The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-01

1860 and compare it with fha nr;ca
for like articles at the present time Ipon
making inquiries anyone will find that prices Of
And this, although free trade existed in 1860
since which time we have been living and arc
now under the protective system Ex-senator
Eaton on the floor Of Congress- asserted in the
face of his free trade friends and challenged
contradiction that everything from a paper Of
pins to the farm machinery and threshing ma
chimes on their farms, in the South and West
was cheaper to-day than it was in 1859 and
1860 under free trade. AS an illustration of
what say, refer to the single article of WOODEN
blankets, about which our free-trade
friends have exercised themselves so much
among the laboring and wage classes doubt
not that you have heard often and will often
hear again during the discussions this year that
the farmer and laborer are taxed for their
blankets from q dollar to five dollars uair
1t will be alleged that this enormous tax goes
into the pocket of the manufacturers / denv
that wooden blankets of any quality are as high
IN price to-day as they were in 1860. In that
year, j. J. .Debson q Son, of Philadelphia were
among the heaviest wooden manufacturers Of
the country. They have furnished list of
prices for the years 1853 1859 and 1860 of wooden
blankets manufactured and sold by them to the
merchants OF the country and by the merchants
| to the people The lowest grade of coarse
blankets manufactured by them were sold at So
pair in 1860 whereas the same quality of
blankets to-day are manufactured and sold at
ST. 70 pair. The next quality, in 1860, were
sold at 81. 90 pair, and they can now be bought
for ST. so pair and so on to the very highest
grades which are manufactured and sold by
them now, and were sold by them in 1860 at $13
a pair, can now be bought at $3.50 pair
These are the wholesale prices, and you must
remember that this is under a tariff which pro-
tects from 40 to GO per cent. In other words,
under free trade we had to pay from 80 to 60 per
cent higher for the same class and quality of
blankets than we do in 1884 under protective
law; and what was worse for us, the bounty
that we then paid went into the pockets Of
IfaQf tht.ko1
among the laborers of our own country. But
under tariff there can be no bounty distributed
to manufacturers. The trades-unions and
| workmen's organizations keep the price of labor
to its highest limit which is right and gives to
the manufacturer but small margin; and COM
| petition among our own people brings the price
| down so low that we obtain the article at less
rate than we could under system of free trade
It is not confined to the article of blankets alone
1 Carpets show the same ratio in favor of Amer
lean industry. So with delaines, cotton fabrics,
| ginghams and all that is necessary for any one
to do to become thoroughly informed on this sub
1 ject is to take time to investigate. A greater
! disparity exists in the values of iron
/ and steel, although we are constantly told
that the iron interests of Pennsylvania are pro
| tected beyond the bounds of reason If the free
/ trader will take occasion to hunt up the prices
Of best refined bar rail iron in Philadelphia from
1 1855 to 1861 and from 1880 to 1884 he will find
large balance in our favor as against the price
during the free-trade years. 1t will average
from So to $l4 per ton in favor of our protective
system. 1t viii be seen that the prices Of these
articles which have alluded to are lower under
/ a protective system than they were under free
trade The illustrations are so infinite that to
| follow them further would become tedious and
irksome. have alluded to a sufficient number
of articles to demonstrate the principle for which
we contend, and assure you that it will hold good
when tested by any other of the various branches
of Industrial pursuits. | must now leave this
question, having but merely entered upon it, to
the investigation Of the people in such manner
TOIno1
of free trade, and warn the people against carry
ing it into effect 1t must be bornei in mind that
far the larger class of people in this country
have nothing to sell but their days work; they
must find a market for it. The capitalist nay
| live without work, but the laborer must 6nG a
daily market else he win perish. If you so legis
late as to diminish the market for labor, you
strike serious blow at that class of people.
Idesire to illustrate the theory of an open
market for all commerce by referring to Chinese
cheap labor, AS principle, | believe that tbs
/ doors OF this country should be opened to the |
| settlement of all persons in the world provided
they make their home among us for the purpose
| of becoming part of our citizens, and are will .
/ ing to assinilate with and become absorbed by
4 our civilization. This was the theory of the
| fathers of the Republic. But the exception
! which urge is against species Of slave labor
/ need not argue with any intelligent man that
/ the Chinese coolies by many centuries of brutal
/ treatment, have become enured to coarse and
/ cheap living. While his power of endurance to
| perform physical labor is not reduced below
] one fourth of that of our own laborers
his diet and consequent cost of living is dspropor
! tionately reduced below his power to perform
! labor. But the greater objection against this
kind of laborer, is that he does not seek home in
this country, except for temporary purposes
! comes here under coutractand, having accumu
| lated a few thousand dollars Immediately re-
! turns to his native land He takes no interest
in our affairs refuses the offers of Christianity
or civilization, brings his idols with him. insti
tutes in our midst court of idolatry, and re
fuses to yield assent in any manner to the teach
ings of our missionaries In other words, he
Gomez as a slave, to earn sufficient to disenthral
/ him, and then works with avowed purpose o.
returning to his own country, there to live and
die in the faith of his fathers. Twenty five year,
OF missionary work in this country among then
has scarcely converted a dozen. The great fac
remains that if they overspread and overrur
this country, their labor will effectnally and
materially lessen that of our own wage classes
and reduce them, decomposition to the verge
starvation, for no laborer III this country can live
on what the Chinese laborer will live upon and
grow rich If, therefore, the doctrine of free trad
is right, the Chinese coolies should not be pro
hibited from entering our country, because the
would furnish to the manufacturing establish
ments cheap labor, to the farmers the same, an
would soon take the place of our domestics an
crowd out the busy hands Of labor in the thor
| sand vocations which our own people now FL
! 1t is true this would cheaper living and produt
tions of all kinds, but it would deprive our ow
| laborers of the means of earning livelihood
/ It would be quite immaterial to them how chea
| clothing was or how cheap living might be OF
tanned if they had no opportunity to earn tn
amount requisite for that purpose. To illustrate
if suit Of clothes was worth but 81. 90, it woul
be great hardship upon a laborer to purchas
them if he had no means Of earnin
the purchase price To further illu
trate It, was once prisoner Of war; and
/ the midst of plenty | came near starving
DEATH because / had no means of earning
penny to pay for sufficient food to keep body an
soul together.
This illustrates my idea of free market wit
out protection. If, therefore, there is any cla
of people in the world who should see to it th
laboring and manufacturing interests are pr
tected in this country, it is our laboring classe
| If they listen to the false notes of ree-tra.
i cfr xufU f,,d 4hovn