Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-08-30
Inconsistency of Free Trade Attorneys.

(TRe Home Market Club Of HIiRois.)
The free-trade attorneys have several
strings to their eolian harp, each set to
different tune, according to the pre-
sumed necessities of the situation. The
voters ear will be tickled with his
favorite strain, and the music timed to
his crudest step, always provided that
his toes point toward the free-trade
camp.
The farmer is told that he. Of all
men, should stand for free-trade; that
Protection but adds to the price of
what he buys, and that his trouble
with the price of what he has to sell
comes from the fact that his market is
not far enough from home. The me-
chanic is treated to the song of cheaper
food and raiment when free-trade
comes. The laborer, after few solemn
strains over the hardness of his lot, is
melted with martial notes to tumble
down the walls of protection to home
industries and enter upon the blessings
which free trade has in store for its adj
vocates
But the manufacturer is likely to de-
tect some discord in songs which
promises higher wages for labor and
lower prices for products. Another
string is touched and there comes to
him the grand promise of the world S
markets. He is told that goods which
! Americans are unable to buy will find
ready purchasers beyond the seas, and
that on the pinions of free-trade in
creased wealth will be borne back to
him, if he will but join in the worship of
the image the Golden Club has set up.
Who so blind as not to see inconsis-
tency in all this?
The farmers profit is now diminished
! by expense of transportation to centres
of consumption, and many are barred
the production of certain profitable
crops by remoteness from markets.
| His obvious interest is to have markets
nearer to the farm, and when possible
sell in his own country rather than in
Europe He should remember that
every man kept at work and earning
wages in other occupation than farm
ing lessons competition in growing farm
products, while increasing demand and
prices for the same.
The mechanics interest lies in hav-
ing every dollar of wealth produced
in this country kept at home and spent
in building better houses, more ma
chinery, finer furniture-in short, adj
ding to the facilities of production and
the ability of our people to purchase
the products of mechanical industry.
Let him reflect upon the disadvantage
at which he would be placed if COM
PEELED to depend for wages upon some
calling in which he is not skilled In
his own trade he is an expert, at any
other work he would be q novice.
The laborer, depends upon others for
his means of support, is the first to feel
the pinch of dull times. When building
factories, making railroads, improving
streets, etc, ceases, he is the first
thrown out of work, and the least able
of all to endure enforced idleness. As his
department of labor is one requiring
strength rather than skill, it is the
most of all exposed to competition.
And the manufacturer, how is he to
get the promised hold upon the markets
of the world? These are already oc-
cupied by the manufacturer of other
nations; otherwise they would not be so
persistent to get into the markets of
this country. How are they to be dis
placed? Obviously in but one of two
ways. The American manufacturer to
secure markets now monopoliZed by
Europeans must either supply better
goods at the prices now paid, or he
must supply equally good articles for
less money. If he makes the sacrifice.
the cheapening process must fall either
upon the material used or the labor
mt upNn fhn fpishad rNrndnpt
In face of the fact that $250,000,000
were last year paid to foreigners for
products which could as well have been
manufactured in this country, the folly
of further concessions in behalf of free
foreign trade must be apparent to all
except those who will not see.