The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1894-01-18

ieVehue-only logic, to end in an
actual exposition of Protectionist
practice. The Republican report
seizes the weak point effectively,
add both in its sarcasm and it's
offrontery shows us how imposs,-
ble it is to placato the implacable.
For the chairman of tho ways and
means committee / entertain the
very greatest respect. He is an
able, conscientious, patriotic DOM
ocrat. He has, s3encountered diff
cultles and made sacrifices and
endured disappointments, which
should earn him the sympathy
rather than tho sscriticism of his
party associates. But with sub
mission l think he has been forced
by pressure and not by his own
consent to bring in u measure that
strikos blow at the cause of gem
uino tariff reform, and may set
tho policy of revenue only back
for many yearst to come.
FREE TRADE VERSUS PROTECTION.
do not claim nearly 80 much
for free trade. Iclaim that it will
make moro work by creating wider
markets. I claim that it will de-
crease tho costs of living in great
or measure than it will reduce earn
ings. The question of wages is a
question of supply and domand,
pure and simple. In the crowded
cities, where mon must work or
starvo, they take what they can
get and wages or low. In now and
less crowded communities, where
opportunities are open to all and
good mon are at premium, wages
arc high.
AS our waste places arc filling up
the problem is how shall all who
want to work be kept i'm stoady
employment? Relatively, wages
are bound to 60 down as popula-
ton increases and labor-saving ma
chinery takes the place Of hand
work, and tho problem is, how shall
we decrease in fair proportion tho
cost of living? My ansper to tho
first problem is by breaking down
the barriers that shut us out from
free commercial intorcodrso with
the rest of tho world, which wants
as much of us as wo want of it.
And to tho second, by fairer dis
tribution Of the fruits of labor be-
tween tho employee, and the om-
ployed. But, I am asked, can
these two things be dono without
rum to the American manufacture
er9 My answer is that they can
bo done and have been dono to tho
eminent good fortune of Ameri-
can manufactures and commerce
and can be done ogain to with the
samo result; that we have had good
and bad seasons undor all tariffs.
high and low; but that the low tar
itf offors advantages to tho many
by curtailing subsidy and limiting
monopoly, while q high tariff
pours wealth into tho lap Of tho
few by tho opportunities it offers
to combinations and trusts. For
proof I point to the operations Of
thirty years of protection; enorm-
Gus wealth in few hands; a uni
vorsal struggle to live among the
many; deeper, darker contrasts Of
life, and discomfort everywhere.
There will not be such excessive
and unequal profits to tho manu-
facturor. There will not be 80
many great fortunes accumulated
by tho spoiled childron of monop-
oily. Tho trusts will bo harder to
form and maintain, and henco few
or in number. But there will DO q
moro general diffusion Of the real
wealth of the country. There will
bo moro work, and steadior work,
and Il greater dcmand for labor.
The living Of tho poor will DO
choaponod. Tho living of all viii
be bottorod. Socialism will bo
shorn Of it's most potont argument
and ono frobrand at least will DO
extracted from tho brain-one bull
lot from the weapon-of tho anar-
chist. ....u,
4 \