The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-04-02

though not for publication unless desired,
otherwise they will receive no attention.
REPUBLICAN POLICY 4NO DEMO-
CRATIC UNITY.
The policy of the present admins
tration is to push the high tariff ideas
to the utmost and consequently to
still further entrench the trusts and
monopoles in their strong holds. At
the same time the provisions of the
new tariff bill known as the Dingley
bill. which is now before the extra
session of Congress, are such that 1T
will be a very oppressive measure to
the laboring classes.
One feature of that bill may be
specially mentioned, as it strikes at
an important industry of our own
metropolis. The section referred to
provides that a duty of two cents per
pound shall be levied on all pine-ap-
pies brought into this country. If this
bill becomes law, it is said that
fifteen hundred persons will be thrown
out of employment in Baltimore by
reason of the closing of the pine-ap-
pie canneries. The proprietor of one
of the largest of these canning houses
stated that while this provision of the
bill would destroy the pineapple can
ming industry of Baltimore, yet as a
means of raising revenue, it would be
a total failure, because the cost of
weighing the pine-apples and collect
ing the duty of two cents per pound
would be as great as the duty itself.
He further stated that more pine
apples are landed in Baltimore in one
day than are raised in the whole
United States in year.
Such protective measures. if forced
OH the people as the panacea of all
their ills, cannot fail TO awaken the
people fully to the situation. The
currency question is being pushed to
the side, and the tariff question will
soon have replaced it.
The Democratic party has been
solidly united on the tariff question
heretofore, and the bringing to the
front of the tariff issue will lead to
Democratic party unity in way that
no possible adjustment of the currency
question could accomplish.
The minority report on the Dingley
bill, presented to the House of Re-
representatives. last Monday night by
the Democrats of that body is a strong
arraignment of the bill, pointing out
its glaring defects and inconsistencies.
The report denies the right of Con-
gress to make or enforce any regula-
ton requiring one individual to give
portion Of his hard earned wages for
the purpose of enriching another. As
to the effect Oh labor the minority re-
port is as follows:
THE labor argument of the pro-
tectionist can be reduced to an alb
surdity, which makes it amazing that
it should ever have been seriously adj
vanced To say in one breath that
the welfare of labor depends upon It's
ponds on its skill and intelligence, land
in the next breath to say that the very
intelligent and highly skilled laborers
of this country cannot successfully
compete with the ignorant and I'M
skilled laborers of the Old World is
equivalent to saying that skill and in
telligence are not of great advantage
to the laborers who possess them.
ITO our minds it involves a contra
diction in history, as well as in
economic theory, to hold that the
factory labor of civilized country
needs protection against the factory
labor of an uncivilized country. The
fact that the unskilled laborers OF
half-civilized country live more cheap
Iy than the skilled laborers of high
ly civilized country is more than
counterbalaneed by the greater pro-
ductiveness of the skilled and intelli
gent laborer. If this view of the
question needed further support than
the mere statement of it, it can be
assert that the skill and intelligence
of the American laborer are such that
he is able to produce seven times as
much as the less skillful and less in
telligent laborer of continental Europe
and fifteen times as much as the ignor-
ant and unskilled laborers of Asia.
Surely it will be admitted that a pro-
ductive capacity seven times as great
as the one and fifteen times as great al
the other should be. all that the Amer
lean laborer needs to protect himself
against the competition of European
drudges and Asiatic serfs."
The Republican policy inaugurated
thus early in the new administration
if pursued will eventually re-unite the
Democratic party in 4 manner that
no compromise or Cancellation from
within can possibly accomplish. In
the meantime how are President Nc
kinley and his party fulfilling the
many pledges of coming prosperity
made before election, the advent of
which was conditioned, as they said,
on Mckinley's election to the Presi-
dency? We have been eagerly look
ing for signs of returning prosperity,
but see none in the attitude assumed
by the party in power.