The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-11
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Tarfn Question,

To the Eaitor of the indianapolis journal:
In a second article on Tariffs and Civiliza-
ton, Mr.. Conner says: Here IS a nation that
strikes Town the possibilities of a great class to
attain to equal social and political conditions
by denying them inalienable rights in her
organic structure AS a consequence Of this
abnormal condition, this great class, while pro
ducing per man as many tons of iron rails, as
many yards of cotton goods, as much of every
thing else us a similar class in another govern
ment does who enjoy all their social and political
rights, still, by reason of their disability, are
compelled to accept one-half less pay for their
services than the Others"
The statement contains the fallacy of the
pauper plea for protection, and is false in
every particular. Cost Of labor cannot be
determined by the rate of wages. High
wages do not imply dear labor. nor do low
wages imply cheap labor. The pauper plea for
protection to infant industries is unknown on the
continent of Europe. On the contrary, the high
priced labor of England and America is the plea.
Protection is asked not against countries paying
lower wages than themselves, but against those
paying the highest known w~ages-England and
America.
English wages are shown by Robert p. Porter
to be fully 80 per cent. higher than German
wages, and at least so per cent. higher than
those of France; yet, IN the face of
a high tariff, imposed for the purpose
of excluding English competition, France
imported from England in the year 1881
manufactures Of woolens to the extent of
$40, 900, 600: of cottons 49, 900, 900. In the same
year Germany imported from England woolens
to the amount of $l3, 600, 600, and cottons to the
amount of $15, 600, 600. The wages of manufac-
turing a kilogram of cotton yarn in France is
:0o4 cents against only .043 cents in England.
The average productive capacity of a German
operative is but 50, 900 pounds, while that of the
English operative is 81, 900 pounds. In Russia
the average Number of spindles operated by one
person is %, in Prussia 81, in Great Britain "a
The average daily wages of puddlers in 1868
was $LSS in England, $l55 in France, and 81 %
IN Belgium; yet the price of merchant bar iron
was bat $50 in England against $35 in Belgium
and $40 in France. Despite the fact that
the wages of the ship builders Of England are
much greater than those of France, the cost of
building a ship is ten per cent. greater in France
than in England. Mr.. Lothian Bell has
shown that in France forty two hen are EN-
ployed to do the work which twenty-four do in
England. These instances of low cost of wages
accompanying high cost of production, and high
cost of wages accompanying low cost of pro
duetion might be multiplied beyond the capacity
of volumes. But l need quote no further to
show the absurdity of the statement that all
classes Of w~orkmen. despite their unequal social
and political conditions, produce per man an
equal number of tons of iron rail, as many yards
of cotton goods or of every thing else
The hollowness of the plea for protection
against the pauper labor of Europe is best
shown by the answer to the question:
Which country In Europe is most feared by
protectionists! England, with her comparative
ly free institutions and high-prieed labor, not
Russia, with her down-trodden subjects and low
priced labor, is our greatest rival.
American free-traders point to the industrial
supremacy of England, and her accompanying
high wages, and affirm that with raw material
free, America, Notwithstanding her high rate of
wages, would soon dispute her supremacy in
the markets of the world.
This is pre-eminently a manufacturing coun-
try. and may soon become the workshop of the
world. We have already outgrown the home
market in some lines, and American manufac-
turers are complaining under the burdens Of pro
lection. Already New England has spoken. and
demands freedom to buy and sell unrestricted by
governmental dietation. Protection is bringing
forth its fruit-overproduction, limited markets,
low wages. and strikes, and the country is turn
ing toward freer trade for relief.
CHARLES Z. FERGUSON.