The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-07
The Voice of
The People
FREE TRADE WAR AGAINST WAGE
WORKERS.

FREE TRADE WAR AGAINST WAGE
WORKERS.
Editor Providence News:
II is seldom that we read a more bare
faced attack upon the rights Of wage
earners TO a job OF work at fair wages
than that OF j. w. In The News OF March
Sd. Not that we accuse the writer OF es-
pecially intentional hatred at bread win
ners. but he has become SO deluded with
Internal free trade sophistry that he un-
consciously forgets the welfare of wage
earners in his intense longing for feast
OF cheapness. Feasts OF cheapness are
right only when not at the expense OF
bread winners.
His statement that no one has the
least objection" TO a monopoly that
furnishes service and product ''at the
least possible price is not only untrue,
but a large majority OF people decidedly
object unless IL can be done and employ
those I'm need OF jobs at fair price. Was
IL sufficient that Rockefeller reduced the
price of oil 80 per centum, when TO do
this thousands of workmen were robbed
of their jobs? Would II satisfy any fair
minded citizen to get his coal for three
to four dollars per ton while the miners
were being paid IS cents for ten hours
labor?
oh. how natural Il IL for a free trader.
and especially one bitter against post
office or other paternaIism, to forget en-
tirely the right and welfare of wage
earners
And why are free traders so bitterly
warning against government control of
our postoffice, which has become the
wonder and admiration of the world?
The answer Is as easy as rolling of a
round log. The opposition OF free traders
Is almost solely because so many thou
sand honest, capable, sterling men are
given employment at good, honest pay.
If average postmasters received $4,000
per year and the carriers $780, there would
be little or no opposition from free trad
ers.
]. w. writes Of our 500 OOo, ,0O0. 900 worth
of inland commerce with an innocence
that would be profoundly refreshing but
for the fact that no commerce on all the
face OF the earth is so thoroughly protect
ed In fact the tariff is not merely high
protective tariff, but a prohgbitive tariff.
No foreign vessel is allowed to partici-
pate In this splendid American industry.
American workmen--those who reside I'm
America--are alone allowed to enjoy this
Industrial blessing.
Then j. w. drops on TO our ocean COM
merce. almost wholly unprotected, and
OF inland commercial protection, rising
TO prohibition, over our unprotected
ocean commerce. How angry IL makes
free traders TO contemplate the splendid
fact that we export 80 per centum more
than we import. Why angry at the fact?
Because. reader, protection does that by
protective duties which forbid gluttlng
our market and throwing three TO four
million wage earners out of Jobs, as
under the semi-free trade robber Wilson
tariff. In the eyes of the free trade
leaders wage worker IL considered a
mere mule or wage slave and worthy OF
no consideration whatever when the free
trade leaders are In office and when free
traders are longing for their paradise OF
feast OF cheapness
j. w. also asserts that about $500, 900, 900
are paid in duties at our custom houses,
whereas that would make nearly y=ha per
centum duty while the average duty since
the passage OF the Dingley protective
tariff has been not far from Is per GEN.
tum. Instead OF s+oo, 100000 per year.
nor averaged even $3.50. 900 per year.
However. let us not be hard on ]. w, for
deceived and bamboozled by free trade
leaders II Is almost impossible for the
average free trader to state facts: in
fact the facts are free trades most
deadly foes.
A LIFELONG WAGE FARMERS AD-
VOCATE.
woonsocket. r. l.. March 6, 1908.