The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-04-28
THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
What Tt Coats The American Farmer.
Being The ThlrA Part Or Graham xsAlanss
GseatTraet % That Subject.


Bcuo8 IDe ToUtN EoSt u Otooo0 1OAOdmU
GreatTsast % That Subject.
THE PAU PER LABOR ARGUMENT.
This argument is commonly ad-
vanced in the bare assertion, 1.-THE
American wOrkingman cannot COM
pete with the pnuper laborer Of Eur
opc."
The main replies are two, covering
two points Of view.
l. The American farm working
man does compete, as y matter Of
TACT, with the pauper laborer, not
only Of Europe, but Of ASH. Ameri-
can grain sells III the worlds market
on a par with the produce OF the
serfs OF Russia and the slaves OF the
soil Of India.
2. The protectionist IL the only
man who wants the American work
ingman to compete with the pauper
laborer Of Europe. It 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 rushes to Washington, ask
ing, with indignant sorrow, whether
an American citizen Is to be forced
to an equality with the Russian
slave?
And how is the American working
man protected? 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, and, 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 iphilanthropic
plan, or is he ruled by market rates
The average Of base rate OF wages
in this country Is obviously fixed by
agTiculture-the heaviest employer
Agriculture receives no protection
neither does labor receive protcc-
tion-and it needs none. Wages
have always been high i'm the United
States because production il high
High production, high interest, high
profits, high wages-these always e
together. Production Is the contrOll
ing factor, and always must be. /
it can be shown that protection In
creases production, then It will b,
shown that protection increase
wages. But the very object Of pro
lection is to divert labor and capita
from the more productive to the les
productive industries, taxing all con
sumers-labOrers with the rest &
make good the deficiency.
DIvERsITY OF INDUSTRIES.
i A word rs to the often. urged pie
OF industries; Of the necessity OF sue
diversity to the steady employment
! OF labor, and the even development
OF the moral and intellectual side I
o nations character.
. The plea is based on q pure as
sumption, and an assumption OF
o most extravaganza kind, namely, tina
these United States, without the Pre-
tective system, would be given y
= entirely to tilling Of the soil. To sa
! that this country, with its wealth [
natural resources, and the infinit
. enterprises, persistence. strength an
i ingenuity OF Its people. would, witt
g out stimulation and guidence OF o,
c wise Congress "plod on forever in Il
degrading routine OF hewers
wood and drawers OF water Il
Europe" Is not only to convey an |,
suit to the manly calling OF agricu
ture, but to utter as well an absurd
ty that affronts common intelligenc
p Furthermore one Of the simple
2 conclusions to be drawn from an e,
y animation Of the existing tariff
= that for one industry It fosters
!, suppresses q dozen. What develo,
lnents would the freeing OF raw M;
terials bring to pass2 Take, as
marked example, the decadence !,
n the American carrying trade und,
: the protective" navigation law
We pay $3.50, OOO, 900 annually TO TO
eigners for ocean fright, money While
might as well be earned by America
s seamen.
oil Diversity Of industry Is not VIII,
: we get by protectien. It Is a diver
t ing OF industry: and q diverting
y profit, Of wages and Of wealth.
: PEACE AND WAR.
II It is urged, again, that Ia time
J. peace we should prepare for war,
J e., by Protection We should deyelo
native industries, whereby we sha
Il be independent OF foreign countri,
n in case OF hostilities. The answer
!. to this plea cover Q good deal
ground. ! mention some or them:
= !. Our indu tries will develop fas
: er and stronger il let alone.
S .. A primo requisite OF warfare
n saltpetre. It remains to be show
how we are to protect saltpetre bee
; into existence.
81 8. Supposing the Protection.
/ theory to be true: that under ire
4 trade the United States would b,
come the granary for foreign n,
tlons. Then foreign nation NAL
: ing war upon US would be LITERAL
e quarrcling with her victuals.
: 4. The most puny OF European n,
tons have proven, time and agai
: that, however powerful the cnem,
they cannot be cut Of from their W;
I supplies. Napoleon could not blocl