New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-26

N
Rogers are essentially of this character ootn IN
This volume and in Work and Wages and unless
th.re s the highest confidence in his CONSCIENTIOUS
care az an investigator, and in his scrupuious ac-
curacv nc a reporter, the information CANNOT DC
considered conclusive.
1t does not give American readers unDo""'e1 0o-
fdence in Professor Rogers to find MN n'ahihs
sucb statements as the one already quoted reeiru-
ing Senator Morrill, which is elsewhere repeater III
this form:
The Proectio tariff Of Mr. Morrl Mas American m Frsaa
statesmen the Prise pHIa b iSr u" Been sold this 90
nn.n~or and so uniformly that cannot doubt
1t. ". 3S4.) ,o, 49,
What SORT of INQUIRY can have satisfied the
historian. if he heard such statement as TINS
unanimously made" by those with whom No
conferred? Only the most ignorant OF Demo
cratic demaeogues or the most reckless III s'aVo-
msnt. would ignore the distinct pledge IN FAVOR
Of the protective policy given in the resoiu'ion
adopted by the National Convention OF looo which
nominated Mr.. Lincoln. would attribute sunse-
ouent action in perfect harmony with that pieoge
70 bargain by which the loyalty Of the manu-
featuring East was to be secured. Historically
tho statement is so completely groundless that the
Professor could have failed to be convinced had
he made any effort whatever to learn the truth
Rut IL he is a man who absorbs any partisan
Islander which fits his preiudjces, what is his value
as a scientific inquirer?
About other matters he has been lncaNtous, 10
say the least. Thus he speaks of the supposed
inability Of Russia TO negotiate further loans anu
affirms that the applicant will visit the stocK
exchanges in vain" But only within the past
few DAYS large Russian loan has been taken
several times over in Paris Regarding the DEBT
of the United States he says Now, prooapH'
every dollar of the debt is held by the States
bankers" (P 43e) There is certainly not
welljnformed banker or financier in any country
who does not know of the large holdings by IN
dividual Americans To all appearances entirely
ignorant of the grave difficulties winch Delayed
resumption of specie payments in this country, ne
speaks of the forced circulation OF greenoacKS
which, owing to Wall Street ntrigues, was carried
on long after any justification of the policy had
| ceasedn (P 442) And again, of the CONDITION
of American workers. he thinks it enough to refer
10 a passage in single report about dwell
incs in a small part of single State. as follows:
| But the condition of worlmens houses in the
States TO Judge from the latest report In me STATE
| of PennsyIv ana is worse than In any oviiiZeo cour
try, and the rents are enormous " 1911
! To saw nothing of the extravaganza language
| here used no competent inquirer couh nave
passed through Pennsylvania with his eyes open
without learning that such statement muso
have referred only TO the huts of recent lmmi-
grants in few mining districts But 1t might at
| least be supposed that grave and responsible
teacher of youth would take care TO know
E,ta of the laws of a neighborng nation, be-
fore nrofessing to quote them, and yet Professor
| Rogers says:
In order 70 prevent underv aluatons. Custom House
| officers for example in the United states, are EN-
I,owered in tie case of goods imported on Wncn an
adj vaorem duty is imposed to EJECT ,es yauaaon
q hasa
P, 4oa3
1t is unnecessary to say, for the benefit OIL
any American or fairly informed foreigner, that
this statement is entirely without warrant. But
the question is not whether Professor Rogers has
made grave mistakes; the question is whether
no has the conscientious fidelity to seek for truth
| before making statements which he knew would
| be accepted by his hearers upon his word
In his preface, the author processes to quote
| Mr.. Washburne, the late Minister OF the Cnoin
| at Paris" as affirming that smuggling Is an
| aIl-devouring passion with the wealthy American,
and the corruption of revenue officers the con-
slant machinery for the practice" But Mr.
Washburn obviously spoke only Of the small
number of Americans who visited Paris Does
the Professor really believe that of the wealthy
| Americana as a body, in hundred has
| ever struggled any article in his life? If so
he is a striking example of the prejudice OF
| ignorance and bigotry of science which ne
| pronounces the chief obstacle TO human progress
| Yet he also says in discussing the workings OF
| protective duties
AT the present time the protective taxes on clothing
Levied in the United States easily evaded by the
rich: the profits OF the manufacturer are extracted
from the consumption of those who cannot go ABROAD
TO buy. (P S9J
Some very ignorant demagogues in the United
States have said something Gke-ths, but not
the most ignorant of them all imagines, as this
| Oxford professor evidently does that all the
| rich people in this country go abroad when they
| want to buy any clothing The importers OF
dresses from Worth, of silks, laces, embroiderics
| gloves, feathers, bonnets, and diamonds, to the
| value of eighty mine and half millions last
wear, will be surprised to hear that the people
| who buy from them the poor Americans
| exclusively.
In disclosing his discoveries in early English
history the Professor has the advantage OF all
the world for English critics have not much
| easier access than American TO his sources OF
| information OF this part of the work, which
is certainly of great interest and OF high sclen-
tifc value, if the facts are correctly reported,
little competent criticism is possible in the alb
sence of data But it might at least be ex-
pected that the statements of Professor Rogers
| would consist with each other. and that he could
| correctly quote the title of his last work.
| Yet he says:
In work Of mine entitled "six Centuries of Labor
| and Wages" j was able 10 show hat WINE
the act Of 1895 enabled artisan in prices Of that
time to procure a certain amount OF food and drink
with fortnlghts labor the rates OF the statue. and
| an agricultural laborer 10 obtain the same with
three weeks labor, the justices assessment rarely
enabled the peasant to obtain the same quantities
| with whole years labor. and would sometimes have
| required two years incessant labor. p Al
On the previous page it had appeared that
the justices assessments continued until 1875.
| Referring to the book in question. which is
actually entitled six Centuries of Work and
| Wages this statement appears: