The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-10-29
Wages and Prices.

to make defense of the pellcy of
imposing a protective tariff by
showing. or attempting to show,
that it does not have the effect
charged by the advocates Of low
tariff of increasing the prics Of the
protected article, but that on the
contrary it lowers the prics to the
consumer. The writer of the article
referred TO, underse ke to assert
that this Miraculous endowed tariff
depresses the prices of American
manufactures below the value Of
European manufactures, and 1t
the same time protects the home
manufactures and the home laborer
from the pauper-made products Of
European countries. OF all the
ridiculous nonsense that ever fell
from a protec ionis;'s lips or flowed
from his pen nothing has ever ex-
celled this al gument in starknaked
absurdity. Ia the writer's own
language, be undertakes to show
that under the protective tariff laws
1.-The psop's do not pay more for
their goods, and that, in fact the
contrary las been the effect in every
instance IN any industry after 1t got
started and established in this couE
try, and that the workingmen of
this country are persons receiving
the greatest benefit frem 8 tariff,
as it protsctS them end keeps them
| from working at the starvation
wages of their competitors in pauper
European countries"
All through the article these same
two ideas run along lovingly
together, hand in hand. as though
they were the most natural compau-
ions in the world. The writer tells
us that while this high protective
tariff, By chsapening the price of
manufactured articles, ''gives the
American consumer the benefs of
millions of dollars per year. At the
same time 1t gives employment tand
sustains the same time it gives
employment and sustains the
wages Of the Uor4lngmen, who, if
it were not for this bene6cient sriff
reducing the price of their prod cts
would be objects Of charity sup
ported at public exPeosel''
Now any man OF common sense
can see that these two tn'ngs cannot
consist. The very objecs of a pro-
tective tariff as urged by the
manufacturers is TO enable them to
place their goods upon the mark ct
at a higher price than that for which
the manufactured products of foreign
Pauper labor can be sold. They
argue that owing to the lower ia e
of wages prevailing in toreig i
countries they can manufacture al
less cost than we, and that unless
the price is forced higher by q
protective iaf:f either the late OF
the laborer's wages must be re-
duced, or the n auu &C ure;s utterly
ruined. Now, if it IS true that
instead CT do y THIS it realty lowers
theSprice of the p,oduo', sud there
fore cuts down ;bS profits al the
manufacture, it is difficult tC
understand how tbs VIII tend
either TO bu Id up manufacturing
industries c. pro ect tae wages 0.
the labor er. Inc wages of labol
must depend upon Inc value OF i.
, produeno1, sd Wba ever rends Il
decrease its p D6t o the emo,oye
must necesss ~ {erd to decrease
the wages o. lis emplOye. The
: Union wli.e s ,hcoly shat tn
( proiec..Ye t9,-f lor the benefi
: OF the labt,. and nc fer me beneG
of the manu- Jver caEnOt posi-
, bly, be lrde. VI bile it does no
l necessary follow nat an increas
IN the p;ni!3 cf ne employer vii
C will cause eh lc-ea.e Il fee wese
Q of the labo-c.', yes ! ) obFIou
, that you Cs"rot jr he manu-
facturer wi.aou u CHS employ e
If this policy OF reducing tn
S price Of our Pro &c ed manufacture
g by high tarI3 laws is kept up,
can only be a matt Of time whel
all our manu- &c az WI be bank
: rupted and broken down. TIL
value of their produces will b
d protective" down % a ruinousl
o cheap figure, ths wages OF labo
, will be reduced 10 he lowest pOin
or it will be lefs idle and uneLnploy
> ed. All this is fair aud legiCimat
e deducted from the pro, &C. on make
e cheap goods.
If the Unions wIiter could sue
- coed in convincing The manufact
}. urers of tkis country that the efec
n of the policy which they have beel
advocating so long and so zealousl.
I is to force up the rate of wages an
u force down the price of goods, the.
would become the mcsst. rampan
u free traders in the world.
But if the tariff is the sort @
double-barrel concern some PEG
pie seem to imagine, then it
indeed the very consumation of hu
man wisdom, 1t increases the profit
v of the manufacturer, raises tn
e wages of the laborer, lowers tn
,. prices of goods to consumer pro
y vides abundance of revenue TO
n the Government, and dosn't cost
1t cen.7 Really, instead of complain