Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 September 1884 — Protection Catechism. [ARTICLE]

Protection Catechism.

Stranger—What is the occupation of those men over yonder where I see that smoke? They are tax-gatherers. I thought at first they were making iron. Well, so they do, but their real occupation is. that of tax-gatherers, with “incidental iron," that is, they make the iron to get the tax. Ah, I see! they collect this tax for the Government, I suppose? , No, there you are mistaken; they collect it for themselves. Well, surely, they collect it off foreign nations, and not from their neighbors, do they not? No, sir; as none of their iron goes abroad, they can’t collect any from the foreigners—aH their tax levy comes from our own citizens. Well, sureiy, they must run the year round with such a bounty ? No; they run about two months, and then apply the protective principle. What is this protective principle? Why, you see, after they have been in blast about two months they can make more iron than they can sell in four, so they put out their fires, discharge their workmen, and wait till we taxpayers can earn enough meney to pay them more taxes. Well, surely, I have heard the tariff is for the benefit of the workingman. Now, see here, my friend, how does the workingman get any benefit from it when the iron he makes belongs to the owners of the furnace, and while the iron is protected his labor is not? All he has to buy is increased in price by the tariff, and is a continuing expense, whether he has work or not, while his wages run only for the time he works, and as we have only a home market for our wares, he gets work but half the time. While >he Government fixes the price of iron, which belongs to the owner, it never yet has attempted to fix the wages of the workingmen.—Nashville World.