Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-01-16

cotton to be raised by American mechan.
ics becoming farmers and increasing
the production of those great staples? The
foreign market is filed With a competing
grain supply TO such a degrre that already
the price Of wheat is untuly lowered to
the western farmer. The farmer needs a
still larger home consumption of his gram,
while Mr.. Gladstone thinks he needs a
still larger home production The legiti-
mate involvement of Mr.. Gladstone's ar
gument is tha: all mechanical and manu-
featuring enterprises in America producing
articles of higher price than the same pro.
Iuced in Europe should b. abandoned, and
the laborers so engaged should BE- turned
to the production of more cereals and
more cotton at low prices." The western
farmers instinct is wiser than Mr.. Glad
stones philosophy. The farmer knows
that the larger the home market the better
are his prices and that as the home mark
ct is narrowed his prices 'all.
Mr.. Glad-tones pregnant suggestion
really exhibits the though, that lies deep
in the British mind; thft the mechanic
arts and the manufact iring processes
should be left to Great Britain and the
production of raw material should be left
to America. 1t is the old colonial idea Of
the last century, when me establishment
was regarded with great jealousy by Brit
l-h statesmen and British merchants.
ADVANCED WAGES IN ENoLAaD DUE TO HIGH
FIR WAGES IN THE UNITED STATES
Mr.. Gladstone makes another contcn
ton, in which from the A Iacrican point Of
view. he leaves out Of sight . controlling
factor, and hence refers an effect TO the
wrong cause. Regarding The advance OF
wages in England. he says; Wages
which have been partially snd relatively
higher under protection have become both
generally and absolutely higher. and great
" higher, under free trade" do not
doubt the fact, but venture 10 suggest
that such advance in wages - there has
been in England is referab' to another and
paipahie cause. namely, the higher wages
in the nitcd States. which have constant
IL tempted British HcChan 10 emigratc,
ami winch would have TEN Jted many more
/ If the induCtmcnt Of an advance in wages
at home had not been intrrpo>cd E-pc-
ctally have Wages been high and tempting
In the United States since 1861, when tile
country became firmly protective by the
enactment Of the Morrill, tarid. II will he
found, think. that the advance of wages
IN In. laud corresponds precisely IN time
though not Ia degree With the adj
vance in both cases wa- directly due to tile
trnn establishment ~ protection ID thi-
country n national policy, But ii must
not be forgotten that American wages are
: SIM from 20 per cent. to loo per cent.
A,giser than British wages. II policy of
free trade should hc adopted In the ui'cd
States. the reduction Of wages which
would follow here would promptly lead 20
reduction IN England The operatives
of Manchester, Leeds aud Sheffield reco.
nlzr this fact A. clearly a, dp the proprc-
tors who pay the advanced wages, and
more clearly than do certain political econ
omi>t- who think tile world of commerce
and manufactures can he uueir ringly direct
ed by theory evolved in a closet without
sufficient data, aud applied M An inc act
science,
MK. GLApsIoNE's DIRECT ,EorEcrIoS I"
BRITISH sIEAMik~.
Mr. Gladstone however. commits him
self to the principle that "a /. prote ction is
morally bad" II this has Teeu his belief
ever since lie became an advocate Of free
II de- his conscience must have received
many and severe wounds a session after
session, while Chancellor ,f the Exche-
quer, he carried through Parliament a
buunty-may not say dir ct protection?
u
running between England a! 4 the United
States protection that began six years
before free trade was procla ned in Eng
ish manufactures, and cor: inued nearly
twenty years after. In thy "noi- pvno,i
Of twenty-five years an aggregate of many
millions of dollars was paid out 10 protect
the English line against all competition.
1t may be urged that this sum was paid
for carrying the Anglo American mails,
but that argument will not avail a Free
Trader, because steamers Of other nation
atirs stood ready t. carry the mails at
far cheaper rate. Nay. few years ago.
possibly when Mr.. Gladstone was Premier
Of England, public bids were asked To car
ry the Anglo-lndiau mails A French line
offered lower hid than any English line.
but the English Government disreg2rdrd
The French bid and gave the contract to
the Peninsular and Oriental line wn-d by
weli,knowu English company Still la
ter. the German Lloyd Company contract
ed 10 carry the Anglo American mails
cheaper than any English line offered, and
the German company actually began TO
perform the duty. But Eugiishmeu did
not want that Kind Of free trade and they
broke the contract with the German line
and again gave protection to the English
ships. Does not thi, justify the opinion
that the English policy OF free trade is
urged where England can hold the field
against rivals. aud that when competition
leaves her behind she repudiates free trade
aud substitutes the most pronounced form
of protection!
Does Mr.. Gladstone's estimate Of the
immortality OF protection apply only to pro-
tsctlou on land, or is supremacy on the sea
50 important to British interests that it is
better to throw morals to the wind aud re-
sort TO whatever degree of protection may
be necessary 10 secure the lead to English
ships: The doctrine of improving harbors
in the United States by the National Gov
ernment was for many years severely con-
tested, the strict construction party main
tanning that it must be confined to harbors
on the seacnast at points where foreign
commerce reaches the country. During
{ one of the many DISCUSSIONS over tins mar
! row construction, an Ohio member of Con
( gre>s declared that he could not think
much of Constitution that would not
/ stand being dipped in fresh water as well
as salt" | fear that Mr.. Gladstones code
of morals on this question Of protection
/ will not secure much respect In other coun-
/ tries 50 long as it spoils In salt water.
1t will not escape Mr.. Gladstone's keen
I observation that British interests in navi-
/ CATION flourish with less rivalry and have
! increased in greater proportion than any
other of the great interests of the United
Kingdom. | ask his candid admission that
/ it is the one interest which England has
protected steadily ana determinedly, re-
/ gardless of consistency and regardless of
expense Nor will Mr.. Gladstone fail to
! note that navigation is the weakest of the
| great interests in the United States. be-
cause it is the one which the National