Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-08-02
PRosPERlNc uNpER ATARIFF.
The benefits OF Protective Policy shown
10y the Figures of "A Free Trade Apostle.

In o recent issue of the Des Moines
Register we find the following letter.
from Sac City. Iowa:
Edward Atkinson f. one oi the best
staGSticiaus 0t this country, ana his tigures
on any subject may be received rs being
as near reliable rs can be made. In re.
cent articles in the Century he dejuced
some figures from the census OF 1850, and
from other sources, which bear upon the
question Of Tie difference between q pro
tective tariff and free trade. As Mr.. At
kinsOn is himself q free trader, his figures
will not be called in question by those who
oppose protection"
"rhe average production OF grain tc
each inhabitant of the United States has
risen from l3 IL bushels in 1865 10 SO H..
bushels in 1880 . This is due perhaps tC
two causes; The bringing into cultiva.
ton of the fertile lands of the West, and
the Introduction of improved farm ma
chinery. This-latter may fairly be credit
ed to the results of protective tariff, which
has stimulated invention and produced
machinery that enables the farmer TO cul
tiyate more land. Thus the farmer raises
90 per cent. more grain now than he die
twenty-five years ago lie receives equal
ly good prices for it in 1888 as he received
in 1860, therefore, he earns GO per cent
more now than then. At the same time
cording to Mr.. Atkinson, is as 81 26 l-2 now
TO 81 in 1860. Therefore, where the farmer
received S3l 80 in 1860 for part of his sur
plus; he now receives S6604 ? for an
equal part Of his surplus. Certainly the
farmer cannot complain of the workings
OF the protective tariff.
Mr.. Atkinson gives some figures to sus
tain his assertion:
1860 1880
Standard cotton sheet'g 5 0S 16 S O6 Il
Suit OF furniture. $500 1000
Twelve steel axes ...... Hoo $50
Horse rake ..,.... go. $500 24.00
And these might be multiplied indeA
nitely..
The wages of workingmen in the two
periods are given by Mr.. Atkinson, as fol
lows:
Free Trade. Protection.
1860 1880
Workmen OF av. capty Sl.6S 500
WoTkmen OF sup. skill 2,37 9.W
The purchasing power OF money having
increased under our protective tariff, the
days labor Of the worktngman has actual
ly increased from 40 to 10 per cent accord
ing to the skill of the worker. Surely the
workingman should not complain Of our
protective tariff.
AT the same time that farmers and
worklnRmen have thus increased their
earning power under our tariff, the earn
ing power of capital has diminished abso.
lutely 80 per cent. and relatively 70 pei
cent" Is not this a sufficient answer t.
the charge that q protective tariff favors
capital at the expense OF labors
Mr.. Atkinson states, and truly, that
Labor secured at least 80 per cent. OF
the joint product OF labor and capital"
He further states: From the fullest IA.
vestigation have been able to make, !
have become more fully convinced that 30
per cent. is the maximum margin OF profit
on all production in this country, and
that even less proportion of the product
of a normal year is nil that can be set
aside for the maintenance or increase OF
capital. The profits of manufacturing
since 1880 have been less than 10 per cent"
1t is truly stated that any business yield
ing per cent profit Will attract all the
capital necessary.
In 1860 the rate Of interest on Western
farm loans was as high rs - per cent; now
it is as low as per cent.
The estimated product per capita In the
protected United States Is 300, in free
trade England it is Sl75.
Here is q remarkable statement made
by M Atkinson, yet is fully verified by
civil war in 1865, aud yet more since the
so-called panic of 1878, there has been
greater progress in common welfare
among the people of the country than
ever before"
Wonderful is il noti And all these
things have been accomplished under that
protective tariff which the Democratic
party, under the lead Of President Cleve-
land, is seeking TO overthrow, to subsd
tute in its place free trade under the guise
OF revenue tariff. II it has been done by
virtue of this tariff, no consideration
should induce us to change it. If it has
been done in spite Of that tariff, we should
hesitate long before we substitute for it a
policy which, in every case in which 1t has
been tried in this country, has brought
business depression and ruin in its train.
JAMES n MILLER