The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-01
Projected Out OF Farming, Protected Into
the Iron Industry. Wherein Is the
Reneiity

protected Out OF Farming, Protected Into
the Iron Industry. Wherein Is the
Benefit?
contend that the real reason for asking
for protection is, not 10 protect the protected
industries against the competition OF the
cheap labor of Europe, but to protect the
protected industries against the competition
of the more remunerative employments OF
our own country. This Is the alpha and
omega, the beginning and the end OF the
necessity for protection. The laws OF
nature have implanted In man desire TO
accumulate This disposition on his part
has taught him to embark In the most
remunerative employments instead OF the
least paying Industries. The result is that
no man is going to engage 10 manufactur-
ing until It brings MIN as great returns for
his services as are equal 70 or greater than
those of other industries. Hence 1t is that
manufacturers want TO have tariff laid
on foreign made goods In order that, by
placing a fictitious value on their products
they can offer workmen as great induce
ments to work for them as are offered In
other industries They do not want a
tariff imposed In order TO enable them to
compete with the poorer paid industries OF
Europe, but In order that they may com
pete with the better paying industries OF
America No man Is going TO work for
one doll't day when he can get two. 1t
is contr.y to reason and common sense
that he should Hence no one Is going To
wU,k for a manufacturer when he can get
more by working for some one else. Nor
is manufacturer going 10 pay out more
In wages than he gets In return In services.
These two things being 50, 1t stands to
reason that when manufacturing Is less
remunera,ive than other forms of industry,
manufacturing will be abandoned until II
becomes as, or more, remuneratlve. IL Is
AT this point that the manufacturer steps In
and asks for a protective tariff, That Is,
he asks the government TO place a fictitious
value on the goods he wishes to manu-
facture in order that he may compete, In
the labor ket with the better paying
industries Of his own country In securing
wOrkmen, II is the competition OF home
that he has to fear, not CO mpetition from
abroad the com petition o! the American
farmer tina, he has to overcome not the com
petition Of the foreign manufacturer the
competition of the natural industries Of the
United States, not the competition of the
industries of Europe And how does this
competition come about and where
Why, In the labor market, where farmer
and manufacturer both have TO res, IT t.
secure workmen, and where the price of
labor Is fixed beyond al! the power of a
protective tariff TO alter or In any wise
change 1t Is here that the struggle takes
place, and the breaking point is when the
farmer has offered greater Inducements
thar the manufacturer possibly can. 1t is
then that the manufacturer resorts TO con-
gress and asks for protection. Protection,
aud against whom? Ostensibly against
foreigners practically against Americans
Instead of saying can't compete with
the cheap labor of Europe" the manu-
facturer would come very much nearer
10 telling the truth If he were to say 81
can't compete In the labor market with
the more remunerative and better paying
industries Of America. | am not able to
offer workmen az great inducements 10
work for me as are offered In other EN-.
Payments. The iron industry Is unable
10 compete with the farm industry. Make
the farm industry give US a portion Of
What they make. Let us tax them In or
der that the difference may be overcome"
Whether they say II or not, that Is the
effect of levyiDg protective tariff.
| lay II down as an incontrovertable
principle, the dictate Of common sense,
that that man Is better off that the wants
OF his family are better supplied; that the
members of II are happier, and that his
country is more prosperous, who engages
In legitimate business that brings him
in the greatest returns for his outlay.
That man Is better off who at farming
makes two dollars day than the same
man would be at making barrels at which
he could make but one dollar day. This
is nota principle Of political economy this
Is not pet theory Of any theorlst; this Is
not an Intricate problem In political math.
emstics, nor does 1t involve any abstruse
reasoning TO force such conclusion II
is plain common sense. II Is simple
reason. II Is the natural suggestion Of an
unbiased mind. This Is the proposition: