The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-01-14
PROTECTION AND WAGES.

"A
is Significant fact that the American
laborer is Joining in the assaults on the In.
iquitous tariff" Well, just give "the Am
erican laborer" fair chance TO vote for or
against the tariff This Is just what Re.
publicans demand. Call II free trade, and
not tariff reform" Sail under your proper
color-Inter. Ocean
The actual facts are that, taking grade
for grade, the prices of wooden clothing in
the United States are not fifty per cent
higher than In England, excepting In the
case Of fine grades, such as are worn by the
editors of the Free Press and Independent
Times. But, even If true, workingmen who
get nearly double the wages here that
workingmen do there can afford to pay the
difference Republican.
Little paragraphs like these, which one
can find scattered through all the journals
of the protection-phobists, embody In few
sentences the whole doctrine and argument
Of that sophistic school. The doctrine Is
that protection is necessary to keep up the
wages OF labor, and the argument Is that
without protection the wages Of labor in
America would be reduced to the level Of
the pauper labor Of Europe. Therefore,
though protection raises the price of goods
to American consumers 80 per cent las In
the case of woolens) 1.-The workmen getting
nearly double the wages here that working
men get there lin England9 they can af.
ford TO pay the difference" as sagely OBJ
served the Ottawa Republican.
That there may be foundation for the
statement that "ths American laborers are
Joining In the assaults on the ubiquitous
tariff" two delusions only need to be dis
sipated. l, That the advocates of tariff re.
form are free traders" In any honest inter.
probation of the terms; and, 3, That the
tendancy Of tariff protection is TO increase
the wages Of labor, or that, In point of fact
It has any control over or honest connection
with the question Of wages
One simple consideration settles that
point. Steerage passage from England
Germany and France to the United States
Is often but so, and seldom higher than
SIS. II an English, German or French
wool spinner, cotton spinner, cutter, glass
blower, or workman of any sort can earn
$500 In the United States when for the
same amount Of work he gets but $500 In
his own country, how long will he stay
there9 Or II the English or French work
man get but $1.00 day In his own country
and Massachusetts manufacturers are pay
Ing $l.75 day, how long would 1t be be
fore they would replace their higher priced
native workmen by importing the cheaper
workmen from abroadp Far reaching and
comprehensive as our protective system
Is, we have free trade In lobor And
results demonstrate the potency Of thai
fact. Go through our great Eastern wooler
and cotton factories, glass works, iron mills
coal mines, or factories of any name OF
grade, and what Is the ratio of native Am
orleans and foreigners In their employ
Ten foreigners to two Americans will be
about the ratio In every instance. Why |.
this' Are our boys and Sirls-men ant
women--unwilling to work for the high
wages protection" insurese No! they are
crowded out by the cheaper labor imported
from abroad; so that the wages of labol
between Europe and America are not only
equalized, but, In point of facts, in many
instances, comparing the amount of worl
done by laborers In America with tina
done by the same class Of laborers in Eu-
rope, the wages of labor are Io,cer In Am
erica than In Europe!
The truth of this statement was fully
demonstrated In these columns last sum
mer by our very able and intelligent cor
respondent, "By. SANDER" and with oul
Intelligent readers the matter need not bt
gone over again. 1t is sufficient to say tina
he proved by the official reports of our for
eign consuls, made to the State Department
at Warrington, that In al our great indus