Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-08-21
A TARIFF TALK.
jeremiah and His Pa Discuss This vexcd
Question.

Par"
"Yes, my son, what is it?'
II would like to know what protection IS"
That's right, my boy. am glad to see that
you are seeking after knowledge. Well, Jere-
miah, protection is Republican doctrine for
the defense and protection Of laboring men Of
this country from being lowered to the level of
the pauper labor of Europe"
What Is free trade, paY"
Free trade, my son, Is a most damnable pol
icy, and il carried outi will utterly ruin this
country"
But, pa, that does not explain what is pro-
lection and what is free trade"
We'll, let me see. will try to make 1t plain
to your young mind, so that you can under
workingmen Of this nation. Now, Jeremiah,
is there clothing manufactory in this town.
places that make mems clothes? Why, no."
well, we ought to have one and would
have IL 1t were not for the fact that our dealers
can buy clothing in New York for almost half
the price the they could get the stock manpfsc-
string to benefit this town, would go to the
proper authorities and make known my OBJ
ject. Of course they would be delighted. But
l would explain to the council that in order to
make such an establishment profitable must
be protected.
Why Wl.yyynv honorable sir. won,a ron,v n.-
cause / cannot secure labor In this town at
prices that will compete with the pauper labor
of the New York sweating shops, and there
fore you must levy q tariff on every suit of
clothes that comes to this place. In that way
people, and also to sell the goods at a lower
price than our dealers can buy when the tariff
Is added to the price Of the stock in New York.
They finally see the wisdom of my plan and at
once proceed to build a high fence around the
town. Our clothing dealers go to New York to
buy their winter stock. For instance, dealer
purchases a suit in New York for 80. Before
he can get it through the tariff gates into this
town he must pay tariff Of s. on the suit.
That makes the cost SIS The dealer must
ook 10 a n his inv fr1nn
which is s3, and he marks the selling price SIS.
Do you see the l!e,ISs point; - Jsremiahf'
"Well, follow me closely, and you will see
how simple 1t Is. The suit was made in one Of
the sweatshops of New York for about 81, or
an average wages of S1.25 a day per man and
about 40 cents a day for the woman. Under
our tariff system l would be able to pay my
workmen 50 day, sell the suit for sl4 and
still make good thing for myself. See?"
Yes, see, but go on"
1.-The clothing dealers will be compelled to
buy from me, for they would be foolish to pay
profit at 20 per cent on Sl4 would be just 81 So.
Add these together and you have $780, or a
saving to the purchaser of Sl.2O. That's plain,
"Oh, very plain. But, pa, let me ask a few
questions, so can understand it better. Sup
pose every town outside of New York would
do the same thing as our own town, what ef-
feet would all that have on New iorkF'
why, let's see; Why, it would throw out
clothing for the outside towns"
And to throw out Of employment those
thousands of men, women and children would
itE" msan '''FV"''0" Tor most 0' 'hs"' wouldn't
We'll, yes, suppose so. But we are not ex-
pected to look after the people of New York.
Let them look after themselves"
Il suppose this is according to the golden
rule you have been teachi ing me, is it par"
Nay! The golden rule has nothing. to do
with the tariff. And look here. jeremiah, if
you are going to get in some of your smart
questions, shall not teach you another thing
on the matter"
Don't get excited, pa. l want to know the
truth. Just wait until get my slate and pen
ell. Now, We'll come back to our town. You
say that the dealer charged 20 per cent profit
on his stock?"
well, on the suit that cost $40 he would
charge aTgs {, profit of S. wouldn't her"
Two and 10 make 12 Before the tariff the
workingmen of our town bought for Sl2 what
pay But son t forge the nsy and
women that are working for me are getting
good wages"
lars out o. Of $3.50 leaves siso every man has , to
pay as tax on a $40 suit under our tariff sys-
tenn. Now, pa, where does the tariff benefit
the workingmen who have to buy tariff CLOTH
But these men must remember that they
are indirectly supporting the people who work
Are they2 Let's see if they do. Now, pa,
you say that you are enabled-remember that
word-enabled to pay So day 10 your work.
men. You hire so at that price. Now, let's go
to New York. Fifty workmen are thrown out
of employment there, are they notf'
Yes, of course"
well, the 90 find out the reason why they
are out of a job-tariff in our town. They also
hear that the tailors are getting So day.
What do they do? The whole 80 scrape enough
money together to buy emigrant tickets for
this place. Pa, when they reach our gates,
@ how much ouch, tariff must they pay before they
Tariff Why, nothing. of course2"
march up to your. shop and ask for a job.
why, certainly not. I'd be worse than
heather to turn out my own workmen and en-
ploy foreigners"
But, suppose, pa. they would offer to work
.0h, well, business is business. could not
afford to donate dollar day. to working
people out OF any sentiment, especially If there
was another manu- factory in town, for my COM
petitor would surely get his labor as cheap as
possible, and would be compelled to either
ploy the men from New York"
And If you. reduced wages would the tariff
W5en you Were paying "
mo, my son. The tariff would probably be
made higher rather than lower, because there
poor workingmen when wages went down.
PA, know you pretty well, and know that
you Would ,H A take the cheapest man every time,
Jeremiah, you had better go slow, or you
will feel the lifting power of my No. boOt.h
Now, pa, your home workmen are discharg-
here in the places of the home labor. They
send to New York for their families, each one
having wife and an average Of five boys and
York sweatshops that their old friends are
getting 81 day up here. They make up their
minds at once to emigrate. Another crowd of
pauper labor arrive here, and there are three
men looking for one JOB. Each underbids the
other, and you will take the cheapest every
time. until the poor are getting poorer and you
are getting richer every day. But II does not
stop there. These men are not making enough
compelled to send their boys, and even girls, to
take the places Of men in other departments Of
labor, until wages go down. down, down, but
and enables him to pay high wages. What
good does it dol you are enabled to pay high
wages and don't pay them9"
Great Scott, boy, when are you going to
Pretty soon, pa, but we want to understand
this tariff question. Now l have shown %
that the only protection our home workmen
Sa New Ss Yorf etsH place. 81 and
1t is possible that you would advance that
much money in order to, get cheap labor here.
larger a mans family the greater his tariff tax
burden. 90 That the tariff would be the means
Of bringing to our town the pauper labor Of
New York. (Q That the only one protected In
the whole transaction would be yourself. You
would become immensely rich and would nat
urally contribute large sums of money to the
tain the high tariff. You would try to con
troll the press and make every effort to mis-,
lead the people. Pa, you have made the tariff
question very plain to me, SO plain that Won
der how any sane workman or farmer can IA
vor the present system of protection. The
present tariff system Is a robbery on the peo-
pie, and"-