Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-08
MEMPHIS APPEAL
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY $, 1888
THE WAGES oFLABOK,

The proper way of obtaining belief is 10
prove the t;irg asserted. Belief, however, ia
very community obtained without proof, by
mere repetition of the thing asserted. To
hear every day, and from numerous sources
stout, co9fidentially made statements re.
speeding ome fact wilton the principle that
"what everybody says must be r1e," and
that "continusl dropping wears away
stone"-move the minds of even intelligent
person. People in general are not accus.
tome to weigh evidence or analyze state
mere, therefore, upon the general mind con-
hdmE and repeated assertion often brings
tn assent Of the mind that should be
gwen only when such proof as the SUBJ
!ect is capable of is supplied. Superstition
and common popular errors are founded upon
the power OF strong and reiterated assertion.
This fact is largely taken advantage of by
the protectionisls. Their system is irration-
al and founded upon fallacies, and proof
being wanting, assertion, continued, repeated,
aud audacioup, is made not only in the abb
ssnce OF proof, bat in defiance of and oppo-
sition 10 proof. Especially is the influence
OF vigorous assertion brought into play upon
the subject Of workmen's wages in this coun-
try. Tennessee paper before us, which is
an adept at the logic OF assertion, declares
that protection Of the home product is the
only way to enhance the price of labor.
This is only one of the continued streams of
such unsupported statements which flow from
this paper as water from the spring. Were
the statement true it would be sup
ported by proof, proof being wanting
because the statement is false, bold, impu-
dent, unblushing, unceasing assertion is re-
sorted TO 10 catch the unwary and deceive
the unrehectipg. The only way 10 enhance
the wage of labor, Gays our protectionist CO.
temporary, is by protecting the home pro-
duct. To enhance is 10 increase; and, by
implication we are 10 understand that 10
omit protection lowers, decreases. Labor is
not protected" by our tariff system, and
therefore the.tarif does not directly increase
the price of what the laborer has to sell,
though it increases the profits Of the capital
list by increasing the price Of the product he
has 10 sell. The increased profit goes into
the hands OF the capitalist, but nobody has
eyer heard Of the capitalists making ii rule
TO govern The amount Of wages paid to
the lEborer by the amount Of the profits
they make. They add as much OF their
profits as they can TO their private fortunes,
and pay as little wages as they can to the
laborer, in order that their profits may be the
greater. Workmen find it as frequently nee
essary 10 strike against protected as unpro-
tected employers, for protected employers
are as ready TO reduce wages as anybody
else. If protection alone enhances labor,
what brought emigrants to this country when
there was no protection system here "grind-
ing the faces of the people" If the absence
of protection decreases wages, what made
wages rise in England when the curse of
protection was driven away2 II protection
is the only way to enhance the price of Ia
Dor, why is labor better paid in unprotected
England than in protected Germany? The
truth which the asserters OF the enhance
ment Of wages by protection only
try 10 hide and deny, is that la
bOIi llko OluCi COmmOuiticet LAS
It's price regulated by demand and supply.
II two employers want a workman, and only
one is to be got, the two will bid against each
other whether protection exists or not, and
the mans wages will be enhanced. If Two
men want work aud only one employer is 10
be found, the two will underbid each other
TO get employment, and no system Of pro-
lection will prevent it. 1t is not protection
but supply and demand that regulates the
price Of labor. Our country is large, and
increase OF population, Of farms and Of
workshops increases the demand for labor,
and therefore the amount of wages. If pro-
lection increases the demand for labor it is
by extending the markets where the products
of labor are sold. In this country it limits
that demand by making products dear from
taxing the raw material, and 80 cutting US
of from supplying foreign markets.