Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-09-01

countries of the world the price of commo-
dities have been Decreasing and the rates
of wages, especially in those occupations
which require a considerable degree of skill
and intelligence, have been increasing; in
other words, that capital has been receiving
year by year smaller percentage upon the
total proceeds OF the products, and year by
year labor has been receiving larger per-
centage of the total proceeds of the pro-
duct.n
Mr.. Carlisle argues that tariff laws are an
impeachment TO the natural course of inter
change of products, and In this way inter
fero with the cheapening of commodities.
takes no account of the law that high
wages Increase consumption, requiring q
larger product from year to year, so that tho
civilized countries prosper with increased
wages, and commodities fall with increase
of consumption, nor OF the fact that we
have an active competition of 6o,00O, 900 of
people in production In our country, and an
area Of country for swift and cheap distribu-
ton about equal to all Europe without GUS
tom houses or other restraint all active and
absolutely free.
COMFORTS AND LuxuRiEs FOR ALL.
The comforts and many of the luxurics of
life are enjoyed by the wage earners in our
country In a degree unknown In any other
country, and, although the general range OF
prices in money here are somewhat higher
than in other countries, II il indisputable
that the wages of days labor in the
United States will buy much more of these
comforts and luxuries than anywhere else
ON the face of the globe, What is true of
the wage earners of our country, Is true of
the farmers of the country, the average of
the yearly products of the farm will buy
more of the necessRries, comforts and lux
uries Of life than at any former period In
our history, and this largely, because tho
relatively high wages paid here TO those In
other occupations than farming, make them
large consumers of farm products, SO that
the family of one mechanic, or artisan, or
laborer, here consumes as much as two
such families in any European country.
INTERESTED IN VARIED INDUSTRIES.
But Ii tariff laws make commodities dear,
they would be dear In every country be-
cause those countries competing with us,
like our own, have protective laws, except
England and Belgium. Most OF the daily
wants of n family are nearly IL not quite as
cheap here as in England, and many OF
them cheaper. Another fact should be
borne in mind, and that Is that the general
tendency of food products is to advance
with the advance in wages, ovcrproduction
may exceptionally change this rule. This
tendency to increase the price of food prod
ucts relatively is aided by the chcapening
of manufactured commodities and by the
constantly diminishing charges for trans
portation. So that the farmer Is above all
interested In the prosperity of our indus
tries that produce articles in general use,
as with this prosperity comes adequate
wages and enlarged consumption of his
products Mt home, and thereby that portion
of the 65, 100000 of our people, who are oc-
cupied in diversified employments outside
of agriculture, become certain and abund-
ant consumers of his products.