New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-28
SENNERISM

in argument or instructiOn-of the argument
that NAV repel but cannot possibly convince, or
the instruction that may turn ont concerted
docmatsts but cannot train anybody to reason
mr. Tn tbink-he can find it in an article on
Protective Taxes and Wages" by Professor
Sumner. I'm The North american Rerieo Tor
March As the article embOdies much OF the
matter which opponents of the protective sys-
fem often mistake for reasoning it may be
worth some mention. At the outset Mr.. sum
ncr. after his usual method, makes assertions
which do not accord with fact, and then bases
upon them reasonings which are devoid OF
logic, thus;
The enplove wants wages high. that f. higher than
he hns been gettng-hher than nc could get In another
country The legislator promises that he shan nave
them This threatens injury 10 the employer VINO wants
wage. low II Will not do 10 make wuges low however;
30 the statesman promises TO produce the same result y
making prices high. II sounds badly to talk Of eVylhS
taxes 20 make prices highs 80 It Is affirmed that after ALL
protective taxes lower prices Here then we have one
and the same device which makes wages high aud low
and prices high and low both az the same time
If this il meant for instruction, 1t is calcu-
lated 70 make shallow and conceited fools. For
there ia not a single accurate statement nor
single soundly reasoned inference, but the air
l. that of n man who thinks that nobody else
has any sense except himself, and that those
who differ from him have no honesty Mr..
Sumner asserts that the employe - wants wages
ahirb that is. higher than lie has been getting
ahigher than he could get in another country"
This vague and slipshod statement may mean
either of two things, but neither is the truth.
The einploye does not look to the protective
tariff for wages higher than he has been get
r,f iprf a.
against the tendency of foreign competition to
depress wages Neither does he look to the
protective tariff for wages higher than he
could get in another country for such wages
he knows he can get in this new and rich land
in occupations not protected. The legislator
does not in fact, promise the latter, because
that exists In the nature OF things; nor the
former. because no law processes to fix the wages
that employers shall pay; he does promise
some defence against the tendency to force
wages downward to the level OF overcrowded
foreign nations
The first attempt 10 reason" this threatens
injury to the employer besides being pure
dogmatism, Is both illogical and false. II does
not logically follow that higher wages would
iniure an employer. Mr. Atkinson. really
capable reasoner on the free trade side has
shown that high wages and large profits natur-
auv and ordinarily coexist. The duty which
enables the employer to pay higher wages ana
to gain larger profits at the same time does not
threaten injury to him. Hence 1t Is false 10
assert that the employer 1wants wages low
What he does want is a state of wages which
will secure him the most efficient labor-and
therefore the most cOnteuted and intelligent
labor-consistent with good profits. The
teacher who utters such an untruth as an axiom
il not III to teach anybody. The reasoner who
begins by insulting those whom he wishes 10
convince il entitled to little consideration.
Newt we have an insult to the statesman who
differs from Mr.. Sumner; 1t Is assumed thaC nc
reaIlv vauts 70 make wages low, but does not
dare to do it directly. No statesman, III point
of fact. does "promise to produce the same re-
suit by making prices high y; what some states
men do promise is that, within certain limits,
prices shall be gOveEped by the relation be-
tween home supply and homo demand. Log
| ically, that does not necessarily mean hlBh
price or n low price, but price measuraby
free from dependence upon foreign markets.
q 1t sounds badly to talk OF levyiDg taxes TO
MAKE prices high" says Mr. Sumner but 1t
| sounds much worse to hear one who processes to
| he an instructor setting an example OF lnde-
cency in the treatment of those from whom he
dissents There are those who talk of making,
not prices generally, but the price of n par
ticular article OF class of articles, higher for
time, lin order that it may be permanently
lower That does not sound badly, to anybody
else. or to Mr. Sumner himself. Is it there
fore that he had not the fairness to state
| the ground upon which, if ever, such an adj
vance in price is contemplated as desirabcf
$50 it is affirmed that, after all, protection
Showers prices,D Mr.. Sumner continues;
q the same device makes prices high and
allow both at the same time" 1t is untrue
that this is the teaching of protectionists
| What they do affirm is that the lower price
comes, not at the same time," but as a conse-
auence of the restricted market which encour-
ages the development of IN industry. Mr.
Sumner does not meet that Affirmation, but
| falsihes It. What mental furniture can
Young men get from such instruction. with
which to meet the arguments which every
| clear headed laborer knows how to use Eng
land sent us steel rails at $3.50 per ton, duty
paid. The United States and Germany pro-
tected and developed that business, and now
three countries make steel rails instead Of one.
| The natural result ia lower price. Tho fact
il that England must now sell to US as low ~