Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-04
ATARlFF DELUsI0xNxPoSED,

A TARIFF DELUsInx-EkPosED.
The Pioneer Press, a Republican paper
| of undoubted ~soundnsss, assails vhat it
| calls the "English b~ugbear," which it char
acterizes as 1.-THE nonsense OF discussing
! tariff reduction az if it we're an English in
vention, invented in the tight little island
for the express purpose OF running Ameri-
can industries" and which it relegates to
II the nurseries as of a piece with the stories
used to quiet refractory children. It points
to the fact that "the most thoughtful men
and journals in Great Britain look with
concern upon the possible reduction of
tariff duties by the United States. Eng
land recognizes in this country her most
formidable rival. The wonderful activity
of the American mind in inventing new pro-
cesses and improving old ones. in introduce
ing labor-saving appliances and lowering
the cost OF production, has pressed Eng
land in the race for supremacy" 1t refers
to consular reports and the investigations
OF the South American Commission as
showing the rich field close to this country
and which this country could control iii
we took the goods OF other nations in re
turn for ours" Before England realized the
immense strides made by American manu-
facturers, she was anxious to gain a more
liberal access to our domestic Market and
would have been glad to see a reduction OF
tariff here. But now it is different. ITO
day the London Times admits that Eng
lishmen will do well to consider whether
their own interests will not be put in danger
by the impetus which this will give to the
foreign trade of the United States" AS to
wages. the Pioneer Press points to the fact
that the wages paid in England 'for an
equal amount of labor in the same occupa-
tions are very much higher, sometimes
twice as high, as in either France or Ger
many" which levy high duties on importa-
tions and protect their home industries to
the highest degree without bringing their
working classes to anything approaching
the wage standardin England. But as The
MINER has pointed out before. there is no
need to 60 abroad for an illustration OF
this. The coal industry OF Pennsylvania,
which exacts enormous prices for it's pro-
UeClCO pTOuACts pays ohS AAanoAo uSAo
poorer wages actually than many English
miners earn, and worse than that these
very highly protected coal barons have be-
lore now imported pauper European labor
from Hungary to replace Americans at
wages the latter would rather refuse to work
at than accept. The Pioneer Press then
disposes of the war argument" which it
refers to as 1.-THE last retreat OF the men who
believe that the tariff can never be made
high enough" These men assert that. in
the event of a reduction OF the tariff, Eng
lish manufacturers will, for the sake OF OBJ
tanning control of the market, undersell
American rivals, at a loss if necessary, un-
til they have driven them out of the bust
ness. Then, having a monopoly, they will
put prices up as high as they please, SO
that the same commodity shall be more
costly without a tariff than it was with
one." Such reasoning assumes the absurd
ity that there would be no other markets
open to this country but those OF England
and that Americans would be compelled to
buy in that market to the exclusion OF
France and Germany whose manufacturers
''are compelling those of England to keep
their prices down if they wish to hold their
own" The competition among English
manufacturers themselves is sufficient to
prevent any possibility Of such concert OF
action on their part. The Pioneer Press
regards this, however, as 1.-THE alb.
surd side OF the argument 1t
has another the dishonest side:
''This alleged anxiety lest England drive
our industries to the wall must rest upon
the proposition that all duties are to be
abolished. For, if we only reduce the duty
on those articles far enough to equalize
production here and abroad, then the
Englishman can never under sell the Ameri-
can unless the latter raises his prices I'M
necessarily to swell his profits. With a
tariff to equalize cost OF production, in.
stead of a tariff averaging At per cent, Eng
land would not be one whit better off, as
far as the American market is conc. rned,
than she has been for the last twenty.
five years." And this, it must be
borne in mind, is all that the
tariff reformers in Congress now advocate.
The assertion that the President in his
message advocated free trade, or that such
a proposition would be entertained by any
OF the tariff-reformers, is simply an untruth.
Recent Washington specials Indicate that
the Democrats in Congress will come to an
amicable understanding upon the subject
early in the session, SO as to give the coun-
try some measure OF relief, and the views
quoted of a staunch Republican paper
show that that party is very far from
being unanimous on the subject of retain.
ing the present tariff in it's entirety.