New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-25
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
PROTECTION AND TIE WAGES OF LABOR.

PROTECTION AND TIE WAGES OF LABOR
To ae ES.isy Of The NJ Y. Triewae
sm. You are always advocating q Protective
Tariff. And pray what is the reason that we cannot
c,ure Gotten and woolens as cheap here as in
Furo,e i. not the raw cotton cheaper here than
,berei Would there be much difference in the price
Of wool If the duty were abolished NY opinion IL
,b,, II the whole Tariff were abolished we could in
sw wears. manufacture both cotton and WOODEN goods
as eheap here as anywhere. Labor would ish 70
sbout the same standard as il is in England Inc
Tariff protects labor and labor only And thar tne
sborers srd mechanics do not want IT may be judged
from the fact that they usually vote against Tue
Wings. For a time all parties now busy manuiac-
turing would have to turn farmers, and their produce
won come down. Flour would not bring over
81 5Oas5 and other things in proportion; farm IA
borers would not command over s5 per month; me
ebapits from 75c a 81 IS per diem That they would
lie pleased with the change there can be no douo',
as they vote 80 as 10 bring il about Aud my opinion
is that, take them as elass, thoee men VINO nave
been making 81 25 per day for the past two years
are better off as a class, than those who have re-
ceived go. The latter as class, have worked ABOUT
FIVE days week and spent their surplus cash 10
ohes and are now out of work and out OF fudds WIN
impaired health and extravagant habits. l am not
engaged in any mandatory and am opposed 10 TAR
III of any kind. Why should not have the rignt 70
Of III boots and clothing from France anu EusiAut
free OF duty Clothing is necessary; why tax II
If the men and won en- here would work for the same
wages as they DO in Europe the taiors here coud con-
tue their business but not otherwise. SO with boots
and shoes and other articles.
Each State if there were no Tariff, would have 10
nav certain sum for the expenses of the Geperai
Government according TO its Representatives, and
each State would have to charge po-ax or so mucn
head, on every man within IT'S Dorders beside a TAX
or rea estate and property and incomes Ins would
be a truly democratic mode of proceedings the ex-
nenses would lie reduced and Offices and p kings and
~, alines much dmnished-a thing devoutiy 10 be
wished for. "phAAI V '''Di
Remarks.
Our correspondent has not well considered his
subject. Il is true that Wages are higher here
than in Europe; but it is also true that they are
hi,her in England than in Ireland, Portural or
I,aly, yet England underseDs all these countries
in Manufactures. So, you see. that Wages,
though ote element of success in Manufactures,
are not everything.
The main advantage possessed by British over
American Manufactures consists in the clrcum-
stance that London is the commercial center Of the
earth, whence ships are constantly departing and
goods being dispatched by them to every corner
of the savage as well as of the civilized world.
Hence the expense Of getting up new pattern
or STYLE of goods in England or France is as
s,ssed upon the ten Thousand markets to which
the product will he distributed, while an Ameri-
can rival fabric will have but sne-tenth so many
markets practically open to it.
The main reason why we impose duties GA
Imports is this-Tt PUBLIC GooD-' the great
"est happiness of the greatest number"--is
thereby promoted. We, for instance, must sell
newspapers in order to buy clothes; and if all
our clothes, metals, wares and fabrics were
made in Europe, We could not sell half so many
papers. and hence could not afford to buy
clothes, even though cheaper than they now are.
Pre- csely similar to ours is the case OF the
farmer, the HORSEPOWER, the lawyer, doctor,
trader. &e.-each must Sc II in order to buy, and
could not do it if those whose products they
now purchase and consume were located In
Europe. But this is broad subjective only
hint at the answer to Mr.. Q.'s queries, without
fully developing it.
As to direct taxation enforcing economy in
Public Affairs, we do not fad the assumption
countenanced by facts. The Governments of
this City and our cities generally, are supported
BY direct taxes, but they are in the average
quite as prodigal and corrupt as our Federal
Government. ia.