Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 April 1884 — WORKINGMEN AND THE TARIFF. [ARTICLE]

WORKINGMEN AND THE TARIFF.

The present tariff was not made to protect the workingmen but increase the price of protected commodities. Who is benefited by the high prices ot ‘protected’ commodities—the workmen who have to buy them, or the tariff favorites who sell them? But protectionists say that the tariff raises wages. Suppose that it does. If the existing tariff increases wages one dollar a week, and at the same time increases living expenses three dollars a week, where is the gain to the workingmen? But the present tariff does not increase the rate of wages. The “unprotected” industries employ four times as many workingmen as the ‘protected’ industries, and thus control the rate of wages. The strong “unprotected” industries fix wages high, because their production is high. The industries that have to be maintained like paupers at the public expense drag wages down.— The “unprotected’’ industries never made “tramps.” It was the ‘protected’ industries which smashed m> in 1873. It was the “unprotected” in-

dustry which went safely thro’ the panic and afterward put the industry of the whole country on its feet. The present tariff increases the price of everything workingmen buy and thus taxes the country about eight hundred millions a year—sl6 on every man, woman and child in the United States. The workingman pays the greatest share: and six hundred and thirty millions goes into the pockets of monopolists, and one hundred and seventy millions only into the United States treasury. To change this is what free traders mean by a tariff for revenue. For what the workingman has to sell there is no protection. In the labor markets there is perfect free trade.

Editor SkntWel: The following re* ply to the Keener correspondent in last week’s Repuoticaa was handed the editor of that paper loijpublic tion. with a view thal the readers of the Keener effusion might also have the benefit of the re* spouse, and judge for themerres concerning the “skullduggery” mentieaefl by the star-befuddled smart Aleck of Keener. The Republican man refuses to publish tn full. I therefore ask you le favor me in i bat particular. Ezra C. Nowkls. Rensselaer, Ind.. April *l, 1884. Editor Rensselaer Republican: In your Issue of April. 17th instant, I noticed an articlee "From Keener and DeMette,” which contained about as much news of general information to the people as the publication of the fact that “George ashington is dead,” would be. This would-be very smart coirespondeut has not the courage to write over hie own name, but over that of ***. Judging from the toue of the article of this name less, cowardly, insignificant nincompoop of the “Heck oi the woods” of Keener, it would seem that he wants to secure the (rood will of bchwanke, who, in all probability he tried to deieat for Trustee, by making a \ uncalled for attack on Joseph F. Fairchild and George hi. Guild oyer my shoulders. He say “our eleciion, instead of being very close on Trustee, turned out to be a very decided, Jug handle affair. Mr. Bocgurt withdrew from the race, leaving Joe Fairchild aud Fred Schwanke, both Republicans, in the field —both good men and well qualified for the office. Result, Mr. Schwanke cam* out ahead two to one, —reason Ist. Fred is an old soldier, and the “boys” mean busiuess aud weut to work. Reason 2nd. Keener township is pre-.eminenily the banner republican townsbip of Jascouniy, and her people have got tired of having a democratic Auditor appoint her trustees, and voted against Mr. Fairchild simply he had been appointed by ex-auditor Nowels, not that they doubnd Mr. Fairchild, wa& ague,, man and a good republican, but as a rebuke, and to serve notiee, that, that kiuU of wireworkiug skullduggery, is “played out” in tUits neck of the weeds.” 1 should not have coudescended to answer tins cowan, iy, low and unuiauly article, were it ioi a penjoual attack upon luyocil a* well >. mitral al Air. Geo, Guild and Joseph P. Fairchild. He evidently wishes to convey the idea that there existed ateirible and villainous conspiracy between Messrs. Guild, Fairchild anu myself in the appointment «t a Trustee for Keener townsmp. Now, Mr. Editor, for the purpose of disabusing the minds of the readers es your pauer I will ew> deavor to give a lair statement oi facts as they were at th'# time of appointment of the Trustees for Keener township. At December term of Commissioners’ Court, 1880, Mr. VantWoud, Trustee of Keened, was awarded the sup rintendeucy of the county poor farm for two years.—[See Commissioners’ Record No- 8, page 300 And en March 8, 1881, Mr. VantWoud resigned as Trustee to take charge of tbs county farm. —(See Cuuimissioners’Recore No. 6, page 321. j The Commissioners at this lime w< re in session, ard Da iel E. Fairchild, supported by his many friends, asked the Board that he be appointed Trustee. Williem Tyler, supported by his many friends, was also an applicant for the position. There bfiag a rllffe enct of opinion in regard to whose duty it was to appoint—the C*mmissiouers or Auditor—all the facts were by me submitted to Daniel P. Baldwin, Attorney General.—(See copy of letter and answer now on file in the Auditor’s office,] Mr. Baldwin holding with me, that it was the duty of the Auditor te appoint, in aocordancc wttli this opinion . and my own understanding of the statute, it became my duty to appoint some one to fill the vacancy.—[Bee Revised Statute 1881, page 4440. The sentiment of the citizens of the being about ebually divided between Fairchild and Tvler, I concluded that the interests of the township would be better subserved by the appointment of an independent man, and Mr. Guild, being a man of good business qualifies** tions, and loeated near the center of the township, was appointed by me* —[See Commissioners’ Record No. 6,?page 352.) And in April, 1882, the electors ratified the appointment in the election of Mr. G. to the office held by him under my appointment one year before, demonstrating the fact that he was tho ‘right man in the right place.’ and the one best calculated to unite theopposiug elements of the township. Mr. Guild informed me, on or about the Ist of October, 1883, that he was about to move from the township, and asked me whom I would appoint. I replied. any one who would take it, and be acceptable to the people of the township, anil requested him t<> ascertain if .Hr. Fairchild wuuld nccep! the appointment. Mr. Guild hud an interview with Fairchild, uud notified me that he^would accept the appointment Whereupon Mr oo the 10th day of October, 1883, tender to me his resignation as Trustee, which.wan accepted aud Joseph P. Fairchild appointed to thf» vacancy—-[t-tee Oommissioners’Reeord No 7 wage 835 1 lie ‘rebuke’ Ibis- nameless, insignificant. diuurbing sneak ot an ignoramus ot Keener speaks of is, in my opinion, a very thin afhur to say the least If the people wanted to rebuke me wfiv did not they do so in November, 1882. when they hud an opportunity in do so with their ballots Hut no, they did not wish to rebuke an officer for doing his duly,' and the fact of my receivu.g 11 more votes to

that township than my party strength in 1882, ia the evidence of it— [For election returns see Clerk’s Office I apprehend that the fact of my appointing Fairchild as Trustee bad nothing whatever to do with his < ef*u.whh h may piobably be attiihuted to local issues The administration ot the office of Auditor I endeavored to discharge according to law and as I t inught was i for the he*t interests of the fcople. 1 j was not engaged in any tpecies of fraud or sl.allduggery as theatre from Keener wotii i lii'c the people infer If tills cowardly star-gazer will give us his name and it proves to be the party we think - it is, we will have a few facts to give to the solders that may cause them to not take too much taffy front this dude Give us your name, sii, and we will endeavor to answer every attempt you make to stigmatize and cast reflections on us

EZRA c. NOWELS