Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-09-25
In This Country Wages Are Proven
TO be Higher Where PrOtec-
ton Is Practically APP
piled.
Answers to FreeTrade Arguments
Against the Bcneficent American
Policy Of Protection.

tectionists. Fer instance they say: 1T is
well known that the wages paid skilled
workmen in Kentucky, for instance is
greatly in advance of that paid in Florida.
In California wages are much higher than
in Limos. This being true in states be-
tween which there Is absolute free trade,
how can it be proven that the difference of
wages in England and America is due to
protection? Again, if protection increases
wages, why are better wages paid in Eng
land than in Germany"
As to wages in England and Germany, it
can be said IN reply, free traders should
remember that for several hundred years.
certainly from the reign of the first mon
arch of the house of Tudor to the middle of
the reign of Victoria, England was build
ing up manufacturing system by the aid
of the most rigid protection ever heard of
-sorigid that. for quite a long time, i'm
prisonment and coniscatlon of goods was
the lot OF the man who dared to export raw
material that could be used for home man
ufactures, or to import certain things that
could be made at home. England did not
even nominally abandon protection until
she believed her manufacturing system had
become so perfect as to give her absolute
control of the markets of the world.
Hence Eng and's protective system had
created a demand for
HOME LABOR,
and for long years England's wage rate
was the highest in the world Germany,
on the other hand, was a non-protective
nation for centuries, consequently her de-
mand for labor was light. Protection is
quite thing of yesterday in Germany.
and can not have done for it in a few
years what centuries of protection did for
England. But wagt,s in Germany have in
creased far moro rapid; in its few years
of protection than they have during the
forty years or so of free trade in England
Now as to Kentucky, Florida, etc.
Wages are low in all the American states
which have not availed themselves of the
privileges of protection and developed
their manufacturing resources, and high
in those states which have taken advant-
age CT them. To protect an industry will
not of itself create demand for labor, and
so raise wages, unless the enterprise of
the people seconds protection.
Wages are low in the United States
wherever the free-trade theory has hold,
and high where the protective idea has
ripened to practice.
Hon. James G. Blaine in his speech
to the Maine republicans August %, 1886,
said particu arly to the laboring classes:
Il read a few days since. in creed put
forth by an association of Knights of Labor
in another state, recital of eighteen dis
tinct ends which they desired to have Sc
cured or maintained by national lagisla-
ton. Among these there was not the
slightest mention of protective tariff. In
any event it would be well for the labor or
carnations to diligently inquire and ascer-
tain how the
of labor in the United States cap be kept
above the rate of wages in England, Ger
many and France on the same article of
manufacture without the Intervention of
protective duties. With the present cheap
modes of interchange and transportation
OF all commodities, inquire of these gen
tIemen how, under the rule of free trade
can the wages of the United States be
kept above the standard of general Euro
pean wages? do not stop for the detail
ct argument; | only desire to lodge the
question in the minds of the millions of
American laborers who have it in their
power to maintain protection or to maui
gurate free trade who have it in their
power to uphold the party of protection or
the party of free trade.
Another protentous fact has ben omit
ted-sO far as have observed-from con-
organizations. They seem to have taken
than a million and a half of able bodied
!, do 81, l,,,.
with expanding intellect, increasing in
telhgence and growing ambition. While
these men were slaves, working in the
corn and cotton fields, in the rice fields
and on the sugar plantations of the south,
the skilled laooror of the northern states
teIt no competition from them. But since
they have became free men there has been
great change in the variety and skill of
the labor performed by colored men in the
south. The great mass are of course, still
engaged In agricultural work, but thou
sands and tens of thousands, and in fact
hundreds of thousands, have entered and
are entering the mechanical and semi
mechanical field They are making pig
and bar iron In Tennessee and Alabama.
Ihey are manufacturing cotton in Georgia
anu the CaTollnas. They are brick'ayers
''N pas LtItfS everywhere; tneN are car
lehters and painters; they are blacksmiths;
they make wagons and carts; they make
cigars; they tan leather and make har-
neS,es; they are fremen and pilots on river
boats; they calk vessels in southern ports
they lay railroad tracks; they are switch
men and section men on the line and fire.
men on locomotives. In fact they are en-
lering all the avenues and channels of
skilled labor. OF course they are under
pad. They receive far less than has been
laId In years past to northern mechanics
Tor similar work. They are able to take
no part In making laws for their own pro-
lection, and they are consequently and in
tNltably unable to maintain a fair stand
ara Of wages or to receive fair proper
'lon OF their proper earnings.
IAE LABOR MOVEMENT is SOUTHERN
As WELL AS NORTHERN QUESTION
do not dwell on this subject at length,
'hough 1t could easily be presented In ag.
graYating detail mention it only tc
place 1t before the labor organizations Of
lte north. with this question addressed to
llem. DO yOu Sunnosa that Won can Dpr-