Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-07-12

other European country. SO fan. as
Europe is concerned it does not APP
pear that labor is materially affected
by systems of raising government
revenues. In regard to England,
she is but little more a free trade
country than some of the other
European countries named by Mr..
Jones, and it is misleading to de-
nominate her as such. At the pres
ent time about one-half Of England's
revenues are raised by irnpost duties;
the amount thus raised being equiv
alent to about $500 per capita Of
the population of Great Britain. In
the United States, under what Dem.
ocrats call "the robber tariff" the
revenue derived from duties on i'm
ports is only $3.50 per capita of our
population. BY a rigid system of
protection for many yea'G in the
past, England built up manufactur-
ing industries so enormous, and
brought them to such perfection,
while neighboring nations were
giving but little attention to like
industries, that they are not, and for
many years probably will not be
able to compete with her quality or
quantity of product. Consequently
they cannot afford to pay as high
wages in the production of inferior
articles to be sold at low prices, as
England can pay in producing su-
perior articles that command better
prices in competing markets. BY
her system of governing her de-
tendencies, including Ireland and
India, in which there are practically
no manufacturing industries, Eng
lands wares are without eompeti-
ton among those teeming millions
of consumers.
Mr.. Jones, like all free traders,
argues from the premise, that be-
cause only 20 per cent. of our pop
ulation are directly employed in the
manufacturing industries, therefore
protection benefits only that pro-
portion Of our people, at the sacri-
fee of the remaining so per cent.
1t is surprising that a gentleman of
his reputed intelligence and fair
mindedness, should take such an I'M
tenable and unfair position. Pro
tectionists claim, and by statistics
prove, that good wages in the work
shops Of America are always accom-
panied by well paid labor in all
other branches of trade and indus.
try; and therefore protection pro
tects equally all labor, whether
mechanic, miner, common laborer OF
farmer. The proof of this is the
fact that during the periods when
protective tar ifs were in force in
America wages in all lines have
been higher than in free trade OF
revenue tariff epoebs. Under the
high tariff of 1861 to 1888, and in
fact up to the present, labor of all
kinds has been better paid and the
whole country has been more pros
porous than in any equal number OF
years during our national life,
Further, under the protective pol
icy of the last 25 years, manufac
tories have been built up, and home
competition stimulated, until the
prices of manufactured articles tc
the consumer is vastly below the
prices ever before known for like
articles, whether imported under
free trade from abroad or produced
at home. So that the farmer ano
laborer can to-day purchase witt
his wages or the product of hi.
farm 90 per cent. more Of the nee
essaries of life produced in the fac
tory than ever he could prior to the
establishment of the tariff Of 1901
These indisp facts are all The
argument that should be necessary
to satisfy any unpreiudiced patriotic
American that protection is not the
burden upon the people that MIR
Jones and his free trade oonferees
would have the people believe.