The morning call., 1892-12-05
SEEKING FOR LIGHT.

correspondent sends THE CALL num-
Der Of queries. some of which are based on
recent article in this journal, 10 the effect
that If Europe should do 20 per cent of our
manufacturing, 20 per cent IF American
laborers would be thrown out of employ
ment. The first query is:
Could Europe furnish 20 per cent Of our con-
sumption Of aIteles of iron, for example, with
ont our furnishing Europe something in return?
No. The United States would pay fer
what goods it bought of Europe But IL
might pay in gold, In marketable bonds or
other kind OF property that was acceptable
The contention Of protective tariff adyo-
Gates is that we should pay largely in gold
That certainly is the expectation OF Euro
pean countries. They are not seeking an ex-
change Of commodities but larger cash
market for their products OF course the
product of gold affords employment, bat
there is a very general assent on the part Of
both European and American statesmen
that an exchange of commodities for cash
is desirable. The second query is:
Ia the event Of increased importations from
Europe and diminished American product Te-
snliing from reduction of duties, and a conse-
quent decline In price of manufactured woOleBs
so imported, would not the American consumer
be able TO purchase the necessary woolens for
less money than he does now?
The removal of duties would cheaper
goods in this country that were not subject
to foreign combine. Wooden goods of the
higher grades would undoubtedly be
cheaper. The old question would then
arise. are low wages and cheap goods better
for the wage-earner? They are better for
men who have fixed incomes, but are they
better for men who have to work for what
they can get? Let us suppose that under
our protective system man can earn $500 a
year. Under free trade his earnings would
be reduced 20 per cent Now, what proper
tion OF his $500 would be expended in articles
the price of which would be cheapened by a
reduction of duties? He certainly would
have TO save $50 by the cheapening of
prices to be as well off after $3.50 was taken
from his earnings as before Now, what
man who earns no more than $500 a year
spends enough ON imported goods to CON-
pensate him for the $3.50 he has lost in
wages?
The third query is answered in the above.
If man could have cheap things and high
wages he would have more money to spend
on Injuries, but cheap things involves CORE
spending cheapness in labor. Things are
cheap because labor is cheap.
The fourth query is;
Is II desirable that those portions of the United
States where labor Is lowest should be permitted
10 send their products freely into those portions
where the wages are highest?
All things considered it is. A nation par
takes somewhat OF the nature of family.
The laws governing its relations with
foreign countries are uniform in ali parts of
the country. The citizen of one State has a
right to go into another State and become a
citizen thereof. The New England man
may come cut West and the Western man
go to New England. There can be no
barriers to communication within tue
Union, except those when a community
may create by making itself an undesirable
place OF residence. These privileges, which
are granted by the constitution, tend to es-
tabish an equality of conditions in the
United States that cannot be established
between the United States and another
country.