The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-09-30
Let Free-Traders Read.

Is the chief factor in the determination
OF our tariff 20 icy and, as think. is
conclusive of the Whole subject My
successor in Office, Colonel WI liam Z.
Switzler, has co irteouSly prepared for
me most valuab @ table, from VIII ch ii
appears
/. That Z total value of the cyt ort
Nj merchandise from the countries Of
EUROPE to foreign countries was for the
latest year or commercial Statsti s,
81, 81, 4e3 0j2.
2. That the total value Of such eyp) is
'to countries other t an those o. EuropA
was 81 ,O34. 3j9,54l of which S357 900, 900
was to the United States. The trade
between the different countries OF EC-
rope, and especially between contiguous
countries, corresponds with our inter
state mcrce, and in the nature OF
things IL is OF II trade in which the
United States can to any extent COM
pete. Without going into details, ii APP
pears certain that in the cOmpeti'io
with the countries of Europe the United
States cannot now / crease its foreig
exports more than S1,00), 900, 900, and
probably not half that amour.
And now lot us in re as 10 the total
magnitude OF our home markets The
total value OF the products of industry
1880 was, according to the official eXhib
its, S9,2 -, 307, s.. This inc uded only
the merchan' alb G products Of American
industry 1t failed TO take account of
many products OF industry and it did
not include the cost OF constructing
wagon roads, railroads, streets, sewers
or buildings, or other fixed improvements
eff any sort or description. Nor did il
pretend to embrace the products OF any
establishment the annua value OF which
was under>S50O.
In the year 1881, Us Chief of the Blu
reau of Statistics, | estimated the total
value OF tho products of Ameri an in.
dustry at ten thousand million dollars
$50, COO, 000 O00), and my fr end Edward
Atkinson, of Boston. pronounced free
trader Of the scholastic order, arrived at
the same conclusion by an entirely diff
ferent process But Mr. Henry V. Poor
the most eminent railroad statistician in
this country, estimates the value of the
merchandise transported on railroads in
the United States during the year 1887
at $13, SOC. 100000. He, however, takes
no act cunt of the very large internal
commerce of the United States on water
lines
l believe, therefore, that the total
magnitude of the available foreign mar
kets is greatly overestimated and that
the total magnitude OF our home mar
kets IS underestimated in the following
comparison: Value of foreign markets,
LOCO, 900, 900; value OF home markets.
$13, 500, GOO, 600 This shows the total
magnitude OF the home markets t. be
more than thirteen times that Of the
possible foreign markets. But the home
market is entirely our own, and com
n nnHnr ~
I only hope to secure a share of the for
eign market in a hot competition with
the countries OF Europe, where labor
and capital are cheaper than In the
United States.
In his ist message President Cleveland
openly recommends general reduction
In the cost Of production in this country
by admitting foreign competition, and
he defended this policy by declaring that
X would give our manufacturers "a bet
ter chance in foreign markets with the
manufacturers of other countries" and,
"to their employees more certain and
steady labor. But this would simply
be to invite all the world to a rambe
for the vantages Of our high home
market, worth SI3, 500. 10000 a year
the most inviting field of commercial
plumber on the glol C-for the privilege
OF CONF etlng in the cheap foreign mar
kets, worth only Sl,00', 100000 year.
This Is the reason why England is so
anxious for the reelection Of Mr. Cleve-
land, Notwithstanding his late retalia-
tory message.
The foreign market, instead Of atford-
ing American lem ployes more certain
and steady labor" would furnish q mos
unsteady and uncertain labor. The
violent fluctuations of foreign markets
have demonstrate this Experience
has abundantly proved that il is only by
bringing producer and consumer closer
together that greater certainty and
steadiness OF labor are Sc ,ured. This is
one Of the best fruits OF protection
The exfreSidcnt and free traders
generally demand that the materials
which reach our manufacturers sha be
made free. During the census year o.
1880 the total va uc Of our products of
manufacture was -. SO, $40, 10l, and the
value of the materials used was %, $780,
S23,540, u sum three times as large as
the entire foreign market available for
the United States The market value
of such materials. usually denominated
as "raw materials" by free-traders, is
entirely the product OF American labor,
and almost entirely labor of the lower
grades receiving the re atlvely lower
y bulk of American laborers engaged in
agricultural, mechanical, and mining
industries of the United States. Here
IL just where the blow of free trade
would strike first
Cur home market is at all times regu-
lated, and the wages of labor and the
prices of commodities are at all times
determined by the conditions which Sc
cure American lat IS of wages to Amcri-
can laborers, and American labor and
American CAPT a. are entitled to the full
benefits which those conditions afford
AThis is the key to our prosper ty. Free
ANradc is based upon the idea of world
wide scramble for cheapness, while pro.
lection is based upon the idea of securing
remunerative employment in this coun-
try for every willing head and hand.
Benz. Franl<lin's Belief
Ron n 4 I'm Franklin WrO as follows