Then. following that Democratic argument to its logical conclusion. we must lower the duty to nothing and establish absolute free trade in order to induce American capital and American labor to build American vessels to float the American flag. Now. what does that mean? It means that the Democratic proposition is this: That we will pull down the fostering and protecting walls of our tariff system so as to put our cotton industry and every other industry and all the labor employed in this country. of every kind and description. on a dead level with the pauper labor in the world in order that one class may benefit thereby. and that is the men who build and own the ships. Is there a single American citizen who wants that done except the most rabid and impractical freetrade extremist? The man who favors that policy stands for .the European policy of free trade and against the great American constructive doctrine of protection for American labor and American industries. In short. that proposition is a scheme for pure and unadulterated free trade in a poor disguise. This policy carried to its logical and natural conclusion would mean that American labor would be brought to the level of Asiatic wages and in direct competition with the pauper labor of Europe.. Will either the gentleman from the fourth or ninth espouse the affirmative of that proposition? Not in the open.
Keywords matched
pauper labor Asiatic