The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-06-25

nat the fsr.n laws conpsi man % pay
more for goods than be would Be CON-
PEELED TO pay il there were no such laws.
This much may be true. Mr.. Campbell
may be able to 90 to London and buy q
ton Of steel rails for less money than he
can buy the same rails for in the United
States to-day. That fact does not set
tie this question at AL.
Iwell remember when no railroad iron
was made in the United States. ! also
remember the prediction nide when
the duty was levied on railroad iron and
the industry was started in this country.
We were told that the enactment Of
such law would increase the price OF
railroad iron and would ruin the build
ing Of railroads in this country.
Theoretically, that seemed to De true.
Practically no statement could have been
made that would have been farther from
the truth. Fro.h that day down to tae
present time the price Of railroad iron
and steel rails has been constantly re-
duced, and we nave built more railroads
than all the rest Of the world combined.
But, Mr.. Campbell will say, what
right has the Government to compel me
to pay $50 ton to-day for stee. rails.
when can buy them in London for so
and land them in New York for SO or
S26, freight paidi Sure enough. the
duty was levied in the first place to enable
our people to produce railroad iron and
pay our high wages for work. The
result is that an enormous industry
mas been built in this country. We are
now producing all the steel rails needed
| in the United States. Competition has
reduced them to as low point as they
can be produced and pay our high wages
! for men who work in that industry. The
price has been driven down not only in
| this country but all over the world.
| England can produce them to-day
cheaper than we can. so long as she pays
| for the work which enters into them less
than half what is paid by the United
States. What thena Would you re-
move the duty and permit Eagland's
cheaper rails to ruin that industry in this
country England would. no d0ubs. in
short time shut up our furnaces. Size
certainly would unless we reduced the
pay of our workman to level with the
wages paid in England. The moment
England had succeeded in shutting up
| our factories, however. our enormous
supply would be cut off, aad then toe
English makers would put the price of
! rails up even higaer than it is now.
They would keep the price there until
our people should try to make them
again, and meanwhile we would bs at
| the mercy of our foreign manufacturer.
! But, says the free trader, as long as
/ England can produce rails cheaper than
we eau, let her people produce them and
| let our men who work at that business
do something else. Very well what else
would you have them do2 WHAT indus
try is there to-day that is LACKING work
men in this countrya There is no lack
OF farmers in the United States. In
deed the market for the products of toe.
farm has been actually glutted for the
past few years.
MORE INDUsTRIEs-NoTF FEWER.
What we need in the United States i,
4
tries. The calamity walters are constant
ly asserting that there are from one to
five million people out of employment
now in this country. OF course the
statement is not true; YET there are
large number Of people who do not find
constant employment. Do you no. ses
that every industry shut out Of this
country would of necessity increase the
number OF unemployed peoplel
| | defy any one to show where the es-
adjustment of new industry has taken
flom any other industry enough men to
cripple that industry. The Influx TO this
country of foreign labor is so enormous
that when one comes to add to it the
constant growth Of our own population
the result is that laborers are always
abundant in the United States. The
great problem to be solved is to find
profitable employment for all our people.
70 do this we should manufacture all the
goods we possibly can, grow all the
/ products of the farm we possibly can,
produce all the ores from our mines we
possibly can, and furnish labor for our
own people at the best wages that can
possibly be paid.
Do not forget this7 Wages paid to
our own people remain here in our owa
country. An article produced BY our
own citizens costs the Nation, as a Ma
ton, very little. The same article
bought from any other country takes
from our Nation the entire amount sent
abroad for such an article. II then it be
true that the system Of protection is the
very best system for our entire people, I
submit to Mr.. Campbell that he must
give his allegiance to any system which
upon the whole is best for all, rather
than consult what may seem best fol
himself in some single instance. 1t may
seem to him that ne is compelled to pay
an extra price for some given article, but
If in doing that his wages are kept at so
high price that he can afford to nav
1 A. - .