The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-08-04
The Young Man In Politics.


who will cast their first vote for Pres
ident this year. Documents have been
prepared especially for that purpose
and distributed by the Protective Tariff
League. These are artfully written
and would deceive even older heads
than the first voters unless well
grounded in the fallacies and folly OF
protection. The promise of big wages
is an alluring bait to catch the young
man who is intent on pleasure or tO
save enough to start in business fOr
himself. The corresponding and even
greater cost of living does not affect
the young man as it does those with a
family TO support. High trust prices
10 not impair the income of the young
man as they do the father of family
But the Republican system of pro
lection is more disastrous to the young
man than to his father. The first
voter has to win his way To independ-
ence, and he finds the tariff bred trusts
have by concentration of business into
large corporations eliminated many op-
portunities that used to be open and
free. Most young men must now be
content to serve others and can never
aspire TO be their own masters. The
,educed number of well paid employees
If corporations and wholesale houses
S another curtailment of the chances
If young men for good position in
ife The number of travelling men sent
)ut since the consolidation Of manu-
.acturing and distributing concerns is
The salaries and allowances for eX-
oenseS are not as generous. Clerks
in stores do not get nearly as good
wages now as before the trust era
reached its height. If the cost of liv-
ing is-taken into consideration the de-
cline in wages is much greater, reck-
,ned by the purchasing power. Unless
4 young man has influence, or Is es-
pecially bright. his chances of advance
ment in the services of corporation
is restricted to filling the place of those
who resign or through the deaths OF
other employees that may occur.
In the professional world the num-
Der of aspirants has increased in a
much greater ratio than the population.
in consequence of the greater number
of colleges and reduced outlook for {,
good living in OTHER occupations.
When those young men who choose
professional career have embarked in
it. they will soon feel the full burden
Of the tariff and its high prices. as a
professional mans income does not rise
and fall with the cost of living. When
the cost of meat. coal. groceries and
rent are increased the fees of the doc
tor or the lawyer remain comparatively
stationary.
In the mechanical trades many ave
nues have been closed by the consoli-
dation of small manufacturers into
great corporations, or the competition
Of the trusts has wiped them out of
existence.
The increased cost of land has re-
duced the opportunities for young men
to acquire farms of their own. unless
they are willing to work many years
to save enough money to make the re-
1uIred payment and buy the necessary
stock and implements. There they find
the full weight of the protective tariff
and the resulting high trust prices. The
farmer sells nearly all his farm prod
ucts in competition with foreign cOun-
tries and everything he buys is ad-
yanced to the highest possible price
by the protection the tariff gives to the
corporations that produce what he
buys.
The system that has been developed
under these Republican politics is al
against the young man starting ou'
In life unless he is content to only as
pire to being drudge for corporation
and then only one in a thousand ever
gets beyond the lower rung of the lad
der
The labor unions have made it pos
sible by combination. for a few young
men to obtain fair wages as stone
masons. bricklayers. carpenters, paper
hangers. painters. or mechanics. bu
the number of apprentices is limited il
those trades and the high cost OF liv
ing again prevents much saving an(
the slack times when work is scare,
has to be provided for.
Under the Democratic policy o.
equal rights to all and special privi
ieges to none" everyone could achiev,
independence by work and attention t.
his business. The moderate tariff doe!
not protect the trusts at the eXpens,
of the consumer. Wages might no
be so high. but the cost of living woult
be much less and the balance saved fo
the rainy day would be greater. Tha
was the condition during the low tariff
period before the war. when nearl.
every man could sit under the SHADOW
of his own vine and fig tree. Now tn
great majority are at the mercy o
landlords and masters or the soulles
corporations.
Iut just III
must investigate and weigh the ad
vantages and disadvantages of the tw'
systems and vote accordingly and no
be led away by the specious promise
made by the Republicans.
How Our Farmers Arc Handicapped
The tariff tax on implements an
tools bears most heavily upon tn
farmer All. or nearly all, of these al
ticles-plows. cultivatOrs. harrows
planters. drills, hoes, shOvels, axe.
wrenches. scales. saws. barb wirs
wire nails. etc.-are sold at greatly re
duced prices to foreigners. Our farm
ers, when they sell wheat in England
compete with the wheat from the A
gentine Republic and from Australi
Our wheat growers are greatly hand
capped in this competition by thre
facts: "a they have to pay about =
per cent more for their implement
and tools. all made in America. tina
| is paid for these same implements an
| tolls by their foreign competitors
| q, they have 10 bear the burden G
other protective tariff taxes which Ill
necessarily increase the cost Of livin