Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-01-18
NO. a.

until the laborers will not be able to
stand it. We are able TO compete
with the rest of the world in large
number of articles, and could greatly
enlarge our list were protection
completely removed In 1880 our
manufactures of metal wares amount
ed TO over S672, 600, 600. In textile
fabrics our production was over S521, :
600, 600. Now, these industries have
had twenty years of protection, and
yet what contemptibly small amount
are we able to export.
EXPORTS IN 1880.
Here is what we sent out of the
country in 1880 in articles of Ameri-
can manufacture:
Agricultural i'm plementS, clocks, etc. 30 nOO
Cotton manufactures. ................ I0, 90 90
Iron and steel manufactures, tools, fire
arms, etc .-......... II nO Csll
Woolens and wearing apparel.....,. ZOO 90
All other manufactures -....,...... 10, 90 GO
Total -. ...............-..........s .sta. 40 90
4 LOW TARIFF NAMES GOOD BUSINESS
In 1860, under a low tariff, we ex,
ported $3.50, 900 worth of woolens and
wearing apparel. In 1872, after l2
years of the highest tariff we have
ever had, the export of those articles
fell OFT 81 per cent. or down TO S640,
600, Now, in the face of all that, can
any business man assert that high
protective tariffs are good for us2
On the other hand, while the
rates of duty on cotton goods be-
tween 1860 and 1872 were thirty five
TO- l,N e.,
tions increased from S33, 900, 600 to
S35, 900, 900. In woolen manufac-
lures the Imports increased from $50,
900, 900 in 1860 to $50, 600, 900 in 1872,
an increase of 122 per cent, and that
under a protective duty of from 80
to l25 per cent.
THE WAGE QUESTION.
But" said the reporter, would
not wages go down under a low
taritf2"
''On the contrary The good old
times when we exported more than
we do to-day were times when we had
low tariff of nineteen per cent. In
those days the laborer got higher
wages than he does now. | mean
that he was in every way better off.
He could give himself better house,
better clothes and bring his family up
more respectfully y than a man i'll the
same work can to day. The effect
of protection is to make everything
dear to the laborirg man. He is, after
all, the greatest sufferer because he
spends almost all his wages on goods
that are highly taxed. When hard
times come i'll manufacturing enter
prise the first thing that is done is to
curtail the hours of work or reduce
wages. Either way means the same
thing The mill owner is forced to
cease making money, but the laborer
is faced with want for the bare ne
cessities of life. He has no where to
turn for days work. He stays
around the works i'll the hope of some
thing turning up. But in any event,
whether he hangs on until the mill
goes on again or whether he packs up
with his family and moves off some
where else, he has to sustain great
loss of money and time and generally
endure a good share of
real suffering. While in the past 25
years the cost of living has
risen fully one-third the wages of la
boring men have not by any means
gone up in the same proportion. This
fact was fully brought out by the last
census, and should be made a test
from which a sermon to laboring men
might be we'll preached. would ask
every laboring man, What has pro
lection done for you!' Here are TWEEN
ty-odd years of high tariff that bave
gone by The workingman has been
told by his protcctionistem employers that
high tariff makes high wages. Well,
now, after all the tariff talk, the
money appears to be principally in
the pockets of the manufacturers,
while the condition of the operative
in point of substantial comfort is
lower than it ever was under the low
est tariff this country has ever
known"