Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-09-28
New Series-Vol. 40. No. SO

reliable firm in Johnstown, PennsyIva-
nia. which gives the selling retail prices
for twenty-three years past, showing
that the prices instead of being more,
are from 10 to Il per cent. less than be-
fore this oppressive duty was imposed.
The price lists all agree IN this So Che
gentleman will find in regard to that
much-taxed farmer, who
has been on duty since the day of his
inventor, Sydney Smith, who puts on his
taxed shirt" in the morning and sleeps
ON taxed sheets" at night, that he, the
said taxed farmer, gets all these articles,
shirts, sheets, and @race-chaiDs, under
our "odiOus tariff" for about half what
they cost when he started on his jour-
ney in free-trade England, and for less
than any farmer in any other age or day
ever bought shirts, sheets, and trace
chains. Farming implements cost about
half what they did twenty-five years
ago, and we exported two and half
million dollars worth of agricultural
implements in 1880, selling them in open
competition in foreign markets.
i | hold in my hands volume of Par
liamentary Reports for 1900. 1t is free
trade English authority. Mr.. Archb0ld,
the English consul-general at New Y YOrk,
in 1880 made this report to his govern
ment, which was thought of sufficient
Importance to be published by order of
Parliament. He speaks at length of
"the effect of the protective tariff in
itimulating wool growing and the pro-
duction of CLOTH" and states that "the
prices of carpeis in the United States in
1879 are IL per cent. cheaper than they
were in 1869, while dress goods prices
had fallen about 25 per cent. in the same
period"
LABOR AND WAGES.
In every country labor is the wealthy
creator. 1t is the largest part of its
capital. 1t is the productive force of
all development. High wages are a
measure Of the real prosperity of coun-
try. Any economic system that does
not base itself on full wages for labor
in this country is at war with both its
interests and its institutions. How
grandly did Lincoln, the great American
commoner, recognize this in his first
message to Congress. He said, Labor
is prior to capital Capital is the fruit
had first existed. Labor" therefore,
deserves much the higher considera
lion. Garfield said, ut is our glory that
the American labOrer is more intelligent
and better paid than his foreign eOnpet-
itor' In contrast with that truly Amer
lean doctrine, | set the English theory,
openly proclaimed in Parliament by
Huskisson, when Il member of the cabi-
net. He said, "To enable capital to Oh
tain fair remuneration, labor must be
kept down." In England it has been
kept down. II is down, 1t is hopeless
to rise, for on it are piled, tier above
tier, casteS and ranks and costly eStab-
ments and primogenitures and princely
prerogatives and an idle aristOcracy.
And it is to-day just as when HuskissOi
avowed it the brutal doctrine of English
power, that the laboring class is to 10"
kept down. The London Times of July
10. 1880, says editorially, in speaking of
the chances of free trade in this eOun-
try 7s------
The United States do not approach the
question from the same point OF view as our
selves. The object Of their statesmen is nOt
to secure the largest amount OF wealth f"r
the country generally, ''but to keep up, by
whatever means, the standard OF Comfort
among the laooring classes.
Yes, that is the object Of all true
American statesmen, for the laborer Is
the citiZen-the American. And Tor
that reason protection would refuse pau
per labor competition with free Ameri-
can labor. The object and the effect Of
that protection is to make possible better
an
all our useful classes, for in this country
every useful citizen is worker IN sUIns
manner. A distinguished forelgnsi,
travelling In this country lately, said -
"Where are your laboring classes: l
have not seen them yet In the United
States wages are better and the necess.
ries of life are lower than IN England Uf
on the continent.
These higher wages represent thu
comfort and happiness of American
homes. These better wages, better llY
ing, better conditions, the possibility OF
schools, the ownership Of homes, the
chance for the labOrer of now To bo In"
capitalist in few years, are all m.Id"
possible by protection. l have come |"
hate the very name ~cheap labor.
know what it means in England. Some
years since spent months in learning
something of the condition of the work
ing and other classes in England anu "n
the continent. No statistics, no words
can fully describe what "cheap lilb"r
there means in the destitutiOn and hope
lessdess of its condition. A single Illus
tration may hint at it. In vast CUTLERY
manufactory in Sheffield, England. as
old man said to me in reply to questions;
81 have stood thirty-feur years III th,s
corner of this room and wrought daily,
and when this lad now by me, who h'.s
never been a day in school, can max"
one-third time we have meat at our poor
table once in a week. Saturday night !
buy a joint and Sunday we have solns
SOUP" l said, "Can you not hope i"r
something betteE?" The tears started
down his soot-grimed face as he sad:
mo, sir; no, sir; not unless L may SOM
day be so happy as to get to America
never was so proud of my country -
then, realizing that in no other COUNT
on earth could honest labor claim such
reward or command such dignity and
comfort.
johnny on the POrcupine.
Porcunine ia a legged poultry. 1t