The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-10-22

England States there is
surplus Of youth and fe-
male labor in every State
Of the Union, and this
class of our people Ger
tainly derive little bene-
fit from the protection af-
torded labor.
The number of adult males en-
ployed in these three protected
industries is scarcely equal to the num-
Der of adult male emigrants who, invit-
ed by our wise and generous legislation,
annually land on our shores.
We. at the present time, afford the
nations Of The earth the spectacle of .
government taxing the industry Of
whole people under the pretence Of pro.
tecting our laborers against the ill paid
labor Of Europe, while by every legis-
lative act we invite these Europeans Ia
borers to come and dwell among US.
Vas eper legislation more dbsurd2
The wages paid labor is but small
part of the cost of finished product.
On cloth sold at wholesale at $1.65 per
yard, the labor is estima-
ted at about twenty-five cents.
The difference between the Ia
boz costing twenty-five cents in this
country and the cost of the same labor
in Europe is but an Insignificant per
centage. On the cloth estimated as
costing $l.65 per yard this
difference is only about four
per cent. Capital employed
in the manufacture Of protected arti-
cles is benefited vastly more than la
Dor possibly can be.
The great injustice Of protection is
that 1t taxes one mans property for
the benefit of another's.
While immigration is one great source
Of our wealth and prosperity, and should
be encouraged by the government, cheap
commodities are the greatest of bless
ings to the laboring poor.
A comparison between the number
Of persons employed in these three
branches Of industry in 1860, under
tariff Of less than 20 per cent, with the
number of persons so employed in 1870,
under tariff of over 40 per cent,
would make the proposition under con-
sideration appear too weak for argu
ment.
The protection afforded home indus
try employed in the manufacture of
leather has nearly destroyed our ex-
port trade in boots and shoes with
South America, Mexico and the West
Indies, and the effects of protection on
the manufacture Of paper is happily
illustrated in our own State, where we
send paper manufacturer to Con-
gress to protect home industry and
publish our State L6ws in Scotland,
and import them thence. so as to enjoy
the blessings of free trade.
The reason that labor receives a
greater reward in this country than in
Europe is not to be found in any pro-
tectien afforded the labor of a few
thousand people. The cause is COM
mcnsurate with the result and affects;
all classes and conditions Of men.
While many reasons may be assign
ed for this difference in the reward of
labor perhaps the most important are
the following:
First. In this country we have an
abundance of fertile land free to actual
settlers; and as consequence our peo-
pie instead Of remaining laborcrs for
hire soon become producers on sheir
own account. A large numfe r of pros
porous farmers in this state must have
continued hired laborers lad they re-
NAMED in Europe.
Second. Among us the whole ener-
gies OF the people are CALLED
into action. Men are more inventive
and labor is more efficient and produc-
tive than in any other country. In the
Canadas land is cheap, but the inhabi-
tants are wanting in the enterprise that
characterizes our people, while the cli-
mate is more severe and the soil is less
fertile than in the States.
The argument that protection creates
home market requires little consider
alton, when we reflect that one county
ID this State produces annually wheat
sufficient to sustain the inhabitants Of
that county and all the persons employed
In eleven of our most important pro-
tected industries.
In 1872 Goodhue county produced
2,3Il 1874 bushels Of wheat.
Population of Goodhue county 1884
Persons employed in manufacture of
cotton. 129,442
Persons employed in man ufactare Of
;, iron, 1925
Persons employed in manufacture Of
= hardware, 1896
Persons EN- loyed in manufacture Of
: WOODEN, a,l0s
Persons employed in manufacture of
paper, 1870
Persons employed in manufacture of
leather, sb,24a
Persons employed in manufacture Of
steel, a,45s
Persons employed in manufacture Of
silk, 6,699
Persons employed in manufacture Of
carpets, 1903
Persons employed in manufacture of
linen goods, 1,74G
glass, 1892
Whole number of persons, 467,l12
In this estimate we allow nearly
95-1O0 bushels Of wheat to each per-
son, while the average consumption is
1nn