The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-09-19

| ana we can HOW W uO DCUs0i 'A'''A
to advise our friend to read Bishop
Whateley's rules of logic. 1t is an
old work and possibly somewhat
obsoleted, but it will do for begin.
ming. England's natural resources
are exhausted. The maximum OF
population that the soil can posi-
bly, supper: has been about reached.
In this country conditions are re-
versed. We are but at the thresh-
old of national development and
growth. With natural resources and
a soil capable of supporting 5OO,-
100000 people in aff1uence We have
but 65,00O,0OO. Between countries
50 dissimilarly conditioned no log
ical comparison can be made; but
between Germany and England a
comparison may be made, and when
the Register replies to our compar-
ison there, we will meet it, but it is
too wise to do that, by long shot.
Instinct teaches it, if reading has
not, that its position is illogical,
unfair and full Of deception. We,
however, hold and think we have
shown that the purchasing power
of the Englishman's wages is quite
as good as that of the Americans,
and in that is the gist of the whole
question; for it is not the number
of dimes or shillings the man earns
that benefits him but the amount
of sustenance those dimes or shill-
ings will buy.
AS to the Registers assertion that
"in Europe laboring classes are de-
pressed by conditions that do not
exist in the United States" the
statement is wholly irrelevant. We
are not discussing conditions in
protected Europe but in free trade
England; and as the Register omits
TO mention any conditions that OPP
press labor in that country and not
in this we assume it knows of none.
Englishmen are tree as we are. They
can leave their country whenever
in their opinions change will bet
ter their conditions. Like us they
labor to better their social status.
Like us they are employed-some
by private persons, others by COM
panies and corporations. They are
the most intelligent people in Eu-
rope, too; and so few OF them emf
CRATE the inference is that they are
fairly well satisfied where they are.
Yet they have fully compared their
home state-its advantages and dis
advantages-with ours.
Mr.. Wakeman's letter to the New
York Sun, so confidently quoted by
the Register, is the testimony of
protectionist and as usual gives but
one side, and that of doubtful au-
thenticity. The rates given are the
lowest we have seen; but whether
correct or not they amount to moth
ing, since, as above stated, we must
know as we'll what the Englishman's
earnings will buy as how much he
earns, to arrive at an intelligent
conclusion.
But protectionists admit the en-
tire claim of free traders when they
enact protective tariff law. By
this act they declare authoritatively
that the Englishman's goods are SO
cheap that he can pay freight across
the ocean, besides all incidental
charges, and then sell to us, at
profit, so low as to drive our man
ufacturers out of business. This
being the case, it is perfectly plain
that he can afford to work for very
small wages, and can live comfort
ably off the proceeds of his earn
ings. Again, as Mr.. Wakeman's
statement onlyplaces English wages
about 80 per cent below American
wages, according to protection tes-
timony. while his goods are Is per
cent lower, it is plain that the Eng
Iishman is better paid than the
American, and that the Register has
failed utterly to make out case.