San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-05
coRREcToR CORRECTED.

Under the head of "This Statement
Corrected" "F. T. D." in the Times
of August 31st, refers to our state
ments in the LIGHT of the 3Oth, as
"full of mistatements." What he
claims as mistatement No. /, by us is
that: "Reduce the cost of living 40
per cent and the wages are neces-
sarily reduced at the same rate"
While this is not exactly what we did
say, we will simply suppose a case.
Let the cost of living at B, be reduced
40 per cent below the cost of living at
A, while the prices of wages remain
the same at each place. Now how long
will the supply of labor at each place
continue as before? Would not the 40
per cent reduction in living expenses
at B. overstock it with labor and i'll
the end reduce the price of labor in
the same ratio? Yes, we have read
in the textbooks all about supply
and demand and we have read
about Bulls and Bears too. In No. 2,
we claimed that wages and farm pro-
duets under free trade were about
half what they were under prOtec-
ton policy, and in reply "F.
T. Do quotes prices. The prices of
wheat, corn, oats, pork lard, beans and
wool in 1860 and again in 1880; but he
failed to say where these prices pre-
vailed. The place may have had
much to do with the prices at the Two
dates. In speaking of the prices of
farm products we had reference to
what the producer received for them
and not to the prices fixed by produce
gamblers. The prices which the farm
ers receive for wheat and corn and
pork, are the prices to be considered,
and not the prices as modified by
transpOrta ton, commissions, specula-
ton and jobbery. 1t was to the farm
er and not to the middle man We re
ferred to. And in speaking OF them
free trade under Jackson, Van Buren,,
Tyler, Pierce and Buchanan. If F. T.
d. would get at this question let him
consult price currents of st. Louis and
Cincinnati from SO to '45, and later in
clude Chicago from "a to go. The
centers of these surplus products to
get at what farmers received
for them. From such sources
F. T. D. will learn that what
we said was true. Again in quoting
figures, why didn't he quote the
prices of cotton and potatoes at those
two dates? If his figures were n. Y.
figures, allow us to suggest that the
farmer would received more money for
his wheat in 1880 at 81 .25 per bushel
than in 1860 at S1.3S per bushel. Orr
reply to above fully answers what he
terms instatement No. 3. We agree
with "F. II. d." no revenue reform
can go back to these
years of free trade depression in the
thirties and forties. 1t has become
very convenient for them to forget
their free trade failures. And he
takes us to task for not including,
Jefferson, Madison and Monroe among
the democratic saints. Well, let us
see. What has been the democratic
all these years? Can you,
my friend, remember any save these
two, slavery and free trade, unless it
be the additional Jacksonian plank of
spoils? Now see if you can
find room for Jefferson, Madison,
and Monroe on such platform.
They are all protectiOnists and anti
slavery. Jefferson very emphatic on
both these subjects. IfJefferson was
a democrat what are jeff Davis
and Grover Cleveland? When the
framed platform free
and from any outside pressure, as it
did in 1861, it planted itself unequiv-
ocally on free trade and slavery, and
since the death of slavery, Cleveland
found it necessary to plant both his
democratic feet on the one plank left
free trade. We hardly think Jack
son would stand on the one plank,
were he alive, but we did not feel
like attacking your one dead saint.
We have answered No. 4, the price
of wheat in New York under Jackson
in our reply to No. 2: The farmer in
Illinois, Indiana or Ohio, who hauled
wheat to New York market for "a
cents would have been out of pocket.
When he has answered our state
ment, that under protection calicos
were reduced from SOC and Doc per
yard to &c and &c per yard, we will
reply to his No. ). We did not con-
found factory operative with a me-
chanic. Both are laborers, and we
referred to both. We did not forget
that 1.-The plumed knight" did not 60
to the front, but we did remember
that he went to the halls Of congress,
and that then, and before he went
there, he loyalty upheld the cause of
the fedral government. Cleveland's
disloyalty may not have been as con-
spicuOus as was that of a copperhead
or confederate, but his loyalty was
no where manifest. We will close by
saying that if "F. T. D." will consult
those who know what labor was paid
in our three free trade experiments,
and also quote prices paid for products