Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-09-19
GEN. FAIRcHILD ON THE TARIFF
QUESTION.

GEN. FAIRCHlLD ON THE TARIFF
QUESTION.
From a republican exchange we
learn that in a recent speech de-
livered at Lacrosse, while speaking
of the tariff, Gen. Fairchild treated
the subject in the light of his own
personal experience while holding
the position Of U. S. consul at
Liverpool. Gen. Fairchild offers as
an argument against the reduction
of tariff taxation the statement
that the working men are paid high
er and better wages in this country
than in England. He attributes to
protection the better condition of
lahorers in the United States, and
therefore opposes any modification
of the tariff. The man who can
not see good and sufficient, reasons
aside from the modes of taxation,
why the condition of the working
people in the United States ought
to be better than the condition of
their brethren in aristocracy rid
den, over-crowded England, is TOO
narrow-minded to be sent abroad
as representative Of our govern
ment. Does our great, bountiful,
undeveloped country, and our free
dom and selfgovernment count for
naught? Why, we are blessed with
rays of the sun which ripens
corn and cotton-crops which can
not be produced in England! Do
not these great staples contribute to
our material prosperity? Revenue
reformers admit that on the whole,
wages are higher in this country
than in England; but the difference
is not as great as it ought to be. If
we were given more rational tariff
laws the difference would be i'm
measurably greater. Who for mo-
ment supposes that if we had free
trade and England protection, the
condition of the English working
man would be better than the
American working man. If the
taxes which are wrung from the la
borers of America were laid upon
English laborers they would starve
to death. America is young and
strong, and because she carries the
burden of protection without sinking
beneath it is deemed an argument
in favor of tariff extortion. Gen.
Fairchild ought to know that wages
are far higher i'll England to-day
under free trade than they were
fifty years ago under protection;
and that they are higher in Eng
land than in any European country
which clings to the Anticipated theory
of taxation which he advocates, and
are approaching altogether too near
to wages paid in the United States.
In closing Gen. Fairchild said:
The democrats are telling the farmers that
protection is hostile to their interests, and
pointing to the low price of wheat as an ev-
idenee that the farmers are i'll no wise ben
Gifted by protection. The price of wheat is
low, but it is the result of the prospect of an ex-
ceptionally abundant harvest in all parts of the
world. Ii is not SO low however, as it was I'M
der the non protective tariff adopted by the
democrats when they controlled the government.
Both in 1859 and 1860 wheat sold down to 65
cents a bushel.'
Now in regard to the price of wheat
in 1859 and 1860, he states what
is not true. From table before us
we find that the average price of
wheat in New York for January
1859 was S1,40 per bushel, and for
the same month in 1860 S1.45 per
bushel. These figures are nearly
double the present price of wheat;
and it must be remembered that
ocean freights were far higher twenty
five years ago than they are to-day.
Wheat may have sold in those years
at inland points which had no
means of transportation, and no
mills, at low prices, but how unfair
to compare the prices at those points
with present market prices.
OF course the low price of wheat
is not entirely caused by protection,
but it is in q great measure at
tributable to that source. Protection
has destroyed our shipping, and
directed the bulk of our trade to
Liverpool, where our products are
sold at comparatively low prices.
If our exports could be carried
directly to South America and
other good markets of the world,
the price of wheat in our markets
would undoubtedly be largely in
creased.
| Gen. Fairchild may be a very
popular republican leader, but as
an advocate of the spoliation sys-
tenn he is not success.