Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1892 — Peck’s Testimony. [ARTICLE]

Peck’s Testimony.

There is one point in Commissioner Peck’s oampaign venture to which Republicans will not refer with enthusiaajpp. The Minneapolis - contention declared “that on all imports coming into competition with the products of American labor there should be levied duties equal to the difference between wages abroad and at home. ” The Democratic platform denounces Republican protection a fraud. Let the figures of Mr. Peck’s report be taken as proof of the fraud contained in the Republican platform. Mr. Peck says that “from sixty-seven industries covered it appears that there was a net increase of wages of $6,377,925 in the year 1891 as compared with the amount paid in 1890, and the net increase of production was $31,315,130 In the year 1891 over that of 1890. ” This Is a reported increase In protected in dustries, if the slightest relimrew-can’ be placed in the* figures of the Commissioner. The statistics shay; ihat while the amount paid in WdgSfc was but a little over $6,000,000 the amount of tariff levied for protection of this labor was more than twice the total wages paid in production. An estimate of ou per cent, tariff protection on these increased products is entirely within bounds. That protection covers the total cost of labor engaged by over $10,000,000, In other words, the people we e taxed by tariff barons in the sum of over $16,0u0,000 in order that $6,000,000 might be paid to labor. This is the logic of Republican protection. It is the answer of even Commissioner Peck’s facts to the lying pretense in the Republican .pla'forni that the duties levie i should be “equal to the difference between wages abroad and at tome.” It is the final answer to every Republican proiect who claims that protection { CJ the common bene-

fit and not a special device for tbe anrichment of a class. Commissioner Peck should try once more to serve tho 'frauds for whom Ms alleged' statistics wete prepared. He will probably again confuse them with his efforts.—Chicago Times.