became rival. No difference where
might haYu gone, whether upon farm,
In a mine or workshop, sold my labor
Ia camnetition with yours,
Now, it has often occurred To nae when
studying upon this question how easily
yon Americans could have protected
yourselves against me. How2 Why, BY
simply taxing nay labor which came into
competition with yours. You had two
ways Of protecting yourselyea against
me. You could have levied SO high an
immigration tax as 10 have excluded mo
altogether, oF after permitting me ta
land You could have imposed upon mo an
| annual tax Of say $49 or $50 Or 500.
Then while would have been compelled
70 earn this money, getting II ready to
hand over to the tax collector, you
Americans could IN the meantime have
earned tho same amount and appropri-
ated if 10 your own use This would
have been protection for you against
mo. But you permitted me to land, and
YOU have not taxed me, and You ought
to know BY this time that II YOU allow q
Dutchnan to come in among you he will
not only make q living, but get rich
where q white man would starYe. Hon.
Frederick p Whites speech in Congress
Il