The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-08-06
UNPROTECTED PRODUCERS
Working for Wages II Wholly Un-
urotee tad by HepubIlcan TArifIs

QulT0S years DolOT0 Jucy duOpl tuC
easiest way. And it is further unde-
niable that, with the rarest excep-
lions, men vote in accordance with
what they believe to be their best in
terests. How much the great mass OF
men is Influenced by mere catch
phrases, rather than logic, and de-
ceived by appearances, is well illus
trated by the protective tariff. No
protected manufacturer ever publicly
proclaimed that he wanted tariff for
his own benefit was simply to raise
the wages of his employees! Yet mil
lions of these employees profoundly be-
lieve that the protective tariff is al
most wholly for their benefit, and vote
accordingly; such is the power of a
subsidized press. The following is a
reprint of an argument brought for
ward in the campaign of 1882 by MI.
Smith. The logic of events has in nc
wise weakened the logic Of Mr.. Smiths
argument.-Ed. Ind)
The business of working for wages
is, in other words, the business OF
producing and selling labor 1t is
proper to consider wage-workers as
producers, labor as their product and
wages its selling price. Articles
which are produced by means OF the
labor of wagewOrkers cannot prop
erly be considered as their products,
but as products of their employers,
who simply buy their labor, and by
the use of it produce for themselves
the articles in question.
Drocidopt Harrison in his first an
nual message, said on the subject OF
revising the tariff: "The inequalities
of the law should be adjusted, but the
protective principle should be main
tanned and fairly applied to the prod
ucts of our farms as well as our
shops" In the Mckinley law the pro-
tective principle is applied to the
products of our farms as well as our
Shops but it is not applied nor has
ever existed in application to the prod
uct of our wage orkers-labor. Let
it be asked, els labor a product OF our
farms or shops?" 1t is the product
of muscle and brain. Grain and dry
goods are examples of products OF
farms and shops. The same relation
that grain and dry goods have to farm
ers and manufacturers labor has to
wage workers. 1t is what they sell.
It follows then that in order for wage
workers to be treated with fairness
and placed on equal footing with farm
ers and manufacturers, the protective
principle should be applied directly
to labor or else abandoned and abol-
ished altogether.
The protective principle applied to
farm and shop products protects them
from foreign competition in the home
market Fairly applied to labor, it
would protect it from foreign compe-
tition in the home market by exacting
duty on every days labor done by
a foreign workman entering this
country and employed after taking
effect of the law If the use of other
competing foreign products is to be
discouraged in this country, and fair
ness to wage-workers be an object, the
use of labor of foreign origin should
be equally discouraged. The fact that
foreign workmen come here to make
their homes while foreign proprietors
do not, but only send their products,
is no just cause that there should be
Tree JFduo WIFI Inc WOIhHcA duu plo
lection against the proprietors. For
eign workmen come here to compete
with home workmen, and do compete
with them. Home workmen have,
therefore, perfect right to insist that
the labor of their incoming foreign
competitors be not hired or used in
this country without payment of du-
ties proportional to other protective
duties. The business Of working for
wages is an industry in itself, as much
entitled to protection as any industry
whatever.
The protective system, as it now
exists, operates to lessen foreign pro-
duction by shutting certain foreign
products from American markets. All
obvious effect of this lessening Of for
eign production is to cheaper labor
in foreign lands and force emigra-
ton of foreign workmen. Nothing is
more persistently published by pro-
tectionists than the fact that labor is
exceedingly cheap in foreign lands.
Now with our tariff system obviously
operating TO cheaper labor in for
eign lands and yet leaving foreign