Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-09-03
FULL OF FLAWS.
Glaring misrepresentation of Mckinley
Speech at Niles. O.

speech at Mics, ~.
If Ohio republicans will circulate
the speech delivered by their candidate
they will perform service to their OPP
ponents. Falsehoods and errors have
no longer weight with citizens capable
of compromising a simple statement.
Into a single paragraph the author of
the Mckinley bill crowds sufficient er-
ror to nullify any truth he might have
stumbled on. Speaking of a revenue
tariff Mr.. Mckinley says:
1t does not encourage labor. save in forei-n
countries. It does not move a single spindle,
save in foreign countries. 1t increases the de-
nland for foreign goods and diminfsheS the use
of domestic goods. 1t is for the foreign shop
and against the American shop. 1t supplies
work for foreign labor and takes it from our
own labor. 1t would not light single fire in an
American furnace or mill, but would eXtinguish
those that now burn, unless our labor would
work at the same wages SIS the labor Of Compel
Ing countries. In Snort it is well conceived to
benefit every other nation than our own.
This was the argument used by Nc
kinley and his friends when the de-
mand was made that the boot and shoe
industry in this country should have
the benefit of free trade in hides. The
accomplishment of that result lighted
the fires that had gone out under the
absurd rule of protection in every tan
merry in New England. Giving the Ia
borer raw material al lower cost, the
price OF boots and shoes of the lower
grades thus affected was decreased,
with the effect Of incr asing the power
of consumption and the consequent de-
mand for labor IN production. Thus in
a single incident is ovcrthrown the en-
tire argument of the protectionist. But
Mckinley and the organs will now be
invited to look at the result of free
trade in raw sugars. Admittedly the
consumption OF sugar has increased.
The price has been reduced and more
men engaged in its manufacture. A gain
has free trade lighted fires that had
gone out under protection. But will
Mr.. Mckinley tell the people that this
is because employees in sugar refneries
have been willing to ''work at the same
wages as in competing coun+ries?"
Nor is it necessary for a free trader
to argue solely from the results of free
trade wherever it has been tried. He
may now challenge his opponent to
name logical reason why the same
result must not necessarily follow
every such experiment. No prOtec-
zionist IN the country Will hazard the
declaration that labor is to be bene-
flied by an increase in the cost of the
tools with which work is performed.
No writer with care for his reputa-
ton would argue that an increase in
the cost of factory that added moth
ing to its possible output could have
any other effect than to diminish the
wages of labor and capital therein en-
ployed. Even the protectionist indorses
the proposition to free the channels of
New York harbor for the incoming of
freight bearing ships They hailed the
opening of the transcontinental rail-
road, and the faster ocean ships with
their lessened cost of transportation as
a n, ans for saving something to labor.
But these were merely obstructions to
tra!>ic removed, and no proposition is
more absurd than that the erection of
others can benefit labor. Mckinley
will learn some thing before this cam
paign is ovar. Let him have care
how he triaes With Jerry Simpson in
de oate.-Chica2c Times.