Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-03
BLAINE AND GLADSTONE.
Ihey Give the Public a Symposium on
Protection VS.. Free Trade.

Protection vs.. Free Trade.
The papers which appear in the current num-
Der OF the North American Review from the
American Secretary of State and the British
ex-premier on protection and free trade will be
eagerly read on both sides Of the Atlantic. Mr..
Biaine's article follows that by Mr.. Gladstone
and reviews its salient points
Mr.. Gladstone begins with on apology for in
terfering from across the water in such a con-
uoyersy. Speaking of Great Britain, he says:
I'm order to try the question for this country
AZ large whether free trade has been a curse or
blessing to the people who inhabit it. shall
repair at once to our highest authority, Mr..
Citizen Of the board Of trade
THE wages of miners. we learn, have in
creased in Staffordshire. which almost certainly
Is the mining district OF lowest increment. by
% per cent In the great exportable manu-
lectures Of Bradford and Huddersieid the
lowest auSmentations are 20 and 80 per cent
and IN other branches they rise to so. So 100
and even to $50 and 100 per cent. The quasi
domestic trades of carpenters, brick layers and
masons, IN the great marts of Glasgow and
manchester show aInean increase OF 63 per cent
Tor the hrst, So per cent for the second and ~
per cent for the third.
mo such return at once exact and compre-
hensiye can be supplied in the case of the rural
workman. But here the facts are notorious
We are assured that there has been a universal
rise, which Card and other authorities place
at 60 per cent. Mr.. Giffen apparently concurs
ana so FAR as my own personal sphere of obser-
Walton reaches, can with confidence confirm
the estimate and declare it to be moderate To-
gether with the increase of pay, there has been
general dimnution of hours of work which
Mr.. GIffen places at one-fifth. II we make this
correction UPON the comparative table we shall
md that the cases are very few in which the in
crement does not range as high as from 90 and
toward 100 per cent.
PRICES OF LIVING DECLINE
within the same period the prices Of the
main articles Of popular consumption have not
increased, but have certainly declined. The
laborers charges, except for his abode, have
actually diminished as q whole For his larger
house rent he has better house To the gov
eminent he pays much less than he did and
from the government he gets much more and
the increase of his money wages corresponds
to real gain
ARTIFICIAL CONDITIONS.
"Au interference with it (the natural law of
trade) by government in order to encourage
some dearer method OF production at home in
preference to a cheaper method of production
abroad may fairly be termed artificial. And
every such interference means simply a diminu-
ton Of the national wealth. If region grows
corn at home for 30 shIllngs, with which region
u can supply IT at 40, and region manufac-
lures cloth at 20 shillings, with which region
A can supply 1t at Is. the national wealth of
each IL diminished by the 10 and the shiings
respectively. And the capitalists and laborers
OF each OF these countries have much the
less To divide into their respective shares in
that competition between capital and labor
which determines the distribution between
them of the price brought in the market by
commodities.
WASTE AND ROBBERY.
'In my view, and may say for nv country
men III our view, protection. however dinnified
by the source from which it proceeds is essen
italy an invitation TO waste, promulgated with
the authority of law.
IF protection could be equally distributed
all round then II would be fair between class
and class. but u cannot possibly be thus dis /
tributed IN any country until We have discov-
cred country which will not ind its interest
IN exporting some commodity or other. For |
the price OF that commodity at home must be |
determined by Its price IN foreign unpro- |
tected markets. and therefore even If protec-
ton duties are inscribed on the statute books [
at home, their effect must remain absolutely |
null, so far this particular article is CON
cerned Ii Is beyond human wit and power to |
secure 70 the cotton grower or to the grower of |
wheat and maize in the United States the tenth |
part OF a cent per bale per bushel beyond |
what the price IN the markets of exports will |
allow To hum. If under these circumstances he |
10 required TO pay to the iron master of Penn |
sylvanIa or to the manufacturer at Lowell an !
extra price ON his implements or on his cloth |
whatever, such extra price is at first sight |
much Ike ROBBERY perpetrated by law.
MAXIMUM OF WEALTH.
wealth is accumulation, and the aggregate
OF that accumulation depends upon the net
surplus left by the price of industrial products
after defraying out Of them the cost of produc- |
ton- 10 make this surplus large is TO raise |
natural wealth to Its maximum 1t is largest |
when we produce what We can produce cheap
Rst Il YnI nod anil - g.
Impoverished whenever and wherever and TO |
whatever extent under the cover of protective
laws, men are induced to produce articles leay- |
ing smaller surplus instead of articles Leaving
a larger one, but such is the essence of protec-
ton.
I'm England speaking roughly it made US |
produce more wheat at high prices instead of |
more tissues at low prices. In America il |
makes you produce more cloth and more iron |
at high prices instead Of more cereals and more |
cotton at low prices. And your contention is |
that by making production thus costly you !
make wages high.
HALF PROTECTED AND HALF FREE
NOW want to ask whether the |
wages Of the agricultural half are raised by the
existence of protective laws which cover the |
artisan half. This you cannot possibly affirm, |
because II Is an elementary fact that given the
quantity OF labor In the marketJ the wages of |
the laborers are governed by the price of the |
commodities they produce and that those prices |
are free trade prices. You have free trade |
toilers all over your country and by their side |
you have protected artisans. ! ask then next |
this question: is the remuneration of the free |
trade toliers, all things taken into account !
equivalent to that OF the protective artisans? /
IL II Is not why do not the agricultural men 90 !
where there Is demand tor manufacturing
and mining labor by augmentiug the sup !
ply reduce and - 80 &c the rate? Which is Ii Ike
asking how comes il tn "a man is content with |
one loaf when two are offered him? The an |
swer would be: He is not content; whenever he |
can he takes the two and leaves the one 1t |
follows that IN this case there exists no excess
d wages Tor him to appropriate
FACTORS IN OUR GROWTH
81 viii then proceed to set forth some of the |
,auses which, by giving exceptional energy |
and exceptional opportunity to the wo-k of
production in America. seem to allow Gn |
homely phrase Of making ducks and brakes !
OF a large portion OF what ought to be her |
foundations, and yet by virtue of the re- !
maInder OF them, to astonish the world
Il Let me observe. hrst, that America pro-
ouces an enormous mass OF cotton. cereals |
meat. OILS and other commodities which are
sold IN the unsheltered market OF the world !
At such prices they will yield. The pro-
ducers are fined for the benefit OF the pro- !
tected interests and received nothing IN re- |
turn; but they obtain for their country as |
wei as FOR the world the whole advantage OF |
, vast natural uade-that Is to say. a trade in |