New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-26
SELECTIONS FROM.THE MAIL.
A LABOR VIEW OF FREE TRADE.
BUYING ABROAD MEANS 1D1ExEss At HOME.

BUYING ABROAD MEANS IDLENEss AT HOME.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: VIII you kindly allow TO can attention TO
the labor side Of tive question presented by Robert B.
Stou In your issue Of september % He says:
suppose instead Of employing American shoe
maker to make my shoes, should employ an Amen
can farner 10 grow some wheat, and then should
send the wheat some other country in exchange for
shoes would not the labor of the farmer be employed
Indirectly In producing the shOes- Protection claims
that the shoemakers OF America should have the right
to supply the entire American market with shoes
that the American wheat raiser should have the right TO
supply the entire American market with wheat and the
same Of all other American producers The proposition
OF Mr. stott Is TO send the product Of wheat raiser
abroad 10 support a foreign shoemaker. and leave
American shoemaker Ogt Of work in the proper
ton. In general the proposition is that American
aborers should support the foreign aborers In return
for necessaes and that other American hbOrers who
ought 70 have the right 10 supply those necessar1es
shall be thrown out Of work. Applied to the whole
country, the proposition that half the laborers Of
America, approximating 100000 should send their
products abroad support 1000 900 OF foreign labor
in return for cheap necessares leaving the remain
ing 100000 Of American labOrers without work or
wages. True the support OF 100000 Of foreign
aboers does not limit the effect TO Just 100000 Of
American lsbOrers. no more and no less. but tle'
depression is felt by the whole body of laborers in
Mr., Stott asks: Does it make any difference 10
the whole people whether l have my shoes made
here or get them in some other country - Does n
drop water make any difference TO the ocean, The
foreign supply OF single pair Of shoes make no
very perceptble difference TO the whole American
people but when one pair of shoes stands the rep
resentatve Of drops Of foreign manufacture sufficient
to FL half the ocean Of American consumption, Is it
then nothing the whole American people that mill
Ions Of her best laborers out Of WORK. Mr. stott
cannot see what difference IL makes whether the
goods that we consume made in this country or In
some other for believe he says, that everything
consumed in the United sthates is produced directly
or indirectly, by the labor Of tie United States
This statement Is plain and the conclusion Is as
inevitable as fate. Reduce the labor Of the United
labor, and American labor is forced TO accept nan
work half pay and half rations. The American
laborer in his enforced idleness and poverty mas no
difficulty in seeing the difference when the goods we
cons sumo are made I'm other country no sophls-
trv can cover the fact and IL Is true OF the whole
American people engaged in labor as IL IS OF
single individual. that the man VINO loses M,
lob is on the way TO poverty and want. 'Ihe]
Teaching OF free-tade is that Il is great harushp
for the laborer not 70 be allowed 70 give up ms
neirbbOrs lob to any foreigner who will work cheap
a sboensfer for instance but il carefully cpnceals
the fact that his neghbOr would have the same power
IN tniure him in return by using forelg On prCducts
and declining 10 use those employing MS hpU'
so deprivng him Of employment - Door
Rochester. y. H.. Sept "a 1891.