Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-06-14
PROTECTION A CURSE.
The American l.aborer The Chief Snf-
ferer From This Fraud-If
Makes Them Siayes.
Correspondents Of the LnDeER.

Correspondence OF the LEDGER.
CALDWELL, kAs., June 6.-If
protection is for the benefit of Amer
lean labor as we hear constantly af
firmed by partisans who favor the
doctrine, suggest that the laborer
ought to get his part of the benefits
derived from the system. Now, in
order to that end, | would suggest
something like this: Suppose a
corporation sees fit to put a few
hundred thousand dollars into an
industry of some kind; of course
they will need labor to carry on the
business. 1t will necessarily take
brains, bone and sinew to make il
Il success. They will want men
who are willing to work dont't hire
them, but make them partners in
the business; say to them: we will
furnish the money, you the work,
the skill, the brains, and whatever
benefits are derived from the buSi
ness shall be equally divided-if we
make money you will. Such a
plan or system would work we'll. 1t
would do away with strikes and all
trouble in that direction. 1t would
also do away with the curse of white
slavery; then men would work like
free men. 1t would give them heart
and inspiration. But as it is in our
country protection is a fraud OF the
first water 1t don't protect Ameri-
can labor. 1t only protects wealth.
\ man with money comes to our
country from across the waters, es-
tablishes his institution of industry
in our land; then he will employ
men lust to suit himself; he asks
for protection and gets it. He makes
his millions, at the same time he
makes the people of this country
believe that protection is for the
benefit of the laborers of this coun-
try American Labor. " And
what else does he do? He will seek
foreign labor-''pauper labor
from abroad and the cheaper the
labor the more protection he wants.
Away with such fraud. Over half
the laborers to-day in the industries
of this country are foreigners-men
who cannot speak our language,
who know nothing Of our institutions
and care less. And yet they talk
of American labor. | don't object
to protection so much as | object to
the class that gets the protection.
Adopt the plan | suggest and all
will be peace and good will, and
men will work with willing hearts
and hands. Such a plan or system
would put stop to the concentra-
ton of wealth. The wealth of the
country would be more equally
divided, and men would have more
respect for each other. As it is the
common laborer of to-day is no more
respected by the wealthy men of
the land than was the negro slave
of the South during the days of
slavery. Such state of affairs
must at last result in the overthrow
of our Republic and probably the
sooner the better. We talk of this
country and call it the home of the
free. Great God! | would ask,
how free are a certain class to-day?
And that class largely out-number
the other class, and they are slaves /;
they know nothing of freedom and
liberty We talk and sing so much
about. Thousands of honest men
who have toiled and sweat and have
largely produced the wealth of this
country are tramping over the land
without money, without work
These men are as honest, noble men
as the world ever saw; their wives
and children are without the neces
sary comforts of life, and remember
too, these men are American citi
|zens. If they do not become desper
ate it will be wonderful indeed.
am not justifying strikes by any
means, but change in the manage
ment of affairs is what | want. Civ
the common laborer a chance tc
live; make him feel if he is homes
and brave that he is your equal
The honest laboring man is abso
lutely the equal Of any millionair'
that lives beneath Gods Heaven
| If there is anything on earth tha