Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-09-02

| uupIOutdUl6 BUSINESS lDtTO are NdSu
suggestions that prices in the future may
he made more easy TO the consumer, but no
time is stated or guarantees given.
The main excuse and frequently the only
one, for these burdens added to the backs
Of others is the foreign cheap" ''pauper"
| labor (see statement of Messrs. Dodge,
| Fletcher and Boothman) against which it
| is impossible TO compete. Yet from stand
| point of economy this position is not sound.
Each one of these foreign 'paupers" IS
economically considered but centre OF
sensation and energy receiving small
wages; that is he gives up to you much OF
| his energy in return for comparatively lit
/ tie of YOURS This causes him TO be con-
/ sidered as a grievance and an undesirable
/ neighbor by Protectionists, but strange
| TO saw, the man who behaves exact
/ ly the reverse of this, who takes your
/ energy and gives you nothing at all In re-
turn, is termed q thief-locked up in prison
/ in order TO be put out of harms way.
! Again the converse Of the thief, and, log
| ically, the economic counterpart Of the So
/ called ''pauper' or ''lOw-pricedn man is
/ the machine. Here we have tho extreme
/ of blunted sensibility and the greatest
/ Weld of energy for no return other than
kind OF food which even an Italian beggar
would refuse. Yet, curious as this may
seem, instead of thrusting this competitor
aside, Messrs Dodge. Niedringhaus, Han
son, Dolan, Kellam aud others use itwhen-
ever and wherever possible, and undoubt-
edly point with pride to their excellent
equipment and results.
This is a hard thrust at these "friends
of American labor" who never fail to
employ the cheapest labor they can find
even though they must import the very
''pauper'' labor they ask to be ''pro-
tected" against. Mr.. GEMUNDER con-
tinues:
The truth of the matter is that the kind
of labor that enters into the production Of
any commodity, whether pauper, slave,
convict, machine or honest American, to
use a common expression, cuts no figure at
all Opposition TO foreign competition by
our own particular classes would be just as
persistent even if European labor were
the best paid and most skillful in the
world. Germany and France protect
against our pork and grain, but can
il be said that American pauper labor
is the melting cauSe3 If rejecting the
products of foreign labor because IL is
cheap be an act Of real gain, then logically
we would be committed 10 such abSurdi-
ties as 10 refuse all foreign wealth If ten
dered as gift or as Bastiat has shown, re-
iect the light of that wageless foreign pro-
Queer the sun, because he reduces the
value of the candle and gas business. In
other words, that it is toll and not useful
things we are really in need of. Without
going further into detail, il is only neceS-
sary TO emphasize that the irritating at
tribute of the foreign product to some Of
our business classes is only its cheapness
70 consumers. 1t is this condition that
draws out cOntemptuous remarks from pol
iticianS, and which il is the function of
Protection to negative. Every utterance
the hundreds of witnesses who appeared
before the Commission clamoriug for Gov
eminent aid proved conclusively the de-
siderGtum was safer and increased prices,
and that when the tariff failed to secure
this in their minds nothing of value was
accomplished. The rights of consumers
were of no account, and this class of unfor-
tunates were only alluded to as 'our
market"
Speaking of the argument-in-chief Of
the high tarif1ites, namely, that the
prices of some protected articles have
fallen far below that at which they sold
before the tariff on them was imposed, |
Mr.. GEMUNDER says;
Well. what of that So has the price Of |
tected. We are told that steel rails have !
been enormously reduced in price to the !
American consumer, and without making |
any allowance for the very important in
ventions for reducing cost by those for
eigners, Bessemer, Gilchrist-ThOmas and |
SieInens, the tariff or taxing powr,, is Cited |
as the cause. If steel rails have fallen IN |
the United States under protection, they |
have fallen far lower in England under |
free trade, and the ever-present tariff re-
strictiOn alone prevents our people from |
reaping the benefit.
The real point for the defenders Of the |
Mckinley bill TO demonstrate is not that |
prices have so fallen, but that they have |
fallen below that point at which they |
would have rested had no such tariff been |
enacted.
All the evidence that has been furnished |
in this direction cannot be claSSed above |
vague conjecture. Mr.. Dodge claims that |
the cost of the entire piano has been in
creased only twenty-four cents by reason OF
the increased duties, but even so small
sum as twenty-four cents ne must justify
on the above basis If in the case of tin
plate it cannot be conclusively proved that
it will ultimately, by reason OF the present
increased duties, be the cheapest in the
world, then the interference with trade
matters on the part of the Government is
W
source Of evil and the consumers have just
grounds for complaint.
Another of the chief arguments in the
stock of the McKinleyiteS is, that since
the Mckinley bill has been in operation
many foreign industries have been in
jured, and in some instances ruined, and
their workmen reduced to restitution.
Says Mr.. GEMUNDER:
Mr.. Mckinley himself evince marked
satisfaction, deeming il TO be self-evident
truth that this injury inflicted upon
our late business associates betokeued
that we were actually benefting our
selves-that their loss must necessa-
rily mean our gain. There is a complete
ignoring Of the fact that all trade vol
UNFAIRLY entered into is of a reciprocal ma
ture and mutually beneficial, and conse-
ouently when there is sufficient eXtrane-
Gus interference to cause q stOppage the in
Jury done is also mutual. We might posi-
bly, reduce every competing foreign bust
ness to ruin and the employees TO starva-
tion's point, yet this would not furnish the
slightest evidence that we were doing our
selves any good.
THE first State encampment Of the
West Virginia National Guard will be
held for week, beginning tomorrow, at
Gypsy Grove on the Monongahela. These
are piping times Of peace, but our citizen
soldiery is thing OF Importance, and
one TO be cultivated. Gypsy Grove is a
beautiful spot, and our soldier boys
will enjoy themselves. At the same
time we hope they will learn the les
sons in discipline which the State En-
.n-,.r.n,,t il intnndnd 70 tnnnh