The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-03
HIS LOWELL FRIEND AGAIN.

I Editor Providence News:
My well meaning. but mistaken friend
/ in Lowell. joins the free trade cry for
more free raw material. he being the
easy dupe OF the free trade pack who
ravenously hungry for Office and hating
wage earners yell for more imports OF
so-called raw material that is made i'm
America and affords millions OF Jobs for
/ bread winners. Anything for office and
nothing for wage workers" Is the secret
motto OF the free trade leaders; yet how
ever secret the leads, Their works ex-
pose their Internal conspiracy TO rob
wage earners. tread them down and walk
| over their PROSTATE forms as stepping
stones to mount to the honors and emo
| luments OF office. Truly, free trade. thy
name Is Devil.
But there is a richness about our Low
ell friend that fairly shines and dazZles.
He refers to the great Rockfeller's oil
trust as though il were not the very en-
bodment OF free trade robbery. True,
the Standard oil company has reduced
the price of oil 80 per centum. Before
it's existence 7 paid 65 cents per gallon
for kerosene. from which / turned and
purchased OF the Standard oil Co. for
IL cents being s2.20 .or a 20 gallon casK.
But. says some reader, Wasn't that
"A good thing" Yes; had that been all.
/ But. reader, pause and consider the hun
dreds OF small oil companies that went
TO wreck and ruin and the thousands
on thousands of wage workers robbed OF
their Jobs by this free trade feast OF
cheapness.
My friend seems 10 ignore the fact that
most OF our great trusts are free trade
trusts. and he longs for the policy OF
free trade China, Turkey and other heath
. en- nations. Free trade is the natural.
policy OF the half civilized. But when
IA country begins TO consider the welfare
OF her common workmen. then the doc
trine of protection. heaven born. begins
10 prevail. The only exception Is Great
Britain: but even she saves herself by
her emphatic protection Of her merchant
marine while her great colonies are pro-
tectionists
ny Lowell friend asks for more free
raw material Let me refresh his treach-
erous memory. In the campaign OF 1892
the hungry free trade pack howled for
free wool The woolen manufacturers
listened to the welcome cry and joined
, in the howl for free wool and TO get
their votes the free trade pack promised
the New England manufacturers free
| wool. At that the sheep raisers or wool
producers set up yell for less duties
on wooden fabrics and they were prom
lSed cneap WOOlenS IOT tnelf votes wei.
/ Uncle Grover was elected, and worst OF
all a semi-free trade congress passed the
robber Wilson tariff and II didn't take
many weeks 10 convince both wooden
manufacturers and wool raisers that they
had been most sneakingly and outrage
ously hoodwinked and swindled. Wool
en- producers and wool rasers soon saw
that instead OF fighting each other they
must stand by each other or go down In
AZ m ! "a
Job writing for n daily and did not fail
TO warn both sides that they were being
made cats paws by the tricky free trad
ers: especially did / warn the wooden
manufacturers that there were seven
men engaged In wool raising TO one In
/ the production OF wooden cloth. But.
/ they needed no warnings: both passed
on and were woefully punished. They
were trying TO choke each other and
/ both parties were partially strangled.
And IL would produce the same results
should the East and the West again be-
/ gin bathing against each other.
IL New England wants free hides they
must pay the West by a much lower duty
! on shoes
II New England cotton manufacturers
want more free raw materials they must
consent 10 a lower tariff on cotton fab
rics.
/ However free traders seem to sec but
one way or rising and prospering. That
way Is to kick and knock down every
body else
Tho protection idea II to stand by each
other. tnat united We stand and divided
we fall.
J Free trade Is hatred. variance. every
man for himself and III YOU see n head
| hit H." Turkey. China and other free
\ trade nations are striking examples OF
\ the hateful tendencies OF free trade.
/ My Lowell correspondent tries 90 give
/ our Socialists a thrust under the fifth
| rib. but merely shows his free trade pre-
/ iudce. lie will yet learn that Social
/ ism was not born 90 die. and II he Ives
I long enough. lives until the two great
\ commandments and the golden rule sway
I the hearts OF men. Socialism will be both
the written and unwritten law OF the
nation.
/ But the foundation OF my Lowell
| trends errors I'm his Unconscious hatred
of wage earners whose welfare n free
4 trade politician Ignores as anglers ig-
| more the comfort OF the angie worm.
/ Bread winners are merely the tools Of
the free trader their interests being con-
sidcrcd nil.
A LIFE LONG WAGE FARMERS AD-
vOCATE.
woonsockct. n. l. March .. ieo5