The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1892-01-08

this point. RaW materials must De
made as cheap to our manufacturers
as the cheapest in the world. and the
wages of employees must be reduced
till the cost of producing American
goods is brought down to the 'lowest
foreign standard" However it may
fare with the workingman, the Balletin
IS sure that the employer will be all
right:
So far, all is clear sailing to the
manufacturer. He has no resort but
the one indicated, and following that
course he would find himself as we'll
or better able to compete with foreign
goods than he was under the regime of
artifcially enhanced price. -
That is so. The capitalist is inde-
pendent Of any industlial change: If
for the time being conditions are
unfavorable. for continuing, because of
strikes against reduced wages for IN
stance, he can shut up his factory until
they become favorable. He may lose
something by waiting, but will have
left sufficient to live in luxury. He
need never forego even so much as q
single mornings s,rloin in Il g trans
ltion from high to low wages. 1t will
be simply question of time till his
employees return and beg for places at
the reduced paw. Our Free-Trade
contemporary tries to ease ITS con-
science, for advocating the introduction
of this low wages regime, by an in
genious attempt to show that the
workingman will he just as we'll off
with his smaller pay, because it will
buy more IN the revenue Tariff times
Of cheapness than of the hlgh-prlced
supplies before the wage reductions:
No sooner had wages been reduced
than the wage Garner would discover
that the prices of products and the
average costs of living had been reduce
ed evenly with wages; so that his
status, true compensation and pur-
chasing ability had suffered no impair
ment; and, with that discovery, all
popular discomfort at the change would
naturally subside. The reduction Of
wages-occurring first in the manu-
featuring industries would immedi-
ately extend to al ether employments,
and consequently ,.'most .;muitareous
reductions won!d appear IN tl:s pro-
ducing costs aud IN the prizes Of all
domestic raw materials, Of motive
power, light, machinery, buildings,
rents, transportation and o. every
form of cost of living, or production,
or enjoy ment.
1t will be noted that our Free-Tradf +
joins issue squarely with most tariff
"reformers'' when he comedies that not
only wages in so called protected in
dustries, but wages generally, would
fall under a revenue tariff. If tn,
masons or carpenters wages would
fall with the removal of protection
manifestly protection keeps them up
That reduced cost of living would
compensate workingmen for loss in
wages is basel largely ON theory and
assumption. They would have to take
their chances OH an equality with the
pauper hordes of Europe, and it is
hardly reasonable that their standard
of living would not be lowered. But
having won from our Free-Trader the
acknowledgment that his policy means
low wages, we shall not quarrel with
him now on that point, but pass tc
another which the Bulletin overlooks
Even if the purchasing power Of
wages were sufficiently increased te
counterbalance the fall in their money
value, workingmen would not be sc
we'll off as before Here, for instance,
is man who has saved from bi:
earnings sufficient to buy house ant
lot and to partly pay for them. There
are thousands upon thousands of sucl
in this country. Suppose the mortgag,
on his house and lot is half the pur-
chase price, say $1,000. If our working.
man receives 50 day and saves 81 ot
it, he can pay off his mortgage Will
1000 day., work. But your era o
revenue tariff and cheapness comes in
when, as we have been told. ever,
dollar of his wages will buy twice a
much as before, so that be can stand ;
cut down of one-half and still be a
we'll off. That mortgage refuses t.
fall single cent. Even if th
workingman can now buy as mucl
, with one dollar as he bought unde;
protection with two, and thus cal
, save fifty cents out Of his reduced
wages of $l.5O day, it is plain tina
he will now have to devote 1000 days
work to canceling the mortgage lnstea
of the 1000 with which he coul
discharge it before the era o
cheapness and low wages set in. S
that, even if all the Commercial Bul
! letin says is true, a revenue tarii
. would bear hardest on labor and th
!, debtor classes generally. We fee
; grateful to it for making this one poin
clear-viz., that the scheme of tari
reform" necessarily involves lowe
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