The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-09-13
TARIFF COMPARISON.

| NON III ICSdIu 10 lne JarlU. Euu
Gated men, especially in our colleges, gt
on theory, while the merchant manu-
iacturer, etc, 90 on the practical work
ing of it. | never read of professor
or an advocate Of free trade that gave q
clear argument with regard to its effect:
ON wages.
Now, lst, Wages on goods imported
remain abroad.
ID. Wages under free trade on all
goods will be about the same whether
produced in the United States or
abroad. Let me illustrate by my own
business. | am an iron merchant. /
sell iron manufactured in the United
States. The duty on iron is removed.
First thing | know Belgian merchant
opens store near by to sell Belgian
iron, Swedc opens store to sell Swed-
lSh iron, u German opens a store to sell
German iron, and half dozen English
men open stores to sell English iron
What enters principally in the cost of
iron? Why, labor; labor in getting
the ore out of the earth, labor in
getting it in shape to be rolled, labor in
rolling it, labor in getting the coal
out to melt it and make steam to carry
machinery in rolling it. Now, in order
to retain my business, l must sell as
low as my competitors or 90 out. As
labor settles the price, the manufacturer
in the United States must have his labor
as low as the Belgian, German, ,Swede and
Engishman, or Shut down his mill.
I'd. Protection means that all goods
that can be produced in this country
shall be at the best possible wages. OF
course, home competition being allowed
but not foreign competition, wages be
ing higher goods will cost more, but
nothing like the figures that a paid
agent of the Golden Club or professor
who wishes to make show to carry
out his theory. Now this money, what
ever it may be-S ZOO, ,OOO, 900 or tenth
part of fit-remains in the country and
enriches it, the wage earners getting a
large portion of it. Now if these goods
were made abroad the money would 90
abroad, and the wages also. A young
man said the other day, "why, if we
pay a million of dollars for goods abroad
we have the goods" so we do. But if
buy 100000 worth of iron in Alabama
and pay Mr.. Jones for it he has the
money and | have the iron, and both
the money and iron are in the United
States. lhave had business experience
OF 16 years and have passed through
many depressions caused by free trade
tinkers and Democratic experiments,
but have always found that when the
laboring men were generally employed
at good wages, the business of the
counry was good and got my share of
it. Presidents of colleges, professors,
doctors, lawyers, teachers and others
got their share also.
Now let me compare the state of
things thirty years ago with now.
Wages of laboring men IS cents, now
Sl.5O to 80 per day; carpenters and
masons 81, now $3.50 and 3d. servant
girls my mother paid 81, pay 81 per
week. My old minister in the country
$500, his successor new $500 per an
mum; physicians so cents to 81 per
visit, now 80, SO and IS. Lawyers al
most anything Gthey see fit, if they gain
their case. Old Justice Wilde of our
Supreme Court sat in a referee case
three days and charged $50; now
Justice would charge $500 for the same
business. Presidents of colleges and
professors get much larger pay than
their predecessors; / have no doubt
yours is twice as large. Now all this
is owing to the growth in wealth
caused by protecting our own interests
and saying to England, hands off,
Now. with regard to the 500, ZOO, 900
raised for the support of our Govern
ment by the tariff, you make a great
show OF figures per capita, which are
not borne out by facts.
In the first place there is not 81 ,OOO,-
OOO, 900 basis. You might as well take
the $1,000, ,000,0 900 we produce in the
country; especially is it not true of the
500, 900, 900 raised by the tariff? Those
who use the goods pay the revenue.
The other day dude was complaining
that he had to pay the duty on 5000 of
Partisan boots and $500 on English and
French clothing he purchased abroad.
Now he pays the duty. | don't. Here
is an Anglomaniac-I call them so-who
thinks nothing is good enough unless it
comes from abroad, is rich, builds n
house (palatiaD, must have English fur
niture, carpets, bric-a-brac. Now he
pays the duty. | don't. Here is a
mother of the same sort; she must have
dresses for herself and daughter, and all
wearing apparel made in the latest
Partisan style. She pays the duty.
don't. Here are several of the same
class who must have English ale, Scotch
whiskey, Holland gin, French brandy.
wine, claret, port, Madeira
and Rhenish wines-all imported. They
pay the duties. | don't. SO on with
great many imported articles.