Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-09-03

that the tariff reforIner follows. AS
death approaches he estimates the
value of his property. leaves to his wife
and children what he wishes them to
have and then makes such requests as
he likes to public institutions and to
those outside of the family, and such
part as he leaves to his wife and chill
dren he carefully divides among them
giving to each a definite share. He
child and say that he trusts the child
to deal fairly with the rest of the fam
lily. Why? Because he knows his
children and would not put child in
a position where selfishness might lead
him to do injustice to other members
of the family. 70: he would not trust
his own flesh and blood to deal fairly
with those reared at the same fireside
with him. and he is wise In not placing
this temptation before one of his own
family. But when protectionist
comes to make tariff law he acts
on an entirely different plan. He votes
millions--yes. hundreds Of millions
of dollars to manufacturers whom
he has never seen and trusts them to
be just in the distribution of the trust
fund among their employees. And
what has been the result? Just what
might have been expected the manu-
facturers have appropriated the trust
fund to their own use and have paid
their employees only such wages as
trade conditions compelled.
Workingmen Deceived.
The Homestead strike occurred after
the Republican convention of 1892. but
before the Republican candidate wrote
his letter Of acceptance. He could not
ignofe the strike. for it presented an
object lesson which even a high tariff
Republican could not fail to see. So
Mr. Harrison, the candidate referring
to the strike, said; -.~-sse sss--<sr
II regret that all employers Of labor
are not just and considerate and that
capital Sometimes takes too large a
share of the profitsi' s.Too large a
share of the profts?' Yes; more than
that. The protected manufacturers
have secured In many cases a tariff
of more than twice the percentage
paid to workmen in wages The net
profits of the steel trust last year were
just about equal to the entire amount
paid in wages. and the wages conSti-
tuted less than 25 per cent of the total
value of the product According to
I
plOyed by the steel trust earned. on an
average. not only the amount paid to
him, but 100 per cent profit besides for
his employer. And / may add. while
these benefciaTies of protection have
been pretending to make the tariff
ployees. these same employees have. as
a rule, been kept close to the hunger
line. while many of the employers have
become the possessors of the swollen
fortunes" which now menace the ma
tons morals as well as its business
And yet the Republican party was
not willing that a single item on the
steel schedule should be touched, and
the Republican campaign committee
will not dare TO publish before the cleo
ton the contributions that have been
made or will be made TO the Republic
an campaign fund by the men most
largely interested in the steel trust.
How 1t Works.
Let me show you how the tariff OPP
crates | have here a statement made
by Mr. H. e. Miles, chairman of the tariff
committee of the National Association
of Manufacturers and head of the ag-
ricultural implement trust. The state
ment appears in the American Indus
tries of Nov Is, 1907. paper which is
now supporting the Republican ticket
and making special fight against the
labor plank of the Democratic plat
form Here is what Mr.. Miles says:
Il have made money every year out
of the tariff graft-not much, but still
a little.
''The tariff barons raised their price
$4,000 to me. | made a charge against
the jobber of 100000. and | know that
he charged more than $4,000 for the
$bU,UOU ne PAD me. Before reaching
the consumer the S50Oco charge be-
came about 100000, to be paid by the
agricultural consumer
THE manufacturer who would pros
per must make a double profit. one by
the shrewd management of his bust
ness and another by still shrewder
manipulation at Washington.
I'VE have no great difficulty in shop
ping abroad. for we could gel. as high
prices as at home. We are so held up,
however. by our supply people that to
most of us there is very scant profit in
foreign business
''When congress gave us 45 per cent,
we needing only 20 per cent. they gave
us a congressional permit, if not an in
vitation. to consolidate. form one great
trust and advance our prices p per
cent. being the difference between the