The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-02-17
THE DEGRADING EFFECTS OF GREE
TRADE" ON LABOR AND WAGES.

more important view, in conneXion with tins
subject OF free trade" which Mr.. Walker
regards as the greatest blessing that could be
bestowed upon the people OF this country,
and especially upon the lahorins pcople-the
toiling Millions as he calls them--in whose
prosperity and welfare he seems to take such
especial interest; he speaks of increasing
their comfort, education, and intelligence,
of = enhancing wages of mechanics and toll
ing workmen," blessing them with ihcfeaSeu
prosperity
Now, | undertake to say, and to demon
strate, that Just the reverse OF all this Would
be its consequences and submit the matter
to the enlightened judgment and decision OF
the American people | say that, instead OF
enhancing wages and increasing the pros
perity, comfort, education, and intelligence"
of " the toing millions" it would degrade
them, in every department Of industry, 10 the
miserable condition of the pauper and sert-
labor of Europe, subsisting themselves and
families on a shilling day.
Break down the walls Of protection, repeal
the tariff, open your ports, establish 1ree
trade, and let in the products of foreign l. II
cents day labor, and American laborers must
>! quit work and give up their markets tn our
money is all gone; then our mechanics and
workinumcn must come down, and work as
cheap IS they do. Is not this enviable? and
these are the blessings MIR. Walker has in re.
serve for the dear people, {" the voter" the
toilinr millions" Mr. Walker says in his
Report, that -" freight" with steam and mod
ern improvements, amounts to little or moth
ing: that duties are the only thing that pre-
vents foreigners from taking free and full
possession of our markets, and in this he is
right for once they will take possession Of
our markets till American labor, mechanics,
and all, come down and work for shilling
,ay Is this not perfectly clear? Can 1t be
doubted or denied For illustration: sup
pose in Baltimore manufacturers and mechan-
les hire workmen at rs cents day, and here
| in Washington they pay dollar, will not the
Dallimorcans send down their goods hats,
shoes, clothes, everything, underSell the hat
ters and others here, and must they not eth
or give up business, or bring their labor down
to the Baltimore standard! They may buy
as long az they have money, but when their
money is all gone, they must work cheap or
starve. The only difference between Europe
and Baltimore is the "freight," which Mr..
! Walker says is now but slight impcdinent
to imports. Such would be the Ultimate et-
| tects of d" free trade" on American labor
The great object and office Of tariff is to
protect high and prosperous labor against the
ruinonS effects Of free competition with low
priced and depressed labor. Low labor wants
40 protection against high labor, but the high
must be protected against the low, or by Tree
competition, be brought down to its level
This result follows just as certainly as the re-
ho"Si Oh wall "i''Gn /, Sep"ia'e" '"o u'e4ual
Uo''IeS OF WAFER ~ou'o DlInH tue o.e w" u :"
the ieVel OF the olher' Ifoc'a',l lree 'Iane'
open your ports 10 'ne productions oi tne
pauPer ana Serl-iaoor OF EG!1UPe' %o!Aili@ lor
ten cents oay' ana w''"V iollo"S III PouIS
'he'T goo"S' ana out pou's your i IN
@0ooS come III anu MONEY eoeS ou'' 'l'i ~ Is
an gone 'hen we must MAKE our own nH'S'
SHOES ana cio'h'nG' OF 60 "'tnou'; A"u 'h'1
IS the way IN %hic" ME- "INGI, c ttiS .n1lG,
lreS'n'h'' an" 'le "aN oc"'es Vi i.oe '.'OI'
"ou'" increase !"e ""e':, "''r plon,ol1 e .-o
comfort eouca''o'i' any, 4i y. . .lie
ln iic"h '',' ,s, ~, ,hoo ,'l
|'l ~ az" P'.y"''rs' n''U'
'ie F1'".Iu' 'o,,o''',o, .o' II .,-o p,I t,
AVE- s VI lo'o si;,l;,,o. Ja,.9 How
0''i ''Ge'i'' l'o oii ,'''''t :" ,n11
Go"'u rle! ou"C''J '' r NV 5la -. tI
oe "O.eeu 10 "o'H ,,o'' t'o o.'','I W. .l'o
@ra!e ui'ht'eT ~ 10 ~ IVY "o"-,i 'I
I. i,i 1890. L., .i
you u co"'Sc 'ie.n,e "''J'lIt P1. """s' ''!'
h';'ny anu you ouini up t"e ,pu
'1OliSh ,'oo'litFi ana .ehl a hI"S' s"o"'!''
"oun nor sucn Ee ."o .e;','g';' ~; '.o' Guy W."
emu o lee IraGe' 5"rI'cu "a. ~ 10 i,,,",
reS,'I's let 'hls Is oen"cracy' 'nt l,,9iepn h
progressive ne e., as P'eac"eo anu
P'a.'lce" ~ OK an" ~! ms ''l -
pu' ''''' Is no. "'. Aiio uu.es lo'le' vi
iiI iHiltIS W l)lOlCtN Jul ldDOi hNll, Iui-
H'Sh nearly INC "ho!o rG'e"ue I Hn. 1no sup
porS OF N0Ferhmeh'' hot cS'"nnSn !lee
''aoe' ana you not o''G 'eieaNe 'no ,orelSI-
CT an" ms Eou"S from an ''A"'iol' DuU you
!'"hSier me ourue''S 10 your owl ''lP
lShSu Pe"p'c1you appoint sWarIAs Il, ol '"H-
saL "a, 10 harras9 anu p'un"PT l"em-'0
sell their last COW, ana take the last pie OF