The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-06-08

characterized by any less emphatic
heading than the above, though we
have too much belief in brother Coles
truthfuluess to belief it any thing more
than thoughtless repetition of the
campaign liars" statements
For the eighteen months during
which the Mckinley bill has been in
force the country has witnessed re-
markable succession of strikes and
lock-outs, wages have been reduced
and factories closed wooden factories
have ceased operation, and wool is
lower than has been for years, the prices
of farm products generally, have de-
preciated, business failures are more
frequent and business depression has
become universal. In eulogizing the
measure Mckinley says his bill speaks
for itself and so it does in terms of al
most universal disapproval.
Let us first note the absurdity of
ascribng the strikes and lock-outs TO
the Mckinley bill. That there is a
worldwide struggle between labor and
capital and one which is yearly increas-
ing, no one will deny; but that it is in
any way attributable to protective
policy is utterly false. What caused
the obstinate strike of $4,000 miners in
free-trade England, or the three-months'
engineers strike that just preceded it,
or the 100000 cotton spindles lying
idle in Lancashire, or the many other
strikes we read of in the English press?
Are these due to the dreadful Mckinley
billg They are facts for which the
Democratic editor never attempts to
find an explanation, though they doubt
less account for Lord Salisbury's recent
bold utterances. He tells the
British workingmen that, though
fifty years ago every one be-
lieved free trade had conquered
the world, yet foreign nations are to-
day adopting protection and injuring
England's trade, despite the many free
trade prophesies to the contrary; and
this great English statesman concludes,
II shall expect to be accommodated
for propounding such doctrine, but
am bound to say think the free-traders
have gone too far" Does this look as
though protective tariff was against
the interest of the laboring man?
Secondly, let us consider the wool
question. Under the first year of the
Mckinley bill, America imported $20,-
100000 less of wooden goods and used
$4,000, 900 worth more than she did the
year before, while in silk and in cotton
goods statistics show a similar condition
And though it is true that some facto-
ries have closed, others have greatly
enlarged their facilities, SO that more
capital is invested and more workmen
employed in wooden factories
than ever before. As to the price
of the raw material being lower, it is
just about the same as before the tariff
bill went into effect. To show how
England regards this matter, let me in
troduce the London Times as witness
effects of said Mckinley bill is that
'four well-known English textile firms
have already moved the whole, or a
part of their plant, to the United
States"
Thirdly, we come to the statement
that "prices of farm products generally
have deprecated" The price of all
agricultural products is mainly regulat-
ed by the great law of supply and de-
mand and, while on the Southern tour,
we were many times told that the ex-
tremely low price of cotton was due to
an over-production. With the improve
ment of countless acres additional each
year, the United States can feed all its
people and some besides, and the shut
ting out of the 1856, 900, 600 of farm pro-
ducts that in 1889 were admitted
through American custom houses to
compete with American farms, cannot
fail to benefit the American market, the
"Chinese Wall" theory being refuted by
the fact that England has more mouths
than she can feed, in consequence of
which our exports during the last
twelve months of protection have in
creased 15.41 per cent. over the pre-
ceding twelve-month, while British ex-
ports decreased SO per cent. for the
calender year 1891.
The falsity of the Courier statement
is further demonstrated by table Civ
ing the highest market price of grain
and produce in the Chicago market for
the last 30 years, showing that wheat
last year brought much higher price
than in either of the years between 'S3
and 80, with the exception of 1881 while
the lowest price in 81 was Soc as against
7+fc in 80, the highest price in 01 be-
ing S1.16 as against 1.0S4 in the preced-
ing year. OF course the returns for '92
are not yet in, though in this particular
locality wheat brings an unusually
good price on account of a poor out
look in other portions of the state.
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