Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-30
wages and I.ropheels.,


says:
Neither Is protection intended to make
wages advance all the tins la the ebb
and flow OF com marelal activity, tines Of
depression are MS Inevitable as times OF ad.
vance--seasons Of reimbursement are inds
poasable as well as Seasons OF fapid
progress. When such Seasons come, and
prices settle to the lowar level, II Is a pub.
Ito aecessity that wages should also recede
more or less as the purchasing power OF
each dollar Increases. Profession does not
prevent decline, but checks Il from going
TO excess, Under protection wages tend TO
go higher at every period of prosperity
and advance, but at each period OF de-
preston do not fall as low AS they did os-.
fore, and the result Is that sure and steady
gain Of 40 per cent or more watch has been
realized since free traders went out of
power In 1860.
Here We have the same old fallaeious
argument: Wages have advanced 40 per
cent IN the United States since 1860
ergo, protection raises wages. 1t ia Just
as II one should say Mdlions Of bushels
OF potatoes have been destroyed since
1860; prior to 1860 the potato bug was
unknown-ergo, protection breeds potato
bugs.
Now We will admit that IL wages had
advanced only in the United States, and
had remained stationary or had retro.
graded in other countries, Huch az argu-
ment would be plausible. Bat the "a.
vance has been general, though the
Tribune sedulously ignores this impor-
tant fact. Take for illustration the fol.
lowing from an authority certainly snti-
tied to acceptance without suspicion OF
bias: The French economist, N. Emile
Ohevalier, in his work on wages in the
Nineteenth Century" (psge 1907, to
which was awarded the prize OF the
Academic des Sciences Morales ct
Politiques, sums up the matter in this
way; The English workman has
obtained in so years an increase OF
from so to 100 per cent in his
money wages and diminution of 20 par
cent in the duration of his daily work; he
has therefore made an advance in round
numbers of from 20 to 100 per cent"
The "diminution OF 20 per cent in the
duration of his daily work. refers to
the pretty general adoption OF the nine
hours-dsy standard in England.
Now, suppose we strike an average and
reconstruct the tribune argument as fol.
lows: Wages have advanced 20 per cent
in England since 1910; ergo, free trade
raises wages. By comparison with the
Nowar advance and lnRa- wsrag O., a.
isoent high ,a-iI nations, sGab ~ lsr.
many, the argument co.. rs ~
terially strengthened. But is It not
clearly evident, without institutlng such
comparisons, that in this new and grow.
ing country of ours wages have ad-
vanced, not because Of, but in spite Of
protection ?
The Tribune is in the dumps. 1t sees
that the whoop up. the. tariG policy oan
not fool the people muoh longer that we
are getting too big to be walled liz; that
the Wanted home market has become too
small, and that our manufacturers must
reach out into the world for other mar
kets or shut up some of their shops. II
sees that wages cannot go on advancing
indefinitely in spite or protection, and
that II it be persisted in, fret one indus
try and then others must suaeumb to IL
handicRpPing influence or bs merged into
trusts" whose aim is to keep up pricsl
by restricting Noduction plan which,
of course, is bad 10. the worklngman.
1t is difficult indeed to explain why tnef
should be strikes bud cutting down 0
wages so soon after the election Of q Re.
publican President aud congress; rs tih
cult nearly as it il to explain Way ii,
most severe and prolonged panic thi
country eyer saw, thst Of 1873 n
occurred under wer tariff admmlstra
ton
The Tril~Ss has ouf sympsthy. W
would rsnltnd IL, however, tnat III
sight was clearer When, in coumendinl
the proposed 25 per ceot reduction o
d1tios favored by the Rspubiicau tariff
commission OF 1882 - tpaUct.ou waicl
would have gone tar, fsr beyond tn
scope Of the Mills bill--it said '.ph
present tara, created "a CINE Of va
was nesdiai TO build aad develop midas
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