The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-19
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sERv|CEABLE ARGUMENT.
Sophistry is as Good as Logic for
Those Devoid Of Compre-
hension.
The Gold Facts Of History Applied
to the Question Of
''i s::a!;'e:s @ ::;::;;, &: 9 =
Losing Ground.

In considering the effect Of the tariff up
IN wages we must be careful to take every
thing into account. Protectionists have
Just one argument in this matter, and when
that is launched all they have left to do il
to haul it back and launch it again, says
the San Francisco Examiner. They say
"Wages are higher in the United States
now under high tariff than they are some
where else or were at some other time under
a low tariff Therefore the tariff raises
wages
This ia style of reasoning by which any
thing may be proved to the entire satisfac-
ton of anybody who is unable to see
through it. For instance: wages are
much higher in England under free trade
than they arc i'll Germany under protec-
ton. Therefore free trade raises wages
Or: "Wages are much higher in England
now under free trade than they were fifty
years ago under protection. Therefore
free trade raises wages" Or: "In 1S49,
under a low democratic tariff. common
workman in California could make $40 a
day. In 1890, under high republican tariff
they do not make over So. Therefore high
republican tariffs cut down wages.''
This sort of argument. is plainly worth
less, and yet is all the protective system
has to stand on. Tell protectionist that
points You to the existing prosperity of Ia
Dor in the United States, such as it is, and
to nothing else.
Now, when we begin threading the trails
of history we should do 80 with our eyes
open. When we do this we can easily mas
ter a few facts. We find that all over the
civilized world. for the past two hundred
years, the condition of the people has been
steadily improving. This is due to power
above tariffs or forms of government
to the march of invention and dis
coyery. The workmen all over the
world is better of to-day than than his
father was forty years ago, or his grand
grandfather a hundred years ago. He is 80
because steam and electricity are toiling
for him night and day, making things to
clothe his family, beautify his homo and
make his life easier. If workman in the
last century had occasion to go from Bos-
ton to New York, be had to take several
months out Of his life to earn money
enough to buy seat on a stage-co
Now at the cost of one days work he can be
whisked to his destination by rail. Then
the cloth for his clothes had to be slowly
bq bV The Saw it Is 1ss
One man now can do the work which it re.
quired 100 to do then.
But does the one man now get the pay
that the hundred got then7 In other words
does he get the same share of the product
of his labor, or anything like it?
In the last century, when we were not
only unprotected but oppressed by the I'M
friendly legislation of our British masters,
wages in this country were much HIGHER
than in England. which was then highly
protected. We are now protected. while
England is not. The question for us to con-
slider is not whether the American Of to-
day, with the railroad, the telegraph, the
motor to help him, is better off than the
American of colonial times, but whether he
is as much better off than the Enplishman
of to-day as his colonial ancestor was than
the Englishman of the last century.
To this question there can be but one an |
swer. For the past thirty years the Eng
lish workman has been gaining on the
he has practically. caught up; in others he |
is close at our heels. Very generally he has
shorter hours. His wages have Increased |
immensely since the abolition of the Emo
lish protective tariff, while since our war
taxes were put on American wages have in
creased much more slowly than they did |
before. There are factories in Massachu-
setts in which as the census returns show.
the wages OF ordinary workers remained |
absolutely stationary between 1859 and 1880.
although tho salaries of the managers has
been trippled.
We are losing the advantage which our
enormous natural resources give us over ali
the other nations in the world The condi-
ton of workingmen ia already better in
Australia than it is here. We must give
our labor chance to exert itself to the best
advantage upon free materials, or it will |
lind itself in the rear instead of at the front |