The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-10-24
mon TarImand I.om Mnres.

Mr.. Mckinley, the logical candi-
date ofthe Republican party for the
Presidency, says that there are two
ways OF checking importations, one
by imposing a full or prohibitive
tariff, and the other by lowering
wages.
Then it ought to be found that a
full or prohibitive tariff increases
wages both in the special lines of
protected industry and generally
throughout thecountry. Mckinley
made a tariff and the result was
lower wages in the most fully pro-
tected lines and tendency down
ward in all wage earning occupa-
tions. Will Dir. Miller answer our
miners and wage earners generally,
how is this2
1t ought also to be instantaneous
ly apparent that wages are first in
creased in the particular line where
the prohibitive duty is levied and
subsequently increased from indus
try to industry until everybody is
getting good wages. But instead
of being SO instantaneously appar-
ent that the intelligent working
man can see the swell of increase
starting from the particular point
and lifting the level of the whole
country, it is never apparent at all
and the workingman must take
McKinley's word for the blessings
that attend a prohibitive rate.
In 1892 the Republican platform
demanded duties equal to the differ
ence in wages between the United
States and countries which might
send goods here.
Democrats at once promised that
they would not propose tariff in
this Congress which would not give
duties to that amount. Not that
they agreed to any connection be-
tween tariff and wages but that
they had no desire to at once radi-
cally reduce duties to the extent
literal compliance with the Repub
lican platform would require. To
fit a tariff to the Republican plat
form it would be necessary to figure
out the labor cost of each protected
article. For instance, the tariff
maker must find out how much the
manufacturers here and abroad pay
for the labor employed in making
ton of iron, a yard of dress goods
and a set of table china. He would
find out the American manufacturer
pays less than the English and a
great deal less than the Spanish or
Italian.
Hence, to reduce duties to meet
the Republican platforms demand
would be to abolish them altogether.
OF course the Republicans did not
intend to demand free trade; but to
construe their platform according
TO the known facts of manufacturing
production would be to liberate
trade, absolutely and finally.
Both the Republican platform of
1892 and the logical Republican can
didate for 1896 have either lied to
the American people or have ex-
posed a singular ignorance of facts.
The second supposition is true
one in McKinley's case. He is
probably the most ignorant man
that ever led on an economic issue
in any country. He gave himself
over early to commonplace general
izations and has done no more in
his later career.
If he knew what he was talking
about his speeches would be wretch
ed and CHASTITY examples of false
hood. But he does not knew. He
pirates and pirates and pirates. He
never debates definite proposition
and never yet proposed to encounter
an economist.
The intelligent workmen can un
horse this prater by asking him:
"You had a chance to raise wages
and why did you only raise the
tariff" AS Mr.. Mckinley did not
answer this very proper and reason
able question yesterday morning,
when he spoke here, we would re-
spectfulIy ask Mr.. Miller to answer
it for him.
Hon. E. W. Brown.