The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-11-01
MISLEADING STATEMENTS.


now MT bOses 10 trying To BambOOxl0
the Wago-Earners OF Iowa.
Mr.. Boies, tine ex-Republican who
went over TO the Iowa Democrats on
the issues Of free trade and free whis-
ky. and who is now the leader of the
Hawkeye bourbons, clamors against
protection because it keeps up the
prices of goods He enlarges on the
advantages of the free-trade doctrine
in reducing the prices of wares and
cheapening the cost of living, but
carefully evades and obscures the UNI
deniable and vitality important fact
that such a policy would scale down
the wages of labor just about as the
selling value of its product would be
lessened. By silence, evasion and
half statement he is trying to impose
on the people of Iowa the idea that
when goods are cheapened by free i'm
portation from Europe wage-workers
will still get the old high pay. This
is shamefully dishonest.
Considerable can be said in favor of
the theory that the people OF the State
of Iowa as a whole and in the long run
would be benefited by having manu-
featured goods cheapened to the free
trade level. As a free trader Mr.. Boies
is entitled to all there is in that argu-
ment and should have the right to
make the most OF it; but he must adj
nit that as goods are cheapened
wages, salaries and personal earnings
of every kind and class must come
down also. Mr.. Boies may claim that
workmen can easily stand the reduc-
ton in wages when the cost of living
is cheapened. This is an argument
worthy of consideration in its proper
place, but before Mr.. Boies gets to it
he should state candidly to the wage
workers3f Iowa the indisputable law
of political economy that in fall of
prices wages are cut first, while the
cheapening of goods comes later and
by slower p ocesses. With view to
a cheaper production wages must be
cut down Immediately, while manu-
facturers. merchants and middlemen
will labor strenuously to maintain
prices until their old stocks of goods
are worked off on consumers.
A considerable time must elapse be-
fore the new goods produced by cheap
err home labor can be put on the mar
ket, and in the meantime the old
stocks, for the production of which
high wages have been paid, would be
sold as dear as possible.
NJ. Boies expects his chief vote
from the wOrkmeu and wage-earners
in the Iowa cities and villages. He
promises them cheaper goods and a
lower cost of living. but if he pretends
to honesty he must state that low
wages will come first and the alleged
compensating advantage of cheaper
goods later on. Have the Iowa work
men sufficient savings to tide them
over the interval until the commercial
readjustment is complete? Can they
afford to work for low wages and pay
high for their goods until the old
stocks are worked off and the new
product brought into the market? Will
the Iowa workmen be content to use
up their savings, live close. and prac-
tice self-denial during the time the
country is getting down to the free
trade level of prices? Cheapness will
begin with wages, lut must run around
the circle before workmen get its full
benefits in the form OF reduced cost
of living. If these points were fully
to the wage-working class
they would vote solidly against him.
There would be no Boies' play in the
way they would snow him under. -
Chicago Tribune.