Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-08-18

"a H'5h' JUST DIS you prefer-alI to
DO the people good. What positively
gorgeous self-sacrifce upon the fam
ing altar of patriotism. There have
been but few such impressive exam
pies in history and none to excel II.
with the possible exception of Arte-
mus Wards willingness to sacrifice all
OF his wife's relatives at his country's
call in time of war.
Nor did these patriots and phenom-
ehal economists overlook labor, God
forefend. Not any. Labor is never
overlooked-by patriots for profit.
The same excluding tariff which was
TO lead to so much competition that
the masses of consumers would enioy
cheap prices" was also going to
guarantee "a large price for the ar
tlcie ne (the manufacturer) makes"
and the latter was to be enabled" to
pay correspondingly high price to
his workmen, forte grandioso on
the enabled. Nor was this all; not
by any means. From the foreign
lands where labor was so cheap and
not of much account generally, "the
capitalist will bring a higher order of
mechanical talent with him to assist
IN his manufacturing than has been
n the country BEFORE" said paragraph
six of the famous original "Argu-
ments for Protection" in the United
States. Thus by the simple device
proposed, the laboring masses were
to have not only Cheap prices" at
which to buy, and high prices" that
would "enable" foreign capitalists
and others to pay high wages,
but also their tone was to be raised
watching the foreign laborers gener-
ously imported by the foreign capt.
talists"-and others. AS grand
finale, solemnly sets forth the con-
Guiding paragraph, this thigh protect
i've tariff" which was for the purpose
of effecting artificially high prices
twill not only bring " 4" population
from abroad" but prices will go 90
low that the United States will be-
come the manufacturing center of the
GLOBE" etc. Rather a dizzy game of
high low, but those naive pioneers
for protective tariff knew how to play
1t. There was yet another little
point, incidental of course but Inn
portant, which the assembled man.
ufacturers did not overlook. Think
ing only of the "workmen in our own
country" of course, and not speaking
for themselves at all, they declared.
solemnly again. that the "high pro-
tective tariff" would make money
circulate in our midst" 1t was 4
good guess, too. The circulation has
been fine. even great, but somewhat
excessive in spots.
Viewed in the high light of expe-
rience and less superficial wisdom,
these announcements of the manu-
facturers who assembled at Harris
burg and sought their particular form
of special privilege, look rather ludi-
crous. But we must bear in mind
that these manufacturers were a set
of plain old money-grubbers, and
they had not then learned to employ
smooth lawyers and yet smoother
politicians to adrOitly deck out their
Arguments for Protection" in a way
to make them go down easily. The
art has since been developed to q
point of unparalleled refinement.
Anything that pays will always devel-
op it's specialists. We have had just
the same sort Of logic" in support Of
protective tariff ever since that
memorable day of much caloric in
July, 1927, only the presentations
have been more artful, the appeals
more cunningly devised. Along about
the year 2O16 quite a number of per-
sons will look back to the history Of
this present time and smile derisively
at us for trying to raise wages by ar
tificially raising prices of commodi-
ties, increase trade by hindering it,
and generally lift ourselves by our
protective taric boot-straps. Every
age is wonderful for it's folly, quite
as much as for other things.