Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-10-07
Free TRADERS, Read TliS.
American Protection Viewed by a
Yorkshire (Eng.) Newspaper.
PROJECTION OF AMERICAN INDUSTRY
NEITHER FRAUD NOR A DIFFUSION IN
THE EYES OF FOREIGNERS.

BkOl hCllON OF AMERICAN INDUSTRY
NEITHER a FRAUD NOR A DELUsroSIN
THE EYES OF FOREIGNERS.
From the Bailey (Yorkshire) Examiner,
Sept. II.
At the present moment, with disaster
after disaster reported in the commercial
world with such firms as that OF the
Salts finding it necessary TO wind up their
huge business; with the depression in the
Bradford trade; with the ruin of the tin
plate industry in South Wales, the doom
OF the Lancashire cotton trade foretold,
and the complete overthrow of the
Nottingham lace business brought about
by the operation of hostile tariffs in
foreign contries-wiih all these signs Of
the decay of British trade, there is no
wonder that the more thoughtful of
English orkingmen are beginning to-
ponder the question as to whether, after
all, free trade IS the great blessing to this
country, which from their infancy they
have been led to believe.
Signs are not wanting that the times is
rapidly approaching when instead of the
advocate of protection being put upon his
defense it will be the advocate of such
one sided free trade as England at present
enjoys (save the mark y who will find it
necessary to explain his reasons for mair-
tanning the faith that is in him.
WHEN ENGLAND WAS TIE PIONEER.
No other trading community on the
face OF the earth pursues the policy which
England has for forty years adhered to.
1t is perfectly true that forty, nay twenty,
years ago England prOspered and was
prospecting; that her trade increased by
leaps and bounds, that wages were higher
and fortunes rapidly made. And free
traders took the flattering uncton to their
souls that all the improvement was due
TO the adoption of the Cobdenite shib-
boletb, forgetting that England was tie
pioneer in manufacturing, IN the creation
of railways, in the adoption of the electric
telegraph, and that her commercial mari
time feet gave her advantages which no
oil er nation on the face of the earth err
joyed.
But by taking advantage of English
discoveries, employing English foremen'
getting English machinery to use as
patterns aud excluding English goods
from their markets by high tariffs, France,
Germany and America have brought
themselves IN line With us, and while the
business of free trade England to-day in
creases but at snail's pace, the foreign
trade of foreign countries is leaplng
forward and bidding fair to quickly equal
our own.
WHAT FINES WAGES.
Whatever may be said to the contrary,
WAGES are fxcd-subiect, of course, TO
reasonable conditions Of barter-by the
memorable laws of supply and demand.
As soon as orders tor goods fall off COM
petition begins to cut down prices, and
when this has done its worst, and orders
still become fewer and fewer, mills are
shut down. men are thrown ont OF en-
ployment, the competition for work be-
comes keener and kneener, and men with
wives and families to support Willingly
take situations to keep their families
from starvation at less and less rate of
wages. This is the process now going on
in England.
France, Germany, Spain and America
have all practically closed their markets
against ms; and while thus keeping their
own trade to themselves, they are com
netting with us in Eastern and other mar
kets, and so not only mjaring our trade
by their refusal to accept our goods, but
driving us out of other markets.
It's time England brought the natiors
who are now seeking her ruin to their
senses by the imposition of retaliatiye
tariffs on their goods.
TWO SIGNIFICANT ILLUSTRATIONS.
Let ms give yet another instance of the
harm which the Mckinley tariff is work
inc in this neighborhooj, and of the
blow which IS being struck by it at the
prosperity of our work people. Henry
Lister & Company are, or rather have
been up to short time ago, large en-
plovers OF labor in Huddersfeld and !
They found work for ID 0 operatives
On the mans facture of seal and silk !
pushes, astrakans, rugs, shawls and
The Mckinley act knocked off |
DO per per cent. of their trade. and now
hey have decided to close their English
Mills and set mp at jamestown, America.
dr. Henry R. Lister, one OF the firm, has
,een interviewed upon the subject Of their
emoval and his words are significant.
They find it impossible to continue with
nv degree of success the manufacture of
heir goods in Free Trade England, but in
'rotectionist America they have good
eason to belleye they will succeed in
building mp a business which will require
he employment of , 600 hands. Let our
eaders consider what this means to
.ngland and more especially to Yorkshire
neratiyes.
WHAT PROTECTION MEANS.
1t means this, that 1900 of our oper-
tives are to be thrown ont of employ
lent. are to be cast adrift to find work
here and how and at what wages they
m it means the withdrawal of thou
inds of pounds IN capital from this coun-
v and its transfer to the United States,
lere to be used, not for the benefit of
.ngland and of Englishmcn, but to their
cry great detoriment; for not only will
-essrs. Lister & Son. from their new
JAMESTOWN Works, produce goods which 1