The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-09-27
/ ONE DoLLAK UNDERsHIRT.

lection aro moro clearly Understood by per-
sons coming from free-trade England, says
The Boston Journal, than thoy appear 70 be
BY those who havo lived and prospercd In
this country, who do not stop to think for
moment why they and thor predecessors
have prospcred The causes they do not
consider. The results they know. Our
readers will pormit US, In ordor to illustrate
some Of the fallncies Of free trade, to devi-
ate from tho accepted style Of editorials.
Without invcnting facts, permit us TO give
an object lesson which will illustrate some
truths which men in active business have
little time to think about.
A foreigner entered store, and walking
up to the trader, inquired for an undershirt.
He was shown an assoytmcnt One was
selected, and the price, q, was stated.
~ could buy one full "a good ~ this for
City cents in England," said the purchaser.
"well, my friend, why didn't you stay
in England and buy iti'' replied the shop
keeper.
"Becauso couldn't get the fifty cents in
England half 80 easy as can get dollar
In the United States," was tho reply.
"How Is that" inquired the dealer.
ut is very easy to explain" continued
the purchaser. "fleft home because wages
were low and decent living was high. I
where before was in debt"
~ suppose you are frce traderl" added
the dealer.
"IfI werc an English manufacturer I
| should certainly be in favor Of FREQ trade In
the United States, but, being working-man
In this country, am In favor Of o protective
| tariff"
"If VIC had free trade" continued tho
dealer, ~ should be able to sell more
goods, because could sell thcm cheaper"
| "Don't run away with that idea, my
FRIEND" continued the worliing-mnn. III
the United States should adopt free trade,
this country would be overrun with sales
men representing English houses, and
where there Is one agent now Of an English
house there would be hundred. These
bagmen, rs VIC call them, would flood the
country. They would scour every city,
town and hamlet, and they would sell their
goods just where you expect your custom
ers to come from. Mind you, it is the
surplus production that England wants to
unload upon this country"
"But could import the English goods
just as chcaply Gs thcy could" added the
trader.
"Thcn II that is so, why Is it that tho
agents Of foreign houses in New York, not
only Of England, but Of Franco and Ger
many, can underscll any American who i'm
ports the same goods nowl"
"Undervaluation is tho cause" was tho
prompt reply.
working.man "But II they can undersell
you now with fixed tariff, what would
they do when 1t is for their interest to see
that their own agents are protected from
American compctitioni Imagine o hundred
thousand bagmcn covering this country So
| Letting orders. What would become Of the
regular established houses!'
"Oh, we should hold our own somehow or
other" replied tho trader.
"If John Bull once gets his grip on to q
country, you will find /: hard work to get It
off," was tto reply.
"At any fato you would be benefited, for
you would got your underwear for fifty
cents," added tho dealer.
"At first should be, but IL wouldn't be
long before should have the same trouble
had in England. I shouldn't have the dol
lar to spare. 1t Is rule the world over,
where competition comes In and must be
met, the wage-earner must suffer In the
end. The manufacturer runs his mill To
make money. II he finds that his article
does not sell, he tries to mako it cheaper,
sometimes by making 1t Of poorer material.
The public suffers by this method, but moro
frequently ho tries to meet competition by
reducing the price Of labor. When he does
this he takes just SO much out Of the pockets
of every man who sells any thing that work.
ing-men or their families wear or cat, for
the working-men are tho great consumers"
: "But working-men live In England on less
wages" added tho trader.
"Yes, but how do they livel The working
men Of tho United States live like human
beings-tho working-men of Europe barely
secure subsistence. No, sir; twist 1t any
way YOU please, the United States has q
! home market which England wants, ,and John
Bull aided by your Democratic party will gel
1t II possible. Did you ever know Of o pros
porous merchant who went round among hii
competitors and gave them list Of his Gus
: toners that thoy might have a chance to un
derscll hint Whom you hear of q shrewd
merchant doing this, It will be timo to tall
about the brotherhood Of man, and oper
your markets TO tho competition Of England
: France and Germany"
"But, ~ you see, my friend, by the cost o.
, tho underwear,'. resumed the dealer, "it
, would benefit the United States to have
free trade, because we should sc nd out oul
! products and take pay In goods."
"That's q .veritablo chestnut" resumed
the workman. "" You think, perhaps, tha
JOnn Dull WOuiu BiVc you inc preIoronc'
. because you bought his goods. Not bit O
' it He would buy his corn where he coult
, buy it the cheapest. 1t would be equiva
: lent To bringing the semi-slave labor O
7 India into competition with the free labo
3 Of free America. They would dump thei
a surplus products here and take your golt
as fast as you could ship it, but as for buy
ing your corn because you bought their pro
{ ductions, they would not do it IL they coul'
a buy for o fraction Of o mill loss somewher
else. There is no sentiment about Johl
: Bull when he is making trade"
"Quite q large percentage Of my good
+ are imported" continued the trader, "bu
!. I depend more upon my own specialtief
which order in England and keep for m
8 customers"
4 ''Don't suppose they can find them an
/. where else in Boston," resumed the visitor
"No," was tho reply, ~ hold my ow
! trade through these specialties."
!, "If we have free trade, how long will thi
n continuei was the query.
!, "Oh, guess for as long as live," wa