The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-03-12

cheaper, NOTWITHSTANDING the duty !:
| Certainly | can. Here is the list:
| steel rails Paper,
Cut nails, both steel Paper and wood pulp,
and iron, Starch,
| Wire nails, salt,
| wire, Soda ash,
| Cotton ties, Plate glass.
| Bar iron, Common window glass,
| Cutlerv GODlets
| Hoes Glass jars
| shoveis. Tea cups and saucCrs
| Axes. Plates
/ SCYtheS. Bowls,
| Cotton cloth, EarthenWare
Calico, NUTseShUeS
| Cling hams, IIorsenaIls,
| Thread, Hats and caps,
| Yarn, Mittens.
| Flannels and blan- Pitchforks,
kets, Curtains,
| Underwear, Carpets,
| Silks and ribbons, Tapestry,
Stockings And many others.
shoes,
| could readily double this list from
memory. The price these articles used
to bring and the price they are selling
at now are matter of memory also
with me. | will defy any free trader
| to name single article, not luxury,
which we are manufacturing III this
country, and is protected by Il duty,
| which has not been cheapened in the
same way. ] mean, of course, any arti-
| Gle that we have been producing for a
tories we'll III hand. My first PROPOSE
ton is true beyond all question. 1t is
not question of theory, but a simple
question of fact. The facts are all on
my side of the case.
Now comes the second question:
Would this cheapenlng process have
been the same had we never produced
the articles in this country? | answer,
No. Why not? For many reasons.
a. The supply of such goods would
have been less; and that always tends
to keep prices up. Any increase in the
supply tends to cheaper the price of
goods by creatinga sharper competition.
p So long as no such articles were
produced in this country, American in
genuity. system and funds would not
and could not De utilized in perfecting
machinery and inventing new methods
of production. 60 More than that.
the history OF the past proves the COZ
rectness OF my position.
Now comes the last question of Mr..
| COllamer: "lt We are now undersellIng
| the foreign producers of those articles,
why not put them on the free list "'
! The reason is that We do not claim to
| be able to produce protected goods as
| cheaply as they can be produced in the
| Old World. so long as Americans pay
more than twice as much per day for
! their labor as foreigners pay for theirs,
we must protect our manufacturers
against foreign cheap labor, or else re-
duce the pay of our workers TO level
with the wages paid in the Old World
! or else shut up our shops and 90 out OF
| the manufacturing business altogether.
| The free traders say, "Of course, shut
up the shops" The protectionists say,
NO, keep them open and keep them
| running" If We shut them up our
own people will be thrown out of en-
plovment. Our consumers will be in
! the power of foreign producers. The
supply will be diminished, the price of
| the goods will again be advanced, and
the ruin Of thi. country will surely fol-
! low.
| The first object OF protection Is not to
make the price of goods high or low.
| The first object is to put American
| manufacturers in such a position that
| they can do business prosperOusiy, pay
| the high wages customary in this coun-
| try, and hold the home market in the
! nited States against the foreign manu-
| facturers who pay low wages. 1t is Just
as necessary TO keep the duty on steel
rails when they are selling tor $50 ton
as when We bought all our rails abroad
! and paid $3.50 ton for them.
| viii somenee trader attack my po-
, sition Just az define it? Il IS AL easy
/ matter 20 ret mp a man OF stra" ana
/ then kick IL over II is quite another
| affair to state all opponents position
/ fairly and quaiely, and then reply 10
| lust .he proposition he does make, !
! believe ! have stated my paslhon 90