The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-06-04
VIEWS OF A SOCIALIST

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of our statesmen at Washington.
One OF the propositions, we are
told is that commodities are not high
priced by reason of a high tariff, but
because retailers put on 400 per cent.
profit. for instance, Senator Smoot
of Utah showed razor made in Ger
many and sold wholesale at s5.sS per
dozen or 40 cents a piece but after
paying a high tariff of IS per cent.
1t retails in this country at SO 90
each. Smoot claimed 1t was the ex-
tortion of the retailer and not the tar
If that elevated the retail price. Now
Sir, what is your opinion of the
above statement of the Senator? The
fact as TO the retail price Is given, an
enormous jump, from 40 cents to SO,
does that retailer make that huge
profit? The costumer has to pay
1t. We will ask here If the tariff
protects labor. Let us see. 1t will
take from the average wage OF labor
in this country. two days work to
pay for 40 cent razor, while the
one German can pay for 1t with less
than one days wage. This case is
not an isolated one, 1t is our business
method
Again two American wor.kmen pro-
duce more wealth In a day than three
Germans. Hence giving one-third
more of labor power for the daily
wage. Not many years ago the pro-
tective tariff was TO protect labor
from coming down TO the wage
level of the pauper labor of Europe,
and labor behind it, just as they be-
lieved that prosperity depended ON
the ele,dion OF Taft. Senator Smoot
must be ignorant OF the present bus
mess methods or he would not
make such foolish statements. The
manufacturer sells to the jobbers,
the jo1bbers sells to the wholesaler
and the wholesaler sells to the re-
taller. Each one of these makes as
much profit as they can and in the
final sale to the consumer he is the
party that pays the cost of all the
transmission, through SO many
hands. 1t lis an insane wasteful sys-
tenn. Everything we buy, costs |
many times its labor value.
j. .Hill says the tariff Is too |
II yh, the cost of government is too
high, commodities and wages are too |
high, but profits are alright. And this
profit Is at the root of all the evil. |
ALI the wrangling that is going on, |
about the tariff at Washington is |
only carried ON for the profit of the |
trust and monopolists. Those Sem
ators and Congressman give not |
a minute thought to the millions
that are producing all things. The
Interest of labor is not in the pro-
gram OF capitalism. Here is what |
Mr. .Taft said before he became our
president:
'IIf the abuse OF monopoly cannot
be restrained, IL the concentration |
OF power made possible by such |
abuses conrdnues and increases, and
1t Is made manifest that under the
system OF individualism and private
the tyranny and oppression
of an ollgarchy of wealth cannot be
avoided, then Socialism will triumph
and the institution of private prop
erty will perish"
Those were the exact words of Sec
retary Taft and he has admitted that
he knows of no way to avoid or rem
edy this abuse" Every great in
terest such as the trusts and COM
bane have their representatives in
Congress to guard their interest
The masses are not thought of.
The oligar:y of power through their
immense wealth dictates the policy of
the government. The tariff Is exclu-
siVely for the benefit OF this Indus
trial oligarchy, they want to bar out
all foreign product so they will
have a better chance to plunder the
home consumers and in their shame
less greed. they are never satisfied.
The constant cry Is more, more They
have become stone blind as TO what
their competitors in Europe may do.
Do you think that all other manu-
featuring countries are going to i'm
port our manufactured product, while
they themselves are hunting for mar
kets the world over? 1t Is preposter-
ous even to think so. The only
sane method of commerce Is abso-
lutte free exchange, and 1t must come
DO that. Protection and free trade is
book written by Henry George, the
single taxer. Strange TO say that its
arguments against the protective tar
n scheme were never attacked by any
one in the ranks of the protection
SITS. 1t cannot be but a very few
years longer before every country
Will have to depend upon its own
rome markets. This is the inevitable
outcome of the competntsye system.
!. j. Hill, when he said that Mr..
dayemeyer was right in saying
hat the tariff was the mother of
rust, was wrong, he gives out to
he pubhc press more foolish IDEAS
han any other man we know of. This
asst Is, that the trust will break