The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-05-05

duced taxes to the amount of $780,
300 900, while the democratic party bad
reduced 1t only a bagatelle. That was
the splendid column those gentlemen
had erected.
LABOR BEARS THE BURDEN.
The tax on consumption was paid by
hard daily toll. Suppose a laborer
with 81 il day could buy q woOllen suit
of clothes for $40. IL required ten
days labor to purchase il. But when
the tariff put on duty of one hundred
per cent the suit would cost S2O. Then
il required twenty days labor for the
man to secure what he could other
wise have secured for ten days labor.
Had not ten days OF labor been ami
hilaled? Either il had been annhilated
or the proceeds of ten days labor has
been tranferred from the laborcr to
some one else But the greatest evil
inflicted upon the people by the eXCes-
siVe taxation on the consumers of the
country was in the destruction of the
values of exports. The great body of
the exports were agricultural products.
From scvcnty-live TO eighty per cent of
the exports were such products. War
duties limited importation and that lin
tied expOrratiGn The surplus produc-
tons were, therefore, thrown upon the
home market. II became over supplied
and the prices went down. So it was
with the people of Europe. Their
products were thrown upon their home
markets and their prices went down.
now TO PROMOTE PROSPERITY,
In 1880, after the long depression
from 1873 to 1880, prices suddenly rose
in Europe, and the result was that as
prices rose the tariff went down and
impOrtaliOns increased about two hun
dred million in one year. The exports
also increased enormously. But it
was insisted that if duties were lower
and foreign goods were imported our
people would be turned out of employ
ment and the rates of wages would be
reduced.
Nothing of the sort would happen.
We would import the things which we
could not produce-the things that
could be produced cheaper In other
countries than at home. We would
import more tea and coffee and more
of everything that the people required.
The manufactures would 90 on with
increased rapidity; their wheels would
hy faster and their people would re-
ceive higher wages. We could now
produce at least ninety per cent of all
manufactures consumed in this country
cheaper at home than they could be
produced anywhere else in the world
and transported here. In 1850 the
United States consumed $3.50 of
domestic products and Lei of impOr-
ted. In 1860 In consumed S7.57 of
domestic and l2.43 of imported. In
1870 it consumed 93.l4 of domestic and
6. sc of imported; in 1880 it consumed
80 80 of domestic and 7.42 of i'm
ported.
If we had no tariff, if all the custom
houses were torn down and the gov
ernment SUPP orted by direct taxes
cent of imported manufactured pro-
ducts consumed by the people OF this
country. Why was it that this little
reduction the democrats were asking
for was fought with desperation?
HIGH TARIFF DON'T MAKE HIGH WAGES.
1t was said that high tariff made high
wages for labor; it was said that if the
tariff were reduced wages must be re-
duced. 1t was said that if the value of
the domestic product were increased
the manufacturer was enabled to pay
higher wages. Unquestionably. But
did he do it? No Jay Gould was
able 10 pay his bootblack $500, but did
he do it2 No; he paid his nickel like
a little man. Vanderbilt, from his in
come arising from the immense amount
of United States bonds he owned could
afford To pay his hostler Sl0,O 900 year,
but did he do it? Oh, no; he went out
into the market and employed his labor
at the market value and paId the same
as the humbest citizen in New York
paid. Iiigh tariff did not regulate
wages.
Wages were regulated by demand
and supply and the capacity OF the
laborer TO do his work. If high tariff
regulated wages, how was it that
wages in different parts of the country
were different? How was it that
wages in different localities in the
same state were different? The rate
of wages in the cotton industry were
lower in Rhode Island than in Penn
sylvania. But in the iron industry the
wages were higher in Rhode Island
than in Pennsylvania.
Increased productive power, high
rates of wages. low cost OF production
followed each other as the night follow
ed the day. The fact that the rate OF
wages was higher in this country than
in England meant that England WAS
distauced in the great industrial contest
in which the United States had enter.
ed. He cited from a table compiled by
an English gentleman sent over to in
vestigats the cotton industry of the
United States to show that IN every
case the labor cost of cotton goods was
lower here than in England.
Mr.. Milliken, of Maine-lf that Is so,
what harm does the tariff do!
Mr.. Mills-What does it do? 1t ena-
bles you to make trusts and combina-
tions and pools. (Applause on the
democratic side).
Mr.. Mills then proceeded to say that
though the labor cost was lower and
the rates of wages higher here than in
England, yet England beat us because
she produced the goods at total cost
lower than ours. II was not labor; it
was material.
Mr.. Brumm, of Pennsylvania-Did |
understand the gentleman to say that
the cost OF cotton goods in England
was less than in this country?
Mr.. MillS-The labor cost in produc-
ing pound of print is lower than in
England, but the total cost for material
and everything is lower in England.
Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, protest
ed against the interruption.
Mr.. Mills-I don't. (Applause).
FOREIGN MARKETS NECESSARY.
The facts could not be overthrown.
What was it that prevents us from be-
coming the greatest manufacturing
country in the world? We had nc
foreign market. We were welded to a
high tariff, and that made the cost OF
production higher and drove US out OF
the worlds markets. The greatest
people Oh the globe-the highest and
greatest diffusion of intelligence; util-
izing the power of machinery beyond
any other people; having cotton and
wool and hemp and flax and rich beds
of ores-we were guilty of suicidal
policy that closes the markets OF the
world against us; that plumbers the
! agriculturists of one-half of their earn
ings. (Applause). Instead of destroy.
ing our foreign commerce we should
encourage it as we had our home com.
merce.
Our prosperity was due to the intel.
, ligence of our labor and TO the unre
slricted movement of our exchanges
among sixty million of our people al
home. 1t was this interchange of thir
/ ty-tiye thousand million dollars OF in