Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-15
FREE TRADE VS.. PROTECTION
Prof. Summer, or Yale College, on The
Relations of Protective Taxes
20 Wages.
A Tariff Does Not Increase the Price OF
Labor, But, on the Contrary,
Lowers La.

PHILADELPHIA, October 14.-At the SEES
sion of the Tariff Commission to-day, Prot
Sumner, of Yale College, on the relation of
protective taxes to wages, denied the allega-
lion III at protection brought capital into use
which would otherwise be idle, and asserted
that The rate Of wages obtained here was
due to the economic forces at work. There
was only one thing that could reduce Amer
lean wages to European standards, and that
was protective taxes applied long enough
and with sufficient weight. Prof.. Sumner then
took up and refuted the argument that free
trade would drive the population to sgricul-
tural pursuits, and would thus reduce wages
and all other remuneration for labor. He
who believed that the way to raise wages
was 10 hinder people from getting at things
easily and cheaply, or to refrain from the
most profitable modes OF OBJ. aiming goods
must believe that workmen raised wages
when they stopped working and went out on
strikes, and lowered wages when they went
10 work again. Trsdes-unionism and pro-
tectionism were falsehoods. The way
to prosperity for human society was
BY industry, economy, thrift, energy,
painstakiug excellence, liberty and album
dance, and not by some crafty and artificial
devices TO produce scarcity and bad work.
The protectIonist system required a new Get
of proverbs, such as these: "Want makes
wealth." "Destroy and prosper" "Taxes are
wages" "1o have much produce little"
blessed are the bad workmen and foolish
capitalist, for they shall get abundance" 1t
was constantly alleged that American indus
tries needed protection, because American
wages were high her than foreign wages. That
wss Joining a very wide inference 10 very in
ADEQUATE premises. There was no ascertain
able relation between wages and profits. The
employer tried to keep wages down, just as
he tried 10 keep down the cost and waste Of
raw material, or wear OF machinery. Profits
and wages might be high, or both be low, at
the same time, or one might be high and the
other be low. Iusread of one being dis
placed by the other, they almost al.
ways went together, both high or
both low at the same time. The
above analysis of the facts showed that pre-
tective taxes lowered wages, and that high
wages were not a resson why protective
taxes were necessary. The remuneration of
labor was high because the advantages were
great 1t would be higher if laborers were
let.alone, to use advantages without any re-
straiut or interference. The more the case
was studied in all its aspects the more thor
oughly was the free-trade solution of it con-
irmed, because, instead of becoming entangled
in ridiculous sbsurdIties, it was found that
all its relations were simple and consistent.
The next speaker was Cyrus Elder, of
Jobnstown, Pa, who commenced with the
remark that as the commission ad just been
entertained by the presentation of the En-
glish side of the question, it was appropriate
that the American side should now be pre-
sented. He read extracts from letters of stu
dents complaining that they could not find
al their colleges any teaching of the Ameri-
can doctrine of protection.
Another free-trade argument was read by
Charles M. Saulson, of New York, a journal
list. His paper was entitled Protection and
Two of its Inconsistencies"
Arguments followed upon various SUBJ
jects, and the commission adjourned.