Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-06-11
THEDELUDED WORKMAN
Slow to Realize the Evils of
Republican Policies.
LACK OF WORK IN TEXTILE TRADE

The wOrsted Industry, Which IL
Highly Protected, Suffers MOst-An
Unanswerab1e Argument In Favor
of Tariff Reform.
The artisans and workingmen of the
| country are fast discovering that the
protective tariff does not protect them
from wage reductions, and in many
cases from no work at all. This seems
to be especially true in that hotbed of
| protection, the state of PENNSYLVANIA,
for the Public Ledger-good Republic
an INDEPENDENTLY announced that:
with thousands out Of employment
| by an almost total stagnation in the
industry and in the looms Of large
number of mills working on half and
three-quarters time. worsted yarn spin
ners in this city propose to combine to
cut down the operatives wages to the
basis of those paid in New England for
similar work. This means a reduction
of 10 per cent in the earnings of 10000
| spinners.'
Besides the worsted operatives above
mentioned, it is reported that 10000
other textile workers are idle, oil work
! ing i'll protected industries. Worsted
yarn is protected by tariff duty of 80
or 40 cents u pound, according to quail
| ity, and an additional duty of 40 per
cent ad valorem. This enormous pro-
lection of course prevents the impor-
tation of foreign yarns, except small
amount of Saxony wool, especially pre-
| g., % In, NIn
whole home market is preserved for
the wool yarn manufacturers, and the
profits are very large, there being no
competition. Yet this protection has
resulted in IAN almost complete stagpa-
ton of the industry" with no work for
many of the operatives and a reduction
of wages even to those working on half
| time.
That is the terrible condition to which
these poor, deluded disciples of pro-
| lection have been brought in one of the
highest protected Industries, and the
condition has existed for some time. 1t
must also be remembered that the cost
| of living has vastly advanced under
this protective tariff system, so that
even those wOrkingmen who are fully
employed and who have been fortunate
enough not to have their wages re-
duced have all they can do to make
both ends meet.
The Protective Tariff league, which
is an organization of the protected
trusts and manufacturers, defines in
it's constitution its object to be ito
protect American labor by a tariff on
| imports which shall adequately secure
American industrial products against
the competition of foreign labor"
This Republican organization, which
controls president and congress, has
succeeded perfectly in shutting out
competition as far as ,woolen yarns
are concerned, but both the league and
the Republican party, who enacted the
Dingley tariff law, have miserably
failed Ito protect American labor In
that industry.
The facts are that in Philadelphia
and elsewhere the markets and stores
are crowded with customers who have
so little to spend that they are obliged
to buy the cheapest clothing and the
poorest provisions. and this poverty
may be mostly traced to tariff monop-
oily. The cheap wool clothing is nine
tenths cotton and mercerized cotton or
|
spinner is out OF work, for only the
we'll to do can buy the "all wool and
yard wide production. In other
protected industries similar conditions
exist. High tariff produces over-pro-
ductton. fosters trusts and combina-
lions, which boom things for a while
and then the inevitable breakdown
/ comes.
The workingnan will have to study
/ these matterS-necessity may compel
| him to do so. If he does he will soon
! discover that a tariff which will pro-
| duce enough revenue to support the
government, honestly and economically
| administered, with trust productions
| that are selling cheaper abroad than
at home placed on the free list, will
reduce the cost of living and make
more stable wages and secure employ
ment all the year around.
| That is the Democratic position, and
the greed OF the protected interests
and monopolists is proving that con-
| tention is best for the American con-
sumner and OF more lasting benefit to
the honest manufacturer. The Repub-
lican cry that Democratic success
would iDjure the business of the coun-
/ try is but partisan rubbish, and the
history OF the country shows it to be
So The universal prosperity of low
tariff periods, when other causes did
not interfere and when the government
was honestly administered, is an I'M
answerable proof for a reasonable
tariff.
Rochcfort- Cheese.
ROChpfOrT most