Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-12-06
PATCHWORK PRINCIPLES.
THE PROTECTIVE IDEA IN RgprrR.
LOAN PLATFORMS.
No Two Republican Conventions
Agree in Their Tariff Declare
tions-Meaningless Piatitudcs II.
lugtrutad In Zva.,..r

NO TWO Republican Conventions
Agree In: Their Tarin Declara-
Observation-Disclosures Piatitudcs IL.
Illustrated In Massachusetts.
If any proof vera needed To sbou
that instead OF being National prin-
eiple protection ia orazy.qnilt of
local shreds and patches, it would he
found IN the various State Republican
platforms. Each State convention of
That party has declared for a renewal
OF the tariff agitation In the direction
OF higher taxes, but no two tariff
planks agree as to tho nature and or
tent of the protection" which tbav
would establish if their party was
restored to power.
The Massachusetts, Republican state.
ment of the protective theory is ono
which we'll illustrates the yayua md
meaningless platitudes which serve as
a substitute for principles. It ig:
"We only pledge to each American
industry such protection as shall
equalIze differences in the price OF
labor" This probably means the diff
terence between wages in this and
other countries, although it docs not
shy SO. It might we'll refer to the
great differences in the price of labor
IN various States, for wages differ as
much, If not more, in this country. ns
between this and other Nations. Tho
census returns show that in North
Carolina the average yearly earnings
OF nm employe of a manufacturing
company are S216; in Colorado, s72O
in Mississippi, $50; in Now York,
5000, and in Massachusetts, 1884. Tho
Massachusetts, Republicans might try
to explain how it comes that with the
same protective tariff for thirty years
these States all have different prices
OF labor, and why wages in their own
State, with its great and long-estab-
i1shed industries, are lower than in
the newly settled State of Colorado.
Leaving the Republicans to settle
among themselves the question wbv
protection did not raise wages alike in
oil the States, the Democrats can well
afford to accept the declaration for n
tariff which will only equalize differ
ences between the price of labor in
this and other countries as sound low
tariff doctrine. For whilo there NAV
DO differences in tho nominal ratss of
wages paid here and in Europe, there
IS no question but that tho labor cost
IN production is here less than abroad.
The greater efficiency OF tho American
workman makes his labor cheaper-as
measured by its product in any
other country. So that on this ground
there would be no need of any protec.
tive tariff, and the Massachusetts Re-
publicans' declaration would mean
free trade.
Even if wages wero higher in the
United States than in other countries.
no Republican has ever been able to
show how protective tariff could pos
sibly maintain them in face of the free
admission of foreign workingmen, per
mitted under protection. The pre-.
tence that imports of foreign goods
lower wnges here is only laughed at by
intelligent workmen, who know that
reductions in price come out of the
profits of monopolists and not out of
labor's earnings. 1t is for this reason
that the parrot cry, ''Proteotion to
labor" no longer deludes the Ameri-
can worSingmnn.