Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-11-25
our IN THE OPEN At LAST

They are coming out into the open,
these patriots, who for years have in
sisted that the high tariff taxes have
been for the benefit of the American
working man. He was the highest
paid working man in the world, we
were told, aud all because of the sa-
cred tariff. This was believed general
ly, too, until some statistical sharks
go: to work and proved that he
was the lowest paid, per unit of pro-
duction. He did in most cases, get more
than the "pauper labor of Europe"
but he produced more, far more than
enough to make up for his difference
in wages. That was why we could
sell steel rails in England cheaper than
they could be made in England. Do
you remember the old cry of the -ssfull
dinner pail" that caught the labor
vote something like decade ago?
Sure then the laboring men have found
that they have been paying a pretty
stiff price for that "full dinner pail, y
and while the trusts, children of the
tariff, have been lacking up prices on
everything they ate or wore or used
wages were kept at a standstill. :
Then, when the Bryan-Taft cam
paign was on, the Republicans said
they were gong Ito reduce the tariff
The new tariff would be just high
enough to equalize the difference. of
production here and aboard, and "to
insure fair. profit to American man.
ufacturers. Thus the veil was drawn
aside a bit. This was something new
this governmental insurance of profits.
Yet when a measure was introduced
providing for tariff commission
whose duties would be to find out the
real difference between cost of produc-
ton at home and abroad, and let the
people know, it was fought bitterly
and finally SO emasculated that it is OF
no real value. There was a reason.
1t was the knowledge on the part of
Aldrich and his crowd that fair in
vestigation would show that it costs
less to produce goods here, than abroad.
Now the Home Market Club, of
Boston, has come out into the open,
much to the horror of those who have
been trying to keep the true inward
ness of the tariff in the dark. In
spite of the peoples verdict given at
the polls, or possibly stung by it, the
Club this week defeated resolution
endorsing President Taft and his eff
forts at tariff revision through tariff
board. Besides this, it adopted re-
solution, declaring for excessive pro-
lection, and demanded a guarantee
against "the risk of industrial invest
ments." How is that for nerve? Yet
that is what the tariff has been doing
all the years, although it was not con-
sidered good form to mention it. The
dear working men was used as blind
as long as he was of service as such.
Now he is, boldly thrown aside and
the leading high tariff organization of
the land flies its true colors. First the
tariff is to guarantee profit to the
manufacturers, now il is to issue
"a guarantee against the risk
of industrial investments. AS Hungry
Joe, the noted confidence man would
say, "this is sure some arrogant
But arrogance is to be expected from
the beneficiaries of the tariff. Take
the case of the Window Glass Trust
for instance. The tariff on window
glass is SO high that foreign glass
is shut out almost entirely. and
the cost of glass to Americans
has risen enormously. The trust
is one Of the pets of the system.
1t was fined the other day for violation
of the antitrust laws, and it calmly
proposes to take the amount of the
fines out of the wages of its employees.
having served notice that a wage re,
duction of 80 per cent, was the only
condition under which the factories
would continue to operate. Verify,
whom the Gods wish to destroy they
first make mad