The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-01-02

that, all mechanical and manufacturin
enterprises In America, producing arti
cles Of higher price than the same pro
ducts In Europe, should be abandone,
and the !laborers 80 engaged should b
turned 10 the production Of "mor,
cereals aud more cotton at low prices.
The western farmers instinct Is wise
than Mr. Gladstone's philosophy. Th,
farmer knows that the larger the hom,
market the better are bis prices, and tha
as the home market iis narrowed, hit
prices fall. Mr.. Gladstone's pregnan,
suggestion really exhibits the thought
that lies deep In the British mind /; thpt
the mechanic arts, and the Imanuiactur'
Ing processes should be left / to Grea,
Britain, and the production Of raw ma.
terial should be left to America. It Is
the old colonial idea OF the last century
when the establishment Of manufacturers
on this side Of the ocean was regarded
with great Jealousy by British statesmen
and British merchants. 9sSs SI.ss7 n
Mr.. Gladstone makes another conten.
ton which, from the American point OF
view, he leaves out lof sight a control,
ling factor, and hence refers an effect to
the wrong cause. Regarding the ad.
vance OF wages In England, he says:
Wages which have been partially and
relatively higher. under protection have
become, both generally and absolutely
higher, and greatly higher under free
trade. do not doubt the fact, but Il
venture TO suggest that such advance OF
wages as there has been in England Is
reierable TO another and palpable cause
namely, the higher wages In the
United States, WHICH have constantly
tempted many more, II the inducement
OF an advance In wages at home had not
been interposed.W Especially have wages
been high and tempting IN the United
States since 1851, when the oountry: be-:
came firmly protective by the enact
nent OF the Morrill, tariff. 1t will BIZ
found, I think, that the advance of
wages 10 England corresponds precisely
In time, though not in degree, with the
advance In the; United States, and the
advance in both cases was directly due
TO the firm establishment OF protection
In this country as a National policy.%'ils,
/ Mt. Gladstone, however, commits him
sell to. the principle that ."All protection
ls morally bad.e II this has been his
belief since he became an advocate OF
free trade, his conscience must have re.
ceived many and severe wounds, as ses.
sion after session, while Chancellor OF
the Exche9uer, he cSrried through Par
lament q honnty-=may not say a di.
reOt protection p-of $3.50, 600 to a line OF
steamers running between England and
the United States-a protection that be-
gan six years before free trade was pro-
claimed in English manufactures, and
continued nearly twenty years after, In
the whole period af twenty-five years
an aggregate Of many millions OF dollars
was paid out to protect the English line
against all competition. = ,iss'is352
It may perhaps surprise Mr.. Gladstone
to be told that out OF the fifty largest for
tunes in the United States-those that
have arrested public attention within the
last ten years-certainly not more than
one has been derived from projected
manufacturing, and this was amassed by
a gentleman Of the same Scotch blood
with Mr.. Gladstone himself. The forty.
nine ether fortunes were acquired from
railway and telegraph Investments, from
real estate investments, from the import
and sale OF foreign goods, from banking,
from speculation in the stock market,
&c. 1t is safe to 80 even farther, and
state that in the one hundred largest for.
tunes that have. been viewed as such in
tue last ten years, not 'lYe have been de-
rived from the profits Of protected man
ufactures. - .2;iss5s a 2i;i4g ;;-s5
In no event can the growth OF large
fortunes be laid to the charge OF the
protective policy. Protection has proved
q distributor OF great sums of money;
an agency for amassing it in the hands
Of q few -. g. Z. -