Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1869-06-11
uHITIsH V. AmERlcAN LABOR.

dDhA z. w WELLiA Mrs ef south W 9pdsssry Twp
DRITIsH v. AMERICAN LABOR.
A'few weeks ago we exposed some Of the
inconsistencies of fiee.traders 10 an arii
Gle Of Mr J. B. Hodgskin 10 the North
American Review The same gentleman
has since been resdiug free trade essay
before the Free Trade League Of Brooklyn.
in which he has heeo more candid thaa be-
fore. Mr. Hodg-kin Is an Englishman,
aud understands the interested British capt
talists. He gives the true reason, however,
why we need protection in the following
words
efI4et me tell yau what Protection is. I can
but illustrate it by example. IN Pennsylva-
MIA, iron ore, limestone and coal the three
principal elements Of the iron manufacture,
are found so near together 10 such large
quantities, and Of such superior quality, that
any one would think that iron could be manu-
faclpred there cheaper aud better than any
where else IN tbs world yet when the Penn
sylvania iron maker has made bis iron and
offers il for sale, he finds that New York
iron merchant can Bring similar iron all the
way AA0AA AAu-thiUs AstA AaA pay 4ANisAt va -
and commissions, and make profit on -
and then pay the freight on il all the way
from New York to The very door Of the Penn
syivania foundry, aud sell il cheaper than the
PenusylYauian can. What is the cause
There are several, bnt the principal one Is
this. In order to make iron, IL takes little
iron ore, a little limestone. little coal, aud
prodgous amount Of labor The three Grst
ingredients are as cheap "a Pennsylvania as
anywhere but the last and principal one
Labor, ia SO much dsarrr in Pennsylvania and
IN the whole Of the United States than in
England, that, iu spite Of the cheapness Of
the other ingredients. the iron costs so much
more 70 make than the English iron, that the
English can pay all the expenses Of bringing
their iron over here, and yet sell it cheaper
than We can ours"
Mr.. II, did not design in this portion Of
hts essay to advocate protection, but it Is
one Of the strongest arguments to the labor
ing man, that we have set seen ia favor Of
protection. Here j. an Enelishman who i
well acquainted with the manufacture Of
iron in England, who, though an enemy to
protection, is constrained in honesty to ac-
knowledge that it is alone because Of the
starvation wages paid to british Iaborcrs
that they are enabled to undcrseil American
manufacturers This Is the true secret Of
the necessity for protection to American
labor ln all the coarscr manufactures we
need no protection because Of the small
amount Of labor entering into their produc-
tion. Ia the nauufacturc Of iron and
many other commodities labor is the chief
item and in all these, without protection we
are unlersold by foreign manufacturers, be-
cause laborers in England and Europe get
wages barely -uiicitnt 10 keep soul and
body together. We haze uoaltarnatiye bat
TO protect our laborsfs or abandon those
manufacture into which labor enters as
large clement in the cost Of production.
American hborers viii not work for the
pauper wages Of British operatives, nor Do
any bat purse lloud arist9crats such a. the
late slave lords aud their allies the copper
heads desire thus to degrade thcm. II then
we abandon manufactures that require a
large amount Of labor, we lessen the demand
for labor and The thousaud- Of laborefs thus
discharged frou cur manufactures turn their
attention. 10 farming What would be the
fcauli Of ueh cour-e2 Grain Is already
very los; b stopping our manufactures the
home market iar agricultural produce is de-
ztroyed, 5iiil further reducing prices, and at
the same time the supply Of such produce
Is increased until the farmer finds 10 mar
ket for bis produce? What does the far.
mer think Of such a condition Of affairs
Free-trade at present would soon 10 reduce
the prices Of al agricultural produce that
tho farmer would scarcely be able 10 clothe
his family. Grain would be drug 10 the
market aad nothing but fsmiae ia Europe
could deliver our people from financial ruin,
yet -uch is the condition Of things which
tue present copperhead party aims at when
It advocates free trade It has been the
experience Of three generations that the ex.
pertinent Of free trade whenever tried has
resulted IN financial disaster Shall wc nov
rush bhndly upon the rock on which we
have 20 often foundersd before? Let Ia.
boring men let farmers consider. Abund-
ance Of work aud good wages for the labor
cI aud high prices for farm produce have
always accompanied protection Hard
times and financial disaster hayeas c1ns,pnt-
y attended free trade Which do you want
now Protection will secure you the former.
Free tfade will inevitably bring you the lat
ter kepublicanism proposes to give you
protection, plenty Of work aud good wages.
lppperheadsm promises you nothing but
idleness- poverty and rags