The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1865-09-08
Free Trade VS.. Protection

free 1I6uc VS.. TTOteGLl0n.
We find a sensible and telling article on
this subject in The Fond du Lac Press.
The following comes right to the point:
Unfortunate for us poor farmers, there
is not ID this country power termed the
landed interes, v which might be able 10
breast the aggressions, and curb the ex-
tra7agsnce Of that other power, the 'nlan-
ufsctlring interest, now supreme and con,
tident IN It's supremacy )" otherwise
very different state Of affairs would ebtaiu
between the two parties. Farmers are
pIoverbialy slow to adopt new plans or
new views Of policy too much work and
too little learning, renders them cautious,
and they hesitate 20 1--WE up the teaching
Of years, and SO slave on under every OPP
preston, hoping all things but making no
sign. And what has been the teaching
Based upon a talacy which compared the
price of agricultural labor in Europe with
the wages of America, they are asked, in
the name of patriotism, to support home
manufactures by protective tariff or liz
other words to give portion Of their
earnings to support projects which a,the'
through bad management or inefficient
means and appliances, cannot support
themselves. Such is the patriotism of tho
manufacturing interest, and such /. their
mode Of enriching the country similar
idea must have struck the oft quoted ply,
sican, over anxious for fees, who, when he
prescribed for himself or family, took his
,rni e =, into
the other. But the manufacturers have
improved upon his practice they take
the gold out of the farmers pockets and
put it into their own.
1t seems tina; the writer bases bis opin-
ions somewhat upon practical business
knowledge of the pursuits protected in this
country. He says:
Thirty years experience in iron works
has taught me very different lesson. l
have paid refners, puddlers, hammer
men, and rollers, three 20 five pounds per
weeks, equal in present currency to twenty
and :hirsy-three dollars respectively, and
have no reason to suppose the wages are
less now. The wages Of founders, filters,
smiths and miil>wrights, range from FIVE
shilIings to eight billings sterling per day.
equal in currency here to $l,75 to 1918
whilst first class workmen on special
work secure much more. Thus the argu-
ment is disposed Of
"a a result of the present protective
tariff the writer gives fact which every
farmer and laborer will readily appreciate
As the tale of the pnion seems to have
tckled the fancy of a few economists, and
drawn little of the attention it deserves,
to the subject of my paper However
homely the garb in which it is dressed
will give another instance out of budget
full to o,erflowing. Every one knows
that reapers haze become quite common
scarcely farmer with any pretensions
10 the name without one-but every one
does not know that the cutters are formed
OF small diamond pointed plates of steel,
less complicated than boys shilling
knife, and are requiring much les. labor in
! The manufacture. They weigh flom tw"
/ and halt TO four and half ounces, and
! are really worth from ten TO fifteen cents :;
the charge for them here is forty to sixty
cents. They are often broken by accident
or catelessness, and thus for each plate or
tooth, the farmers wheat is diminished by
about half bushel
1t is in the face of such oppressive and
ruinous taxation Of the farmers OF Wis
consin as is here illustrated, that the Re
publican leaders of this state insist upon
ignoring all princi Piles at the coming state
Mii,caukee Neu..