OCR Text |
Show UNION LABOR SHOULD BE PROTECTIONIST There is no class of people in the United States which should be more heartily in favor of adequate Tariff Protection than members of labor unions. It is hard to understand why any member of a labor union , should be anything but a staunch protectionist. The New York Journal of Commerce Com-merce Is not a protectionist paper, but it recognizes the fact that to the protective tariff labor is indebted for the high wages which it receives. We quote from the May 7th issue of that paper: "National immigration and tariff policies on the one hand which have greatly Impeded where they have not eliminated competition among wage earners, and dire needs born of war shortages on the other, have made it possible for organized labor to exact high premium for their services." The point which we wish to make is that it Is impossible to maintain a high standard of wases without the protective tariff. The Journal of Commerce evidently thinks that labor is getting too much for its services and would have the wage scale lowered by lowering the tariff. If that is what labor wants, then the thing for It to do is to vote for a free-trade president. If it wants to maintain the American standard of wages and living, then It should vote only for protectionists to fill these offices. Which shall it be protection and the American standard of wages, or free-trade and the European or Oriental Ori-ental standard? |