Ottumwa semi-weekly courier., 1903-09-29

IN
to time be changed to meet the vary
ing conditions incident to the prog
ress of our industries and their
changing relations to our foreign and
domestic commerce. Duties that are
too low should be increased and du-
ties that are too high should be re-
duced."
Personally, have, no hesitation in
|avowing that there are duties which,
should be lowered to bring them to the
point of protection, and the little that
can do to influence legislation in
that direction will be done. There are
others, undoubtedly, who believe that
the duties as whole are as fairly
adjusted as they can be, and I as
sumo that they will act in that belief.
1t is not to be expected that direct
modification will be made during the
next session of congress. work
that requires the utmost forbearance,
the most unprejudiced consideration,
and the most temperate discussion,
will not be we'll done in the fierce par
tisanship which attends presidential
contest.
We may differ, we do differ, respect
ing the details of application, but
when the policy itself is threatened,
I 1t becomes every man who approves
it, whether he be republican or demo-
crat, whether he is for revision or
against revision, to lift his voice in
Its defense and cast his vote for its
safety.
Workingmen and Farmers.
| must refer with more particularly
to two phases of the opening speech
of the democratic candidate for COVER
nor, upon which he expended intense
energy. He seems to concede that
all classes of American business
life. save two, are benefited by the
protective system. These are the Ia
boring men and the farmers; and he
appeals to them in the most impas-
stoned terms to overthrow a system
which has reduced them to poverty
and slavery. They are the men upon
whom protection has committed its
crimes and who have been the victims
of grand larceny at the hands of all
others for more than a hundred
years. This is so remarkable re-
vival of an ancient delusion that l
must give it more than passing no.
tice. 1t may be assumed that when
the champion of free trade speaks
of workingmen he means the wage
workers of the United States. First,
| it is one of the accepted facts in the
statistics of the world that the wage
workers of the United States receive
fer their labor at least fifty per cent
rIore than their fellows in England.
| A week ago I happened to read in
one of the'well known newspapers, of
Chicago, a synopsis Of the report and
| examination made by the government
| OF Great Britain looking to some
changes in its tariff policy. quote
from it in order that may be re-
lleyed of any charge Of partisan con
| clusions:
A Comparison.
"The average level of wages in the
| United States is one and one-half
times greater than in the United King
dom, while in Germany wages are
oniy two-thirds, and in France three
fourths of the average prevailing in
the United Kingdom
It thus appears that from England's IS
point Of view, and If there is an error
in the statement it is not in our favor
the men in whose behalf Mr.. Sullivan
pleads for free trade, earn and receive
enc and one-half times the compensa-
| ton paid to the workfngmen of the
most favored nation across the sea.
Accepting the same authority, they
earn and receive substantially twice
as much as is paid to the workingmen
OF Germany and France. 1t is beliey-
able that, system under which these
/ conditions exist is a system which
robs labor of its just reward? The
proposition will not deceive the feebl-
est intellect that ever found its seat
| in the mind of man. Will YOU reason
upon it moment? Suppose that the
| barriers erected at every port were
lswept away and that our markets were
/ inundated with the manufactures of
foreign lands, what would the millions
who have been working in protected
! industries do for living? Where
would they turn for employment?
4 Who would pay them high wages, low
wages, or any wages? The profits
made by some of our manufacturers
are too great, but would like the ex,
ponent of free trade to explain to the
workingmen of this state, or any
4 other state, how reduction of these
profits would tend to increase wages
From the standpoint of workingman
lit is hard enough to get fair wages
when the profits are large, and I want
the advocate of a change to explain
how the struggle would become easier
if the profits were lessened or should
wholly disappear. The true analysis
of the whole subject is that the work.
/ ingman is interested, first, in enlarg-
ing as much as possible the work to be
done in this country, SO that the de-
mand for labor will overrun the sup
ply. 1t is under these conditions that
the wageworkers win their enduring
4 victories. In the second place, it is
for the interest of the wageworkers
that the profits of industry be great
for in such times the employer most
readily yields the employe his fair
4 share. Without extending my view OF
1 the subject over other states than
Iowa, for what is true here is true
i elsewhere, ! commend to the free
4 trader the current report of our labor
\ oo,,, in, fybSnb he c1owc +hoj