The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-02-25
WeeAlg gatelligeneer.
OFFICIAL CITY AND COUNTY PAPER.
WAR AND LABOR.
From the n. Y. Herald,

From the. n. Y. Herald
ms Is an oppOrtune time for those
VINO hin that American labor needs
protection from competition with the
laDOr OF foreign countries 10 consider
what terrible burdens, constantly in
creaslhg, are placed upon the latter,
from which the former is wholly free.
To-day Prince Bismarck, ut Berlin,
wall cllnch with such statements as he
may think necessary the demand for Il
loan of some $40, 600 900 with which
to provide for calling into the military
scrVlco OF the German empire, as coca
sion may require, 100000 more men.
rms vast sum-tar more onerous to the
already heavily weighted resources Of
the German people than a greater one
would be to the American peoples
mo- to be the final expenditure made
necessary by the contemplated army
increase. 1t merely covers the cost OF
hitting the machine, If we may say SO,
for the use of tue additional force W hen
called for. IL this force is not brought
into action the annual expenditure for
the maintenance of the machine will
still be pro~portiOnately increased. If,
still further, the time should come
when the Prince Chancellor thinks il
needful TO use this force, then these
100000 men will be taken from the
best OF the productive laborers of the
empire, and simply to maintain them
10 feed, Clothe, shelter, and care Tor
them will take all tho possible a
ing OF Il still greater number OF labor
ers. Ii, in addition to all this, these
100000 are SEM into the field, IL is
quite impossible to compute even APP
proxlmately the burden that will be
imposed upon the people by their
destructive activity.
We are asked by the protectionists OF
the United States to. believe that they,
as employers, wholly free from the
crushing weight of taxation made nee
essary by conditions such as these
having in their employ laborers who
also have no share in such terrible dis
abilities, uud who, moreover, have no
lear OF having to face such demands
upon their persons aud their earnings,
cannot produce their goods in open and
fair competition with German rivals
thus handicapped. We may put aside
Tor the the assumption that
these protected employers do pay, or
would pay, their men higher wages
because of their W higher profits.
AS u matter of fact they do not do 50,
the rate OF wages being determined
entirely by the competition between
the members of the particular class OF
wOrkInen able aud willing to work III
each industry, and being therefore
often lower and sometimes higher than
the employers can afford from their
profits TO pay. But, apart entirely
from this consideration, we call atten-
ton to the fact that the direct and in
direct burden of taxation for military
purposes in every continental countr
in itself places Industrial production in
those countries at such an enormous
and obvious disadvantage that, with
entire liberty OF commerce, the Amer
lean manufacturer can fairly hold not
only our own markets, but foreign |
markets, with any reasonable use o.:
the resources ut his command. The
mere difference in the productive
capacity OF the working people of II
nation where no such burdens are Or
can be imposed constitutes an advan-
tage that nothing can overcome except
the folly of American legislation.
For NOT only are the manufacturers
of the United States able TO command
the energies of the workmen of our
own race, but they are every year re
inforced by the immigration to the
United States of large numbers of the
most active, intelligent, enterprising,
and, in a word, efficient of the work |,
men OF the countries where the "a
ton of war taxation are the most
onerous. Against this drain of the
productive forces of Germany Prince
Bismarck has for years constantly, but
with little success, directed his efforts
By special legislation for the work
men,, by protective duties OH compe-
ting foreign products, and by the stern
est aud most arbitrary measures Of re-
striCtion, he has sought to induce OF
compel the German w~orkingmen to
stay at home. And this he has done
not only or chiefly that the army might
be recruited, but that the means by
which alone the tremendous burden OF
the support Of the military establish
ment can be sustained ma not be i'm
paired. These efforts have had only
superficial and temporary success, and
he has more than once admitted that
the problem of keeping up the fighting
strength OF the German Empire was
8 U difficult that it might be necessary
TO hazard everything in an effort Ia
crush the opponents against whom it
had to be kept in readiness to contend
Snch Il policy must be attended with
the gravest dangers. for no n conld
foresee where a conflict once entered
upon would end; but the chances of
its worst results are hardly more
formidable than the certainty OF those
brought about by this costly policy OF
constant preparation. With such
rivals, all that American industries re-
quire in order to triumph over all of
them is the freedom to use the count
less advantages they will enjoy when
artificial and arbitrary restrictions are
removed.