Year: 1870

Tie HoneSdaie Citizen (Wayne Co., PENN
thus trees" " the demagOgues who are trying
to make votes by an outcry against Chinese
labor:


"The attitude of the Wayne Democracy in regard to
the Protection of American Labor not unlike that OF
Ethan Spike respecting the Maine Liquor LAWN favor
of the law, but opposed to its enforcement Iher re-
Gently adopted solutions declare the undOubted truth
that the labor OF the mechanic is his capital while de-
nuncaton OF the importation of cheap aborers, whose
presence here must eventually degrade and psuperize
the honest working classes OF country ia followed
by demand for what is substantially Free Trade In
other words the Democracy opposed to cheap apor
in this country but are for Tariff which shall
encourag 20 1t among our manufacturing rivals abroad


This resolution against cheap labor ia ostensby aimed
at the Cinnamon OF course it b not pretended that there
/, any valid objection to Chinese labor except its cheap
ness II the competition OF Chinese labor az suoi'
but Of cheap labor, that is deprecated Hence tue op
iections Chinese labor are equally applicable 10 u"
cheap labor. And all valid objections to the INTRO
duction Of cheap labor, from whatever quarter apply
with equal force to the admission into the country OF the
products OF that labor wherever IL may be performed


But at this point the usual inconsistency OF Demo
cratic principles and the usual inconclusiVeness or
Democratic logic become strikingly apparent Demo-
cratic Protection OF the American mechanics labor,
which il his capital consists in keeping cheap labor out
of the country, but freely admitting its products into
competition with our own that is to say the cheap
foreign workman no account be allowed 10 come
here, his presence must degrade and pauperze the
honest working classes of country but he may send
his pares here without restriction to compete with the
productions Of these honest working classes, and
shall have every facility for undertaking the latter In
the Democratic yiew American labor Is sufficiently
tected by requiring the cheap foreigner - whether
Asatic or European s wholly immaterial-t0 do his
work at home send the products Of his labor.
We must open our markets without restraint TO every
oh Ia 10
be tolerated. He must not here to underworld
mechanics but is invited to send his productions here to
underse our SO long as he Is content TO under
work us where he now is. will take his products IN
preference to those Of mechanics His presence
here would dee grade and pauperze working classes
but as his productions the cheaper, insist on
having them, whatever the consequences TO American
labor In a word. Democratic Protection amounts to
this We will protect the American mechanic by keep
ing his cheap foreign rivals out OF the country; but we
prefer the productions Of the latter account OF their
cheapness and insist tariff which shall give them
the advantage in markets. This is Democratic Pro
lection OF American labor, in nutshell the Demo
cratic plan for maintaining the dignity Of Ameri-
can labor. Free Trade demands for all the
right to buy where they buy the cheapest;
but modified by the Democratic principle OF Protection,
limits this right To the consumer only and denies to
the producer the right to purchase assistance where 1t
can be obtained cheapest II How Chow or his fellow
craftsman in Europe send us pair OF shoes, or
bar OF railroad ron cheaper than these can be made by
American mechanics, then his are the goods for our
money; but to How Chow IL he comes among us to
make these same shoes and rails! Our Democratic neigh
bOrs at once proceed to split exceedingly fine hair In
pointing out the nice distinction between results which
to the uninstructed mind appear Identical That they
us, demanded by the great principle that should
govern this people in their intercourse with the family
OF nations his they say would degrade and pauperize
the honest working classes OF country The differ
ence is only paraIeed by that known TO exist between
tweedle-dum aud tweedle-dee."