The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-09-12

II requires instead Of taking a mere pass.
ing glance and forming their opinions
from il, all see how vastly much more
they would be benefited by free trade
than by system Of protective duties. In
proof Of this append some correspond
ence which needs no explanation. The
last of these letters is all the more forci-
BILE because II was written by former
we'll known resident of this city, and who
10 now the manager of one of the larg-
est manufacturing establishments in
Ohio:
"The AultmGn- Taylor Company;
"GENTLEMRN: l beg leave to invite your atten'
tlon 10 the circulars which send you under Bepa-
rate cover, As American manufacturers, having
a direct interest In common with the American
shipment or carrier you can exercise an imp0r-
tant influence In securing such Congressional &C.
tlon az will place our manufactures and COM
merce in position TO compete with foreigners In
markets which naturally belong 10 our country,
and from which we have been excluded by the
broader and more intelligent policy of foreign
Governments. II your judgment approves / ask
your cooperation to the extent Of bringing this
matter before your Senators and Representatives,
sustained by your influence as constituents, and
also the influence Of any Of the organizations OF
your trade which you may be able 10 command.
WILLIAM L, OLYDE,
president Pacific Mail Steamship Company,
"6 Bowling Green, New York, Oct H. l011"
Nv P. Clyde, Esq, President
"DEAR SIR am sorry to find your company
again engaged In the work indicated by your let
ter, and have written Onr Congressman that II he
votes dime of subsidy or fails 10 vote every time
he has chance in such way as to bring Four
present tariff TO q strictly revenue basis, will do
all can toward remanding him TO private life
aud help keep him there
an D. HARTER, Treasurer,
Mansfield, Ohio October 10, 1877"
And thus manufacturers 'are rapidly
joining the free trade host.
1t is said that we cannot sell as cheap
" as in other countries because labor is
higher priced here, and that we will re-
duce our laborers to the condition of for
eign laborers if free trade prevails. Both
of these assertions l emphatically deny.
1t is not the difference in the price Of
labor that makes the difference in
the selling price, but the difference in
profit received by the foreign and home
manufacturer. If the latter asks $500
more for his farm engines than the Can
ada manufacturer, this difference is not
balanced by the half.dollar day more
paid to his laborers. The other elements
besides labor in production are equal in
the two countries if either has the ad-
vantage it is the United States, hence the
statements in the two sentences just pre-
Ceding this are proven true by the follow
ing fgures
Suppose that in each country 100 men
are required to make one engine in one
nhn TNnAnlo pnoniVyn dol.
lar, the Americans one dollar and half
each per day. Hence the former would
receive $100, which deducted from the
retail price of the engine, 500, leaves
5000. The latter would receive $3.50,
which deducted from the retail price of
the engine, $1000 leaves $3.50. The $3.50
difference between these figures is the
excess of profit received by the Ameri-
can manufacturer. Free trade will never
reduce wages. 1t claims that home pro"
duCers must accept less profit ifthey hope
to compete with foreigners. Itraises the
price of labor and the number of laborers
employed by creating immense foreign
markets for home productions. 1t makes
the laborers wsges go twice as far as un-
der tariff laws by reducing the prices of
the necessities of life.
What, then, as summary of the above
are some of the results under free trade2
First, Free access to all the markets of
the world instead of confinement to our
own comparatively small market, thus
increasing our present trade many times.
Second, A relief from business depres-
sion by providing an outlet for our over
stocked market.
Third, A greatly increased demand for
labor in order to supply foreign mar
kets.
Fourth, A reduction of prices, with the
consequent benefit to laborers and all
classes of consumers.
And all these, too, not to the ruin Of
American manufacturers, as the follow
ers of a protective tariff system say, but
to his great advantage as arguments
above show. Il.
Canton, o., Sept 8, 1878.