The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-02-09

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with them that if their wages are reduce,
they Will be able to buy at a less prc
under the new order of things than hereto
fore. The answer to that proposition il
that the laborers of Europe who receiy,
these low wages do not live nearly SO wei
as American workingmen. The consump
tlon OF farm products and manufacturer
products by 10000. 900 Americans is equa
to the consumption of double that number
OF persons in Europe. This is due to the
higher rate of wages that we pay. Oul
people wear more clothing and better
J CLOTHING and consume more food than any
other people in the world. If we break
down the tariff and the wages we shall
| break down our market by curtailing the
capacity and ability of the people to con
sumo the products of the farm and the
factory. Investigations made by scien
tifc men show that our laboring people
consume at least % per cent more nour-
ishing food than do tie same classes in
Europe. This is undoubtedly the chief
reason why our laboring people are able to
do more work in a given period than
European labGrers. Break down the tariff
system, reduce wages thereby and you not
only break down the home market but you
break down the labor of the country itself
by reducing its capacity for production
The question of wages and consumption
are the most vital with Which an execu-
tive or government has to deal.
ANOTHER OF THE PRESIDENTS MISTAKES.
Under protection do not the non-pro-
tected industries suffer?
That is question that enables me to
speak of another of the Presid ent's mis-
takes, He says carpenters, blacksmiths,
masons and so on are not protected He
calls them the non-protected industries.
AS fact, these are the only people who
are absolutely protected in this country.
They have prote ction to the extent of pro-
hibition. Mr.. Cleveland argues that out
of II 900 900 or more Of workers those only
who are engaged in mining or manufac-
turing are benefited by protective tariff,
and those only amount to 100000 There
are 375 900 carpenters, 1000 blacksmiths,
125 900 masons and others who, he argues,
are not benefited by the protective system
because there is no duty on their products.
They are nevertheless protected more alb
solubely than those engaged in manufac-
turing establishments. The workers in
wooden manufacturing establishments af,
fected by the present duties are brought
into competition with workers i'll the
wooden mills of Europe. for more than
$40. 900 900 of foreign wooden goods were
brought here last year and sold in compe-
tition with the native product. The same
principal holds true in regard to iron,
steel, silk, cotton and in fact all manu-
featured products. But there is no direct
foreign competition with our carpenters,
masons and blacksmiths, for vau cannot
import houses ready made any more than
you could the daily Philadelphia Press
from London. Al these laborers who,
the President claims, have no interest IN
a protective tariff have really a protection
that amounts to prohibition of competi-
tion with their product. BY reference to
the Off cial table of wages it Will appear
that they are paid, too, the highest wages
in this country of any trades much higher
wages than are paid operativ S in the mills
who meet this foreign cp.upetiton in
spite of a protective tariff Il two ofour
times higher then the wages paid for sim
liar work in Europe. 1t is the building
up of towns and cities around manttac-
turing eStab ishmentS, which ar =, e0ur-
aged by protection, that enables carpenters
and masOnS to receive this high rate of
wages. Why. under the tariff of 1851,
down to 1880, carpenters Who now receive
So to "a a day were then glad to get ST a
day, and all other artisans received wages
in the same proportion. All the people in
this country who labor at all are benefited
directly in their increased rate of wages
by protection. The only class of people
who would be benefited by the overthrow
of Protection are those who do no work,
but live on fixed incomes derived from in
vestment of fortunes accumulated by the
labor of their ancestors
HOW TO MAKE THE REVISION.
How would you revise the tariff
The tariff should be revised by it's
friends by putting On the free list all raw
materials not product of our country
Other changes might be made that would
not necessitate reduction of wages of
anV Of orr WORKING poon1a D,b;ob ;c tho
one thing that must and should be avoided
The surplus now on hand and which will
accumulate before any change in the law
can go into effect should not be used for
any advantage of public Improvement hut
to pay off portion of the national debt
We cannot, in truth, be said to have any
surplus as long as we have portion of the
debt unpaid.
How can that payment take place
The law gives the Secretary of the
Treasury power TO buy and cancel bonds.
Instead of.hoardlng it his duty is to see
that this money is returned to the chan.
nels Of commerce, which can he done by
buying bonds. The President objects to
the authority because it was passed as a
rider Oh an appropriation bill But some
of the most important laws ever placed on
the statute books were SO passed 1t has
always been held that law giving such
authority or discretion should be put in
force when the public exigencies demand
it. There is such an exigency now.
Why does not the Administration exer-
else that authority ?
| | can give you my opinion why, but FIRST
let me call your attention to these facts
The present Administration came into
power denouncing the Republican party
for holding a surplus in the Treasury
| which amounted to only $40, 900. 900. But
Mr.. Cleyelan1's Secretary did not issue g
call for bonds for over six months after he
came into office, and until the surplus had
increased to $4,000, 000 The present sur,
plus accumulation is being held in the
Treasury as a menace and threat against
the business of the entire country and in
order to force Congress to break down ou1
tariff system. If the menace fails, as fai
it will, and if Congress fails to pass any
law, the Treasury will pay out the accu
| mutation for bonds in order to make