The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-10-09
1nE enrAf TAHIrr IssrEs.
The position OF iie two Paroles on this
subject.

voting pasted ticket
me GREAT TaRIrF IssrEs.
The position OF The Two Paroles on this
subject.
Mr.. Carson, who is the manager Of the
Earl Of Dudley's iron works in Stafford.
shire. England, after visiting Pittsburgh,
pa. declared: 1--WE can manufacture
iron d. Just one.hali your cost, as far as
tbe price Of labor is concerned. l End
tba, your rale Of wages Is about exactly
double what We have TO pay" Is 1t not
fair that when this English manufacturer
sesks 10 sell his iron III the United States
he should be called to pay in duties, fnt,
whatever American iron represent in the
way Of taxes, and second, some adjust
msnt In favor OF 1.-The American producers
wapesP Ifthis Is not done, inevitably The
British iron will come In, will undersell
the American product, and will drive the
| American workmen out Of the trade or
compel him to accept lower wages. In
the mean time the skill Of our workmen
produces iron at much less than double
the British cost. With duties ranging
from $50 per cent to an average Of
about Atty per cent, the American manu-
fac,urer Is able to compete with the Brit
ish rival, aud steadily TO carry down the
price to the consumer here. Bessemer
steel when British monopoly was above
the reach Of our railroads. By the com
petition Of our mechanics 1t has been SO
cheapened that rails are put down oil
steel at little more cost than iron, and oil
Transportation has felt the effect to the
advantage Of the farmers and consumer
In all parts Of the country. Iron Illus
,rates every article. Home competition
without bringing down wages, sharpen
invention and skill, and SO reduces th,
cost Of the manufactured article that ",
are selling cotton in Manchester and cut
lery in Sheffield, and are reaching out FOL
the markets Of Europe and the East ant
getting the better Of the poorly paid labol
Of the Old World.
The staflordshire iron manufacturer Il
correct In his statement. Wages Abroat
will range at nearly one.half the rate IL
, this country. A careful comparison wa
, made for the year 1873, and in Europe
Including Belgium, France and Germany
brlcklayers earned from s. 46 to 50 90 pei
week, and in Great Britain from 81 IS Il
50 0s, while in New York the rate wa
from sl2 to SIS. which was perhaps abou
. the rate paid In cities like Wheeling.
ShOemakers earned in. Europe from
: s. 80 to 81 76a week, in Great Britain
81 IS, and in New York from SIG to SIS
Printers wages we're In Europe from 50 O
. to = 50 week, in Great Britain from 81 81
to 81 IS, and in New York from sloto SIS
. AT the same time flour sold at from 4 to
cents pound in Europe, except in Italy
where It was 10 cents, aud in Great Brit
ain the price was from 81 to ~ cents
pound. In New York the price was from
to 4 cents u pound. Flour representa-
very nearly the comparative cost Of living
II any one objects TO this comparison
let him remember that at the same time
beef sold in Europe fer from 20 to 80 cent
a pound, In Great Britain for % cents, AMI
In New York for from 70 to 10 cents. II
other words upon the same standard o
comfort mechanic could live In thiI
country as cheaply as In any country o
Europe, and at little less cost than 1t
Great Britain. The American mechanic
would spend more money, because hi
would give his family a better home aut
richer clothing aud many luxuries not at
tainable in the old country.
Higher wages here mean higher plan,
Of living, OF education and Of development
than Is possible in the Old World. 1t !
this higher development which render
American labor more productive. Mucl
} Of this Is due to the fact that the Govern
ment has not for more than twenty year
failed TO discriminate in favor Of America
industry in framing It's revenue laws. Tn
. Democratic party proposes to change all Q
, this policy. A "taria for revenue only
3 will offer q premium 10 the poorly PAL
. laborets OF the Old World, not to com
= hither and share with us in our prosperity
8 but 10 force their wares into our market
to the degra,lon oil our industry aud III
Y Limitation OF the comforts Of our workin
. people.
s Every mechanic may work out thi
4 problem for himself. How much will h
8 be benefited by change In the tariff lei
0 ting in Belgian metals, British fabrics
9 French silks and fancy articles, at tn
5 lowest duty, to compete with America
u wares which represents taxes paid i
: course Of production, aud stand for Amer
p can wages? Operatives in every factory
Q in every furnace, In every shop, know
whether they want TO have their wage
reduced to the standard OF the toilers Il
statIordshirc and Lancashire, not to speaI
a Of Belgium and France. II they do, lie
them rush into the embrace oil the part,
= that declares 10 favor Of tariff for reve
nue. only" II not, let them rally with al
= their vigor for the party which has neve
forgotten, In adjusting lis revenue laws. t
: consider American labor, and which pro
! poses 10 continue as the champion @
American industry, oil production here a
! home.