The Labor enquirer., 1884-09-20
THE q.ARIEF.

No good reason exists why men should
disregard common sense in discussing
tariff, when they are able to appear ra-
Z tional in other things The most evident
propositions are inv ented by high tariff
advocates, 7. B. Wakeman, of New
York, supposed to be of sound mind,
makes the followint, assertion and ap-
plies tito the tariff question;
r cit is for the best interest of every
country and every people, the world
over, to have the consumer, the manu-
facturer and the producer. of the raw ma
terial, as near together as possible; that
unnecessary commerce is unproductive
labor, that is so mitch wasted friction,
and if anything should be taxed, that
should be, and not agriculture or manu-
factures which are forms of productive
labor. No free trader has ever answered
the above simple statement. Let them
try" .5 :t.
4 This is no harder to answer than any
other argument for protection. 1twould
be for the best inter est of all concerned
if the Arctic whale regions we're along
side the Minnesota wheat lands; or if
the southern cotton fields were next door
to the South American diamond mines.
Unfortunately they are not, hence COM
merce is necessary.
There is always some reason why an
article can be produced in one region
cheaper than IN another. The fact that
goods are brought here from Europe and
offered for sale is proof that the goods
were produced cheaper than we can pro-
duce them. If the difference in the cost
here and the cost in Europe more, than
covers the transportation, how can the
commerce be unnecessary Plainly, that
is 'unproductlYe labor" or wasted frlc-
tion," which is applied to producing arti-
cles here instead of buying them cheaper
from abroad.
Let Mr.. Wakeman point to some case
of unnecessary commerce. Dealers are
not in the habit of shipping goods across
an ocean when it do es not pay. Ofcourse
unnecessary commerce is unproductiYe
labor, but commercetis meyer unnecessary
except in some incidental case where
a merchant shows poor judgement
What barefaced folly is protection !!
Briskness in trade makes good times"
yet we are told trade must be restricted.
We may seek the ch heapest market in our
own country but nowhere else, for some
infant industry" that never should have
been established, may suffer.
Why should freedom extend so far as
our national boundary line? Why not
make the state or county line the limit
General Hancock's theory of local pro-
lection should be marked out to its full
extent. Make tariff, as he says it is, a
local issue. In Chicago, iron bridges are
being built which ca me from Pittsburg.
Now, there are bridge-makers in Chicago,
/ why are they not protected The reason
. is, miners work for 70 cents per day in
Pennsylvania. European Iaborers un-
derbid US, but we are protected from
them. I wonder if the Pennsylvania
miners want more "protection2" ii
Gardeners near Chicago can raise
peaches, grapes and watermelons. Why
are peaches and grapes allowed to come
from Michigan, and watermelons from
Georgia, free of duty? These things can
not be produced as cheaply in Chicago,
but our home garden ers should be pro-
tected. Hui eE.
Mr.. Wakemsn is working hard to es-
tabIlsh mental freedom. He wishes
every individual to accept and adhere to
the opinions which seem right, without
fear of priest or deity.
But he is not in favor of commercial
freedom. We must not buy foreign
goods, though they be made under more
favorable conditions for less monev.
He might as well say we shall not sell
to foreign nations, for we cannot afford
to send out our wheat and receive moth
ing in return, nor will anyone buy 1t, if
we will not buy of them. The true rules
of commerce admit Of no national boun-
dary lines.
General Butler is probably a free
trader in principle. # the tariff we're an
issue Of vital Importance, however, some