Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-19
DEMOCRACY AND LABOR,
Proofs That Woodrow Wilson Is W
friendly to WagcwOrlxcrs.
(F'rom the Labor World

CFrom the Labor WORLDLY
1t has been pointed that by his writinrs
and lectures that Governor Wilson has
proved himself to be an enemy of trades
un.onisnl.
Now let us take Governor Wilson and
protection. Nothing has contributed more
to the high standard of living of the
American wageworkers and to the coun-
trys industrial greatness, than has pro-
lection. This Is an undoubted fact among
intelligent and unbiased people. Wilson
is the enemy of protection; he Is free
trader and n theoretical one at that. This
is the very worst kind of free trader, for
these theoretical opinions are formed and
developed far from the practical affairs
of life: formed amid the environments of
wealth and aristocracy; formed minus
anything like a practical knowledge OF
the real operations of daily industrial life
and actual business enterprise: formed
merely by leaving human beings alone
and figuring out abstractedly imaginary
theories that utterly collapse when
brought in contact with actual facts.
Such a free trader is Wilson
But Governor Wilson himself COM
plctely kills his own free trade argument
sons for protection to American labor
| and industry We have yet seen or heard
a short time ago in speech extolllng
| free trade and asserting that American
| labor needed no protection against for
eign competition and that. without pro-
| lection we could soon have all the mar
kets in the world for our produce. he de-
nounced protection. Now. we will quote
| IL.
refutation of his own statement.
In 1902 DR., Wilson wrote his best work,
"A History of the American People"
In discussing the large numbers of Chi
nese arriving in this country and menac-
| ing American labor on page Isl of vol
ume five of the history just named he
| says: Caucasian laborers could not COM
pete with the Chinese, could not live up
| on n handful of rice and work for a pitt
lance and found themselves being stead
lily crowded out from occupations by
thrifty, skllful orientals who with their
yellow skin and strange debasing habits
of life, seemed to their fellows hardly
men at all. but evil spirits rather"
There was never so strong an argument
IN favor of protection to American labor
as the foregoing. Mark you. 1t Is Will
sons own argument; It Is not ours; 1t is
not urged by protectionist, but by a
shadowy theoretical free trader.
We want to know If American labor
cannot successfully compete against Chi
nese labor In the United States. How In
the name of common sense Is It going to
hold its own against foreign labor In the
latter's own territory; or against products
of foreigners made in the latter's own
country and shipped here, If there Is no
protection to our labor and its high
standard of living, and wages and social
comfort? Let DR.. Wilson answer him.
self If the Chinese. as he SAYS can beat
MS on our own tract or field surely they
! can send their homemade goods home
and smother us II there is no protection
But, we will quote again from DR.. Will
} son. the author, free trader and anti
trade unionist. 1t is a fact of history
! and we all know that when the demo
3 Gratis We're last In power in this coun
try, with Cleveland at the head of af
fairs. they reduced the tariff. reduced Il
> to most disastrous extent There came
} a fearful condition of things Throughout
the country; there was disaster and alb
. ject squalor in every direction We arr
\ not going to describe it. We will quot
t the versatile doctor, on pages 2S and 236
= volume five, Of "A History of the Ameri
can People" he writes "A great pow
K erty and depression had come upon tn
a | Western mining regions and upon the as
1 r!cultural regions of the West and South
o Prices had fallen. Men of the poore
sort were idle everywhere, and file
with a sort OF despair. All the larg
d cities and manufacturing towns teeme
: with unemployed workingmen who wer
o with the utmost difficulty kept from star
$ walton by the systematic efforts of or
$ ganized charity. In many cities publ
= works were undertaken upon an extensiv
: scale to give them employment"
g Wageworkers of the United States d
u you thoroughly comprehend the forego
" ing? 1t Is a faithful record by demo
y crat and free trader. of the terrible con
IS dltions of things as a result of the las
democratic attempt to reach free trade
Governor Wilson. astounding as II ma
l. appear. wants to renew policy that onl
l. about IS years ago brought disaster an
al abject starvation on the land
q, But we Will yet make another quota
A. ton from DR.. Wilson's "A History of II
re- American People" and 1t will tell wag,
st workers the fact that the return of II
lie Republican party and protection mao
Is the most wonderful transformation In II
40 dustrial and business conditions that hi
ls been recorded in modern history. c
y, page a6o, volume five. Of DR.. Wilson'S hi
DC tory, he says: mot until the very YET
- 1897, when the new republican admit
b4I istration came in, did the crisis seem pas
The country had at last built its railwf