The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-09-01
THE TARIFF NOT A WALL.

A tariff upon imports, instead OF
being an artificial creation is the nat
ural and proper thing for nation
Free foreign trade is the artificial
thing. A nation must be regarded as
family, all of whose members should
stand together. AS between members
of that family undoubtedly unrestrict-
ed trade is the natural condition. To
deny to strangers, however, benefits
of the family, is not unnatural.
One of the highest duties of govern
ment is the adoption of such economic
policy as may encourage every indus
try to which the soil and climate of
the country are adapted and when es-
tablished to protect such industries
from destructive foreign competition.
Industries which, owing to climatic
or other insuperab1e barnes it'NSfSa
be manifestly impossible to develop
should not be attempted. We would
not undertake to foster the India-rub.
Der growing, or tea growing industry,
or to raise bananas under glass. But
whenever given degree of mental
and physical force exerted in this
country will accomplish results equal
to those accomplished by an equal de-
gree of such force exerted abroad cur
tariff wall should furnish the protec-
ton for it's exertion.
With that principle in practical op-
GRAFTON the compensation for labor
would be regulated not by competi-
ton between our workmen and those
of lower forms of civilization, but by
the natural and unrestricted COMPETE
ton among workmen wholly within
the borders of our country who are
partakers of and contributors to the
same civilization, who are the sup
port and defense of our institutions,
and who are prepared to sustain with
their lives the perpetuity of our gov
eminent.
The natural wage of every man the
amount to which he is fairly entitled,
is the amount he can earn in free and
unrestricted competition in his own
country with men who are subject to
the same laws and responsibilities, ac-
customed to the same manner and
standard of living. To subject men
to any keener competition than this
or to exact lower standard of wages
than would result from the operation
of that principle would be to substan-
TALLY declare the ultimate and funda-
mental standard of wages for the
world at large to be that rate at which
the least skilled workman of the low
est civilization will consent to work.
The American workman will never
accept such standard, and he never
should do so.
1t is much better to do justice at
the outset, to concede that the nation
is one great family and that no mem
Der of that family has the moral right
to supply his wants with cheaper
workman than his own country at
fords. A country that employs cheap
labor will find that it reacts on those
who employ it and that in the long
run, instead of profit they will ex-
perience loss by the operation. Our
workmen are entitled to the control
of our markets for the product of
their industry. They pay the taxes;
they constitute the people.
Every man in the United States
should be willing to pay such rates OF
wages as obtain by the free and I'm
restricted competition of all workmen
in his own country. The compensa-
ton which ne receives for his own
services, in whatever occupation he
may be employed, and there are few
of our people who do not work, is
based on the average wages Of his
own community. He is not entitled
to get other mems labor at any cheap