Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-12
Protection Derided.

The prolonged strike of the textile
workers of Philadelphia is having one
good effect that will aid the whole
country in throwing off the incubus
of the protective tariff Special dis
patches from the Quaker city report
that during the last few weeks the
trend of the political feeling has been
changing rapidly. and in every street
parade made by the strikers, banners
are carried bearing sarcastic an
nOuncements and questions such as:
I'VE are protected by tariff. but the
republican mill owners say we will
be starved into submission" "Why are
the tariff protected mills closed?"
And many others of a like nature.
One motto was especially significant:
IF prosperity is so general, why
can't we have a bit of it ~
The workers are at last discover
ing that the protective tariff means
high prices for what they have to buy
and taxing the many for the profits of
the few. They now discover what it
has been difficult to make them be-
fore believe, that the trusts and COM
bines are unwilling to increase wages
to par with the increased cost of
living, or indeed, anywhere near it.
Only two excuses have been made
for protection: First, to control the
home market for American manufac-
lures; and second, to protect Ameri-
can labor The first excuse has been
pretty fully accomplished at the eX-
pense of the consumer. The tariff has
prevented competition and has al
lowed the trusts to raise prices. until
the average cost of living has increas-
ed about 40 per cent. The second eX-
cuse has been an arrant failure or
the workingmen would not be strik-
ing for a fair share of the prosperity
that the trusts enjoy. The wages re-
'ceived by these workers are certain
Iy less than will keep them in comfort
at the present high price Of living.
The hours of labor of the Philadel-
phia textile workers have been toe
long, when it is considered that a
majority of the workers are women
girls and children, and 10 hours day
or 60 hours week. in badly ventilated
workshops, is more than their tender
years should be asked to endure. The
wages paid range from S13 a week
for the expert weavers to 81 a week
for the children. Do the hours or
wages protect these workers as the
protectionists would have us believe
The manufacturers have advanced the
price of the products of the mills anc
carpets and the other textiles the
workers produce have increased fully
% per cent and those who buy them
have to pay that increase. So in
Philadelphia. we have an acute expos
ure of the workings of the protective
tariff, the workers dissatisfied with
their conditions, instead of the good
wages and comfort that the cham
pions of the protective system would
have us believe always accompanies
it.
The manufacturers, who are mostly
combined into trusts, are the sole
beneficiaries of this extraordinary
system. have become rich and are
still growing richer. They sell to the
American people at exorbitant price:
and export similar goods and sci
them in Europe and elsewhere at 4
much less price. And yet the republi
can leaders say stand pat" ''let wei
enough alone" ''the friends of protec
ton only must reform the tariff
When more inquisitive or impatienr