The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-24
A STRONG DOCUMENT.
4 Formidable Argument Again st the Doc
tripe of Free Trade.

4 Formidable Argument Again st the Doc
tripe ofFree Trade.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Oct 23.-Probably the most
formidable array of figures and argument that
nas yet appeared against free trade has Just
been compiled at the State Department. 1t con
sists of a report from each of the consular and
commercial agents of the United States located
in Europe on the wages of European laborers
and mechanics From an immense mass of fig
ures it is shown that the men who work at the
different trades in this country paid salaries
averaging upwards of 60 percent. more than those
in England, which country pays the best wages
of any of the free traders.
These reports are made by men under oath,
and are official There is nothing artificial
untruthfui about them. They snow, too, that
free trade is grinding the workingmen closer and
closer and that the salaries are growing less
every year The business of manufacturing
under free trade, is carried on by large capital
with very short margins. Fewer men are learn
ing the trades, which bears more heavily upon
the farming communities, and hence the increas-
ing immigration to this country
In Germany where there has been a tariff
for five years. q very marked improvement in
the condition of trade and workingmen is OBJ
served As the tariff operates more fully the
improvement grows, and the people would
not abandon it. The industrial institutions in
crease rapidly in number and wages have in
creased 40 per cent. They do not experience
the oppressveness they did before protective
tariff was established In England the mills
close frequently, while in Germany they seldom
do Comparatively, the industries of the United
States are in operation nineteen twentieths of
all the time, while those of England but seven
teen-twentieths; this. despite the fact that our
mechanics are paid more than go per cent high
er wages. England shows the only decrease of
wages in all Europe since 1878, and England is
the champion of free trade.
Especially has ship-building, the pride of Eng
land, suffered by free trade. A few years ago
she made ships for every country and sea in the
world. Her docks were dazzling in their array
of new vessels. Thousands of mechanics Aocked
from every country to the English shipyards
They found employment On account OF the SD
perior workmanship and her materials, England
has always made finer and better vessels than
any other nation. Her ship-buildirg interests
were to her what our lumber and agricultural
interests are to the United States
The wreck of the ship building interests of
England under free trade makes a deplorable
pen-peture. Navyya that once employed
tens of thousands of men, and were the busiest
rnarts in the world, and that turned out the
finest vessels built, employing millions of money,
are now deserted. If they are not
closed, they are maintained as repair
shops. The vitality of the business
has been stopped. Their interests are wrecked,
and seeing they cannot recover they seek to drag
down other countries by encouraging the same
evil that ruined them. They would be pro-
teeted, but they realize that it would take the
length of many lives to recover.
The operatives in all countries admire the pro-
lection our industries have, as do the manu-.
faciurers. yet they see that their only salvation
is in broadening the principles of free trade to
every land. The nearest we come to the wages
of free trade England in any institution in this
country is in the cotton mills of Massachusetts,
where the wages paid is but II g. 10 per cent
higher than in Great Britain.