Daily Republican., 1884-08-22

1t will be seen that the average wages |
paid to all the industries mentioned |
above, and which include practical |
manufacturing and mechanical en-
ployment, was $10.31 week on the |
average, while that for Great Britain |
was only 1886, only half lacking So
cents of what is paid in Massachusetts, |
and Massachusetts may be taken as a |
fair average Of what is paid in all the
manufacturing States of the Union.
But we are met with the argument
that we can purchase more for a dollar |
in Great Britain than in the United |
States. This is about all the stock in
trade left for the advocates of free trade
and low wages. A few days ago we
published a carefully compiled state
ment showing that only in clothing did
Great Britain excel the United States
in cheapness. In breadstuffs we are
lower, in meats we are lower, and in
everything of table use we are lower.
How then is it possible for living in
Great Britain to be cheaper than in this
country
Suppose clothing is fifty per cent.
cheaper, that will not make up the diff
ference. Two suits will last person
year, and he may save ten or twelve
dollars on the suits, but how far will
this saving 60 to off set the greater
expenses of the table Are we asked
why clothing is so much cheaper in
Great Britain than in this country If
we are, we would refer our inquisitors
to the difference in wages paid in the
two countries. That tells the tale
Why should not Great Britain under
sell us in woollen and Gotten goods /?
She robs the cradle and the grave i'll
search of cheap labor, of course she can
sell cheaper.
All the United States have to do tc
get as cheap goods as in Great Britain
is to cut down the low wages of en-
ployees. This will accom- plish the pur.
pose effectually. The way to cut down
wages is to lower the tariff on BRITISH
goods.
The tariff was cut down couple o
years ago, since which time wages hav,
been lower, and the attempt made re
Gently in Congress to cut down the tar
if still more has so alarmed the manu-
facturers of the country that they ar
afraid to carry on their works to thei
there is another cutting down of wages
and what is still worse, manufacturin
interests are so paralyzed that there
very little work at any wages.
Are we asked what bearing this ha
upon the pending Presidential election
We answer it has very great beariI
upon IL, because the Democratic part
has an equivocal platform on the SUI
ject of the tariff Everybody who hs
read the proceedings of Congress know
that the Democratic House Of Represe
tatives spent the greater part of the sc
sion in an attempt to reduce the tar
on imported goods, and was only pr
vented from doing so by few prote
zion Democrats uniting with the Repu
licans to defeat it. The effort, had
succeeded, would have been long st
in the direction of free trade, and lo
step in cutting down the wages of Il
country to a level Of the wages paid
Great Britain. But the Democra
party, when it assembled through
delegates at Cincinnati, was too cowal
ly to go before the country with Gle
free trade plank in it's platform.
fears the people, and comes before the
In an Apologize manner. Its platfol
on the tariff issue il interpreted by f
traders as favoring free trade, and
protectionist Democrats as favoring 4
lection. The real sentiments of
party are found in the effort in Congr
TO cut down the tariff Let no labor
man or mechanic be deceived alb
this. If they vote for Cleveland
fall, they vote for reduction of
tariff, aud if the tariff is reduced
the wages lowered, which must inev
bly, follow, those who voted for 5
a state of affairs will get exactly W
ehey voted for.