, 1873-07-25

general maximb Of solf-govofnmont>; !; 'den5, tho
1ooiprocal ~boretita OF commoreu; ara founded
iishnosa, and fationnl! jealousy; and, If trao
tloy ought to ho catriod out boldly and Tho bono
FITS they advocnto enforced by tho absolute pro-
OF tho old Chinese policy. But tho
Of Individuals, is nolthor posnlb1o nor desirable.
It Id tho mutual wants rand mutual utility Of /
mon that promote tho viftuo and harmony Of
mankind, wilothor In thotr intercourse Is indi- /
vidyalB or nations. =: : -. 80 =. "''1
Tho favorito argument againnt Free Trade he- |
twoen this country and Europe ia, thAt r}linous
with tho cheap labor VI that CONT.
mont would bo tho result !: a. depreciation 'of
wagoa horo to tho standard Of wages there. It
tho stupidity and crimes Of psnper oouamuni-
ty; that tho privileges Of freedom would bo
thrown away upon tho gross sott!ahness OF
tho poor. Il true, this argument is ofl>vaat
our eong s.st9s ta, to
than their rivala beyond tho Atlantic, and. to
maintain this advantage, any legislation would
DO proper, however aelaah Or o1oluaivo. but
1t Is nos true; wages would approach nearer to
moro Of benefit to foreign labor than burden
to our own. To ASCERTAIN It these vtawa ho COR
rcct, "e have only to consider tho theory Of va
Eos, and upon what depends tho measure Of
Tho amount ot pecnniary payment given for
1abor is not, in tho frat place. tho true measure
Of wagos, but tho proportion Of useful COM
mqditics for which, at any given period or
DO Admitted that FREQ Trade would diminish
to some extent tho nominal rate of wagost 1t
would roduoe tho cost OF most. OF the articles
which labor Hocks in exchange. Ltbor would bo
equally veil paid 80 long aa the proportion ot
tho second p'aoo, tho ratio Of wagoa for moro
physical labor will bo about equal ID all brauchea
ct industry, in any free country for, Il one
enough labor viii bo attracted from, those that
nrc worse paid to equalizo to gToat dxtnne the
inadeQunoy Of proportion that wages benz to Ia
Dor tn moat eountrioa. In & some parte q Europe,
ty and precnriouB pittanco that can possibly eup-
port lfo. For this monRsrouB~ diBparity Of re-.
inunoration thoro must DO somo genora! caueo.
Tho vea}th Of community is produced by tho,
application Of labor to capital, and it's proceeds
aro divided In certain proportions between these
who furnish tho capital aud tho labor. lit tho
capital wore owned by the, ,laborasa in equal do
groo, tho proceeds OF labor would he divided
capital Is owned BY thoao who do not do tho Ia
bor, and tho labor is performed by those who do
not own tho capltn, aBtrugglo arisea for tho pro
cccds in which 1t Ia plain who will prevail.
Capital. having something TO tl i've on, I'm cnn
labor, compelled to live from haud to mouth. Ia
forced by starvation to surrender at discretion:
With capital on ono sidc, and labor on tho other,
tho latter IL elavo to tho former, and IL in
uulged with its huskn, for itH master cannot If
ford to lot It perish.
Land forms tho great bulk OF capital every
whore. From its cultivation como most Of tho
absolute noceaBaries OF life !; and It has an in-
Tho possosaion Of lissle land confera almost all
the means Of Belf-support, giving to i:H possess-
or a degree Of Independence, and placing him to
some e1tont above The tyranny Of wealth.. Il
ovory laboror could havo land enough to supply
him with necessary food, fuol, md the raw MAJ
torial for clothing, it Ia cloar that labor could
only be attracted from tho plow by tho prospect
of wages above tho minimum Of Subsistence and
that, IN tho division Of its proceeds, tho dispnri
ty would ceaso to be 30 groaaly In favor Of
In proportion to the choapnoas Of 1aad,- aud tho
higher tho wages by which wealth would DO able
to purchnso it's services, But, II lands aud renta
aro high, aa in England, thoro can be no share Of
Independence within his roach: Hero, as thoro,
Ills wagoB would DO at tho minimum, aud hla
prospects without hopo Of reliof. -
The rate Of wages, then ys11ss @ invelsely With
wogeB will rise to point whero: they furnish =
just and adequate remuneration to toll. Such Is
tho situation Of this country, and such would IT
continue to be, however FREQ Its intercourse With
others. Tho comparatively small cost Of land
| everywhere among us, it's merely nominal price
| In most parts OF our vnst territory, iR tho &c.
| curity of labor against dcstitution,-a security
Of which no foreign competition can deprive ua.
| tory to the field; yet tho field is broad enough
for al, aud extends to all it's plenty and iute~
pendence.
4 hon,c.narketia II another fayorite idoa with
great confidence upon it's bonefta to tho agrioul-
| tlrn1 producers; 1t will supply, they say, and
| more than supply, Ill tho loss in foreign demand
under a restrictive Byatom. They argue that tho
| ber Of consumers hore; and they can afford to
| pay tho farmer q larger price for hls products
than if they wero loaded with tho additional OK
pcnBe Of transportation to d distant market. By
way OF illustration, they point to numerous thriv-
| Ing villages aud oities and tho populoua coun-
try about thom. It ID true that. the imme-
diato vicinity Of manufacturing village grows
| With Its growth, aud tho prosperity Of the
noighborllood- embracea tho branch Of
agriculture with all tho roat, and this equally
whether tho growth Of that village be natural o1
forced yet it's prosperity iB B1Atainod by burdonH
falling somewhere, II not thoro, # the people
Of this country can, as 2 general thing invest
manufacturea, and if,artidoial logiaation diyorte
a considerable portion Of labor to tho latter, the
result will indeed DO an appearance Of loca
thrift; whi1o really tile prosperity Of tho whole
country is diminished. Tho partial benefit, 10.
moro apparent than tho general mischief, which
is sproad over q vast area, aud dopreaaos uni
t voraal inherent In detai1. Sections may thus be
enriched at tho exponso Of tho whole, and loca
interests bc at war with those OF tho country al
large. Keeping this in view, and remembering
to bc on our gunrd agetnst both tho spcclonB
ness Of appearances aud the Zeal Of aeldshneas
we como to the consideration Of the general the
ory Of a l,onlo-market re f''; I
II wo aro better adapted as peoplo. under al
circumstances, to ongago In manufactures rathcl
than agriculture, 1t il safe to presume that the
private nageeity Ct frcemon will discover It
without tho hints ind holps OF Government. i
not, then the artificial diversion Of labor from,
more to q loss profitable pursuit will diminish
the aggregsto inooulo Of labor, and, Of course
the Average to be distributed to its every depart
mont. Again, this artificial distinction of labo
does not iuoreaao tho number Of moutha to b
foti, or stimulato consumption, 40 that Q create
quantity Of produesa will bo required.
Thin country Ia capable from its groat axtent
fortito soil, mud oon,paratiyoly-thin population
Of raiaing agricultural products enough to sup
talk Of home-market, to bo furnished mere!.
by change in its induAtry, and not in ita popu
lation, Us offering an adequate demand for tn
unlimited supplies which It Is capable Q
producing. IhtB theory Of homo-nlaskot i
bAHol lllDn Tho floa that commerce Chn