The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-04-28
THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
What Tt Coats tho American Farmer.
Delng The ThlrA Part ef Graham AsAlanf
CreatTsase o. That Subject.


Be,as ~ rAirA Part q Oralan xsAla.s
CreatTsass o That Subject.
THE pAUpER LABOR ARGUMENT.
This argument Is commonly ad-
vAnced Ia the bare assertion, "The
American workingman cannot COM
pete with the pnuper laborer Of Eur.
ope."
The main replies are two, covering |
two points Of view.
/. The American farm working
nun does compete, as matter OF
fact with the paupcr laborcr, not
only Of Europe, but OF Asin. Ameri-
can grain sells IN the worlds market
on par with the produce Of the
serfs Of Russia and the slaves Of the
soil Of India.
2. The protectionist II the only
man who wants the American work
ingman to compete with the pauper
laborer Of Europe. 1t Is he aud not
the Free Trader. who insists that the
American workingman shall be put
to the task under which the foreign
"pauper" Is ground into the dust.
The Protectionist, on his own show.
ing entices the simple plowman from
the farm, thrusts him down mine,
and then rlshes to Washington, ask
Ing, with indignant sorrow, whether
an American citizen is to be forced
to IN equality with the Russian
slave?
And how Is the American working
man protectedg The manufacturer
Is secured against loss by being
privileged to extort high prices from
the consumer, but where is the pro-
lection for the workingman? There
Is no customs duty to keep out labor.
Competition here has unrestricted
sway, ard, rs matter OF fact. the
mass OF toilers In the protected man.
ufacturcs are foreigners. But what
influence has the tariff on wages
Does the protected employer Fay his
. operatives on some 'philanthropic
plan, or Il he ruled by market rates
The average Of base rate OF wages
in this country Is obviously fixed by
agficulture--thc heaviest employer
Agriculture receives no protection
! neither does labor receive protcc.
1 tion--and 1t needs none. Wages
have always been high in the United
J States because production il high
1 High production, high interest, high
Z profits, high wagcs-thcse always gt
!. together. Production Is the CONTROL
: ing factor, and always must be. /
] II can be shown that protection In
!. crcases production, then It will b
: shown that protection increase
a wages. But the very object OF pro
4 lection Ia to divert labor and capita
g from the more productive to the les
y productive industries, taxing all con
g sNmcrs-laborers with the rest 3
make good the deficiency.
ri DlvERslrY OF INDUSTRIES.
:, A word rs to the often. urged pie
& OF industries; Of the necessity OF sue
= diversity to the steady employment
IS OF labor, and the even ievclopmen
OF the moral md Intellectual side {
9. nations character.
a. The plea Is based on a pure as
g sumption. and an assumption OF
% most extravagant kind, namely, tina
g these United States, without the prt
& tectivc system. would be given u
r entirely TO filling OF the soil. To sa
!. that this country, with its wealth ,
! natural resources, and the intinil
= enterprises, persistence. strength an
n ingenuity OF Its people, would, witt
e out stimulation and guidence OF o,
q wise Congress s'plod on forever in Il
y degrading routine OF hcwers
!" wood and drawers OF water 4
Europe" Is not only 10 convey an |,
suit TO the manly calling OF agricu
t0re. but to utter as we'll IN absurd
ty that aifronts common intelligenc
p Furthermore one OF the simple
~ conclusions to be drawn from an e.
- animation OF the existing tariff
:. "a that for one industry Il fosters"
= SURPRISES a dozen. What dcvelo,
y ments would the freeing OF raw mi
terials bring to passl Take, as
marked example, the decadence
IN the American carrying trade und,
- the protective" navigation law
= We pay $50, O0O, 600 annually TO 70
u eigners Tor ocean fright money While
might as well be earned by America
lis seAMcn.
lol Diversity Of industry Is not VIII,
e we get by protcctien. II Il d diver
at Ing at industry: and q diverting
u profit, OF wages and OF wealth.
r PEACE AND WAR.
g. II is urged. again, that In time
y. peace We should prepare for war,
= e, by Protection We should develC
native industries, whereby we sha
i'll be Independents Of foreign countri,
i'm in case OF hostilities. The answe
~ "a this plea cover . good deal
!. ground. mention some OF them:
~ /. Our indu tries will develop f,as
Is er and stronger il let alone.
Is ,. A prime requisite Of warfare
m saltpetre. It remains to be show
!. how we are to protect saltpetrs be.
= into existence.
Y 5. Surprising the Protectioni
IL theory to be true: that under FRI
N trade the United States would b,
: come the granary for foreign n,
tons. Then foreign nation NAL
e ing war upon Us would be literall
r. quarrcling with her victuals.
u. 1. The most puny OF European n,
i tons have proven. time and agai
- that. however powerful the enem
y they cannot be cut OF from their WI
of supplies. Napoleon could not blocl