The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-04-30

Every protectlonIst admits that the
primary effect of a protective duty may
be 10 increase the price of the article to
the consumer; but he also claims that
this Increase of price, if it does occur.
Is only temporary, and that very soon
prices will fall And why? Because of
home competition, which begets
skill, leads to the introduction Of
better methods, and often to the
invention of improved machinery.
In d state of active COMPETE
ton, with each manufacturer strain
ing every nerve to get his products on
the market before his brother manufict-
urers, these results cannot but follow.
American labor once given chance to
exert itself, soon becomes more skill
iul, American ingenuity devses new
processes and better methods, and
American inventive genius having
field for application mas ever given us
improved machines and or-saving
devices. In this way protection tends
to lower cost of production, and thus
that same competition, which of itself
leads to higher wages because of in
creased demand for labor, also leads
to lower prices because Of better meth
DDS and greater skill.
The second reason why manufacturers
can exist in the face of rising wages and
falling prices is because protection, by
the safeguard it places around the
American market, insures continuous
production, although on lower scale OF
profits. II, under free trade Ameri-
can manufacturers could live at all,
their existence would be at best but
tittul one. Exposed at all times TO the
danger of being swamped 10y the sur
plus production of other countries,
their own production would be huctuat-
ing and unsteady; and, as a result they
could only resort to one expedient-to
charge higher profits in times of COM
recoup themselves for the loss
which might occur at any time,
and which they cannot foresee.
nder protection, on the other
hand, our market is safe. The manu-
iacturer does not need to charge higher
profits at one time to make up for loss
al another, end he can well afford
therefore, to reduce the rate or scale of
his profits, because his total earnings
are greater on account of the steady
production, which is the result of pro-
lection. SO we see that the condition
which exists all around us-that of rls-
Ing wages and falling prices-is not an
anomalous one, but is the natural and
ioEltSIl itFuit u tiiS tpiut'SIitiOIi
started into being BY the protective
tariff, which guards alike the interests
OF manufacturer, laborer and consumer
OF the first, by increasing his total
earnings; of the second, by arising the
wages received for his work, and of the
last, by reducing the prices Of the arti-
clcs he buys.
question No 81. How are American goods to
find any market abroad from their cheapness
so long tax Is Imposed OH the materials OF
which they made?
If by tax" tariff is meant, we reply
that any manufacturer who is ambitious
10 try his hand at capturing the worlds
markets can get free raw material for
that purpose now under the draw back
provision of the Mckinley tariff. 1t is
not the duties on raw materials that
keep him out of those markets. 1t is
the high price paid for American labor
which is entirely responsible for what
ever American products cost above the
price of foreign goods. That free raw
materials would do no good is strikingly
proved in the case of cottons. The raw
material is free, yet we export less
manufactured cotton than we import.
The same is true of manufactures of
silk, paper stock and hides, although
the raw material in each case is abso-
lutely free. We must reduce wages
before making any very extensive cap
lures OF foreign markets at present.
Question No 80 Why take the duty oil sugar
to make it cheap and place il on tin plate to
make II cheap!
TO remove Il duty like that on sugar
always lowers the price, because We
could not supply more than one-tenth
of the quantity needed. The duty was
put on tin, because we have the re-
sources for producing all the tin plate
this country can consume. The prlnci
pie Is this-to admit free what We can't
produce; and to project what We can
produce in abundance.
Question No. TO- Would free trade be more
advantageous TO the capitalistthan protective
| tariff n the sense OF making the poor poorer
and the rich richer
Capital. which is rich, buys labor,
which is poor. Free trade reduces the
| price of labor, about the only thing
the poor have to sell, and IN
creascs the purchasing power of capital,
thus giving ii more control over labor.
| Free trade makes the rich richer and
the poor poorer. The monstrous i'll
equality of wealth in the United King
| dom, where under free trade thousands
starve IN the very shadow of the gor-
geous palaces of the wealthy, is stand
| ing proof of our statement. Ninety
| nine per cent of the great fortunes that
do exist here have been amassed IN
| pursuits that are not touched by the
| tariff.
| Question No. IL. In what way does the tariH
| benefit the farm lahoreTs that work by the
| month
| 1t keeps the swarms of laborers IN the
| cities employed in factories and else
| where who otherwise would descend on
| the country districts in countless num-
| berS. each in search OF Job. Cu!tlvat-
| inc the land IS the ultimate refuge of
! men when they are driven from other
/ emplovments. With three men look
| ing for one job on every farm in the
country. how would the farm laborer
| fare?
| Question No - Why does my tailor charge
more for my SUIT now made Of English goods,
AMI iusls; that American goods OF as fine quail
| iiy cannot he had
! 1t is a notorious fact that even the
| foreign goods are imported just about
| as cfeapIv into this country under the
| new tariff as they were before. And
most Of the clothing goods sold as i'm
] ported are made here. There is & fasci-
/ nation about the word imported
] which. a. rule. will hegulle the pur-
| chaser into paving more iIberailv Tor an
! inferior article than he would be willing
/ 10 pav for a better domestic fabric
! .tassjcGn Economist.
! We Can Grow Carpet Wools.
j When tie question was put 10 Judge
I Lawrence. of Ohio as 10 whether carpet
woods can be raised in this country. he
/ said ives, " snd then went on to say:
This country needs 25,90.000 Sheepof the
hest mutton. yariety-the Downs. Shrop-
>hilcs. IinColuS. etc. producing an average
/ If seven rounds OF wool per head. or IN all
/ f-G ttN. .ujs, pounds. uuwaShed. More than
one-tenrh consists of ''hipiochs' and
.hTtcch'' wool I..5.0n0o pounds SO coarse
ana heavy as 10 lie tit only for carpets, and
il is in This woci thar ONO Is directly
: interested III pre>cryl"g 10 the WOOL
.I,N-rS 81 tn3- country the whole -
IT,. sY.ylgl,a carpet wool lTeoa .tiol
n irala4ts aTa pefuIlt"a ga.E Will = ased
for the manufacture OF clothing goods. ana
:! be- ter portions 10 mix with merino and