Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-09-21
THE TARIFF, NO. vi.
WRITTEN FOR THE LEDGER.

ally made that unless duties continue
to be LEVIED the American manufac-
turers will not only be unable to
withstand foreign competition, but
their own workshops and factories
will be closed, the different indus
tries carried ON by labor generally,
lavish and decray and our working
men and their families be dependent
upon public charity for existence.
Now, it is admitted by them that the
high tariff only benefits and keeps
alive those industries, the products of
which come in contact with foreign
imports then how many different in
dustries, how many articles of con-
sumption produced wholly at home
and exported abroad, never come IN
contact with anything from a foreign
country to exile competition in pric-
es? There. is a long procession of
them. Our agricultural staples: corn,
wheat, beef, pork, lard, tallow, but
ter, cheese, cotton, hay, wool, fresh
and canned fruits and vegetables.
We regularly export these and any,
thing which can be regularly exported
and sold in competition in foreign
countries with similar foreign pro-
ducts does not, nor cannot be direct
ly benefited by tariff laws, and in
the same category are many other
articles: petroleum, resin, products
of gold, silver and copper and a hun
dred other articles. Wages. as a gen.
eral thing, are, in the United States,
higher than in Europe, but the diff
ference in wages in the United States
and Great Britain, taking into con-
sideration the difference in the pur-
chasing power of money Of the two
countries, is not SO great as is gener-
ally supposed and not so great as
commonly represented. But many
other things, except simply the tariff
legislation, all form a confluence to
effect the prices of wages. Wages
are higher in this country ON ac.
count of u great natural advanta.
ges. A given amount of labor intel.
ligently applied will here yield s
greater amount or a better result thar
in most any other country. 1t ha;
been so ever since the first settle.
ment of the colonies and has beer
the main cause of keeping up the tide
of immigration that has for the pas
two centuries flowed hitherward
Alexander Hamilton, before tn,
. adoption Of the Hamilton tariff, which
was in 1879, and when this coun
try had her ports open inviting tn
E trade of every foreign country on alb
! solute ground of free trade, recog
nized the fact that wages for simila
+ employments were as a rule highe
in this country than in Europe. AM
t when he made his report on manu-
7 factories he considered this as no rea
obstacle to u successful establish
ment of domestic manufactures. H
said III that report that the "under
takers'-meaning the manufacturer
-"could afford to pay Them" La
Dor in agriculture is not protected
The tariff a not help it but by put
ting an increased price on all of it
implements for production great
Injuries it. The difference betwee
wages paid in agriculture in thi
country and Europe is greater tina
in any other form of industry an
; the American agriculturist pays muc
the highest wages. So then he doe
protection protect labor and give
greater wages when that form of Is
;, Dor which is larger than all others,
unprotected?
The reason that our farmers ca
undersell all other nations is becaus
of his natural advantages of sun, so
- and climate, aided by cheap transpol
tation and the Use of ingenious M:
chinery. They have nothing to as
of the government except to be Il
alone to be left unrestricted in the
rights by tariff or any other kind {
legislation that interferes with til
natural laws of trade.
Professor David A Wells, who's
' name is a power among economists {
> the present day, in speaking On W.
y, ges, says: "Wages in England
every industry are much higher tina
in Continental Europe. In the cot
y ton manufacturing industries the
are from 30 to so per cent. highe
than in France, Belgium and Gel
e many; and an English cotton oper.
Ie tive receives mor wages in a wee
: than an operative similarly employe
N in Russia can earn in a month. No
!" which of these countries has til
cheapest labor? l will answer thi
II question by asking another: Doc
% England seek protection against til
lie competition of the continental state
y or is it the continental states that dc
y mand protection against England
In 1857, as Commissioner of til
Revenue of the United States, and
IL full believer in the doctrine of pre-
lection, growing out of early trainin
in a family of New England manu-
f%acturers, 1 personally visited an
studied the leading industries of Eu
rope. And as l went-note-book
haud-straight from the factories an