The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-02
PROTECTION Ms. pRgB TRADE

- W~oFkfhEmNna solid hopBe-An Lngitahs
mas Born Fyefsrstho Amsrieansystom. ,
From 9 P,rtis; E,ay By Joha AOdg'OR, brekioger,
Of CieTdGRd, o.
Our free trade ffiends have undertaken
an arduous task in the attempt To per-
suaie us that q descent into the mael.
strom Of European competition would
be 70 our advantage.
No gift Of prophecy is required To fore
cast the result Of such a policy, The
achievements Of q century would diBap.
pear In decade, The methodsemployed
by free traders would disGredit any
party. They seek by setting class against
class To defeat US In detail and thereby
accomplish their end,
The farmer Is told 'the tariff laws
were passed at the diCtation Of men
whose ayowed object is 70 coerCe them
TO pay more for their goods than they
are WORTH" ~ Here their whole pur-
pose Is disclosed, The wages OF Amer
lean workmen must come down, for
there Is no other way under heaven by
which we can obtain European prices
except by q reduction OF wages. Against
this we protest, We object TO the pro-
auctions OF American labor being valued
by European standards based on starva-
ton wages, II Is also affirmed that "the
Importance OF the foreign market to the
farmer cannot be oVer-estimated," and
that the tariff has increased the cost Of
railroads and transportation 80 much
that there Is little profit In disposing oil
bis products abroad, lm) Now, as
the home market consumes over ninety
per cent OF the products Of the farm, 4
will be seen that its relative importance,
compared with the foreign one, Is a.
nine 10 one, The American farmer Il
still a dangerous competitor in the Eng
lish market, and in tho production Of
the cereals threatens TO drive his English
rival from the field, But even in the
matter OF freight charges the tariff has
been his friend by reducing at the same
time the cost Of railroads and OF trans
portation. Under It's operation the price
OF steel rails has enormously declined,
In 1870 they brought $40 a ton, while
last year they sold as low Us S2S, and the
cost OF carrying wheat from Chicago Il
New York has been reduced from 1885,
cents o bushel in 1870 to ID cents {
bushel in 1884.
at Is claimed that the price Of every
bushel OF grain sold In this country Il
determined by free trade" (n)a propo
sition possibly containing q grain o
truth, On this point "Old Hutch" o
Chicago, could give valuable testimony
1t Is, however, certain that under FREE
trade American wages would be regula
ted in Tendon and Brussels, and henCl
q protective tariff is the natural compile
ment 10 the Declaration independents
It has already reduced our dependenc,
on the foreigner for manufactured arti
Giles from S. 81 per capita, in 1860, II
So % per capita in 1887, while the domes
tic competition created by II has re
duced the price Of clothing and othe
articles OF general use 20 to 80 per cent.
with wages 100 per cent. higher thai
those paid in England. This is truly
gratifying result,
A significant and fatal defect In FREE
trade economy Is that is takes little not
OF the benefits derived by the Countr!
from the expenditure OF wages earned a
home. These are simply inCalCulable
Taking Pittsburgh and Allegheny Git,
a. examples, "the amount paid In wage
in these two cities last year reached tn,
magnificent total Of So, 100000" 70
Under a parsimonious free trade polio!
most OF this money would have gonI
abroad. The tariff has built up thriving
industries in every section OF the Union
giving remunerative employment to 8
vast army OF operatives In every con
Ceivable trade and occupation, and fur
nished u constantly growing market 10
the farmer, Of which he can never be de
prived.