New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-06


them and not because OF any lack of skill or knowl-
edge upon tho part Of our master manufacturers
Yet the Springer Free Wool bill proposes 10 rcduce
this protection from 80 TO "a cents. There Is no
manufacturer in the United States who can make
these goods an outlay OF 30 cents for the mere ex
pense Of making, mich less "a cents. For example,
the foreign weaver gets "a cents per yard for his
portion " the work. whilst upon the scale OF wages
paid to the weaver here the lowest pay he would get
would be cents. At this price the American
weaver makes only fairly good living. How The
foreign weavers live upon their scanty pay may be
readily conjectured. We do not want any class 10
Ave here they do. upon an insunicency OF tine
barest necessities, ending their days as dependan's
upon charity or workhouse relief
have been for years actively connected with the
employment of this class OF workers both sides OF
the ocean and am therefore perfectly familiar with
the pay and the mode OF diving In both regions Inc
pay here is fully double, frequently three and In
numerous cases four times whit 1t Is abroad
speak not to time only, but production also The
cost OF the three indispensable necessities food rent
and clotlpg taken together as one item requisite to
both peoples, is here but little II any above the
foreign but people are accustomed to suiiciensy
and what TO them is by custom only an ordinary
comfort, is to the foreign worker an unknown and
unattainable luxury. ] do not wish to make any
special plea for these masses, or use benevoence 70
that large part Of the nation as an argument but
do insist that upon the prosperity OF that class depends
the active prosperity Of the Nation. The dgh wages
our workers get induce the large consumption OF
labors products for which country is remarkable
and this consumption will diminish In proportion Us
the purchasing power Of the people Is curtaied by
nearer and competition with the laboring
classes OF Europe until It Is reduced to parity with
that Of those grovelng, degraded and uncopsidered
objects.
THE WORKMAN DOMINANT FORCE IN
AMERICA.
In foreign lands the workman is cipher that
counts for nothing In himself Here he is doni-
nant factor expressing individual force and col
lectively, the strength Of the Nation We are In fact
nation Of workers, independent in thought and Ideas
and in the conditions under which VIC live. There
is parallel for us In other Nations therefore thef9
can be no comparison Of our causes with their re-
suits the reverse but II must be plain fact that
as we reduce the conditions here TO the level Of those
OF European competitors, so shall We reduce ours
10 the level of European prosperity. The workman
and the economist who long for that need en-
lightenment through term Of schooling under the
system he so prefers.
As a practical business man have always opposed
political tinkerlng with business and finance OPP
posed the tariff Of 1885, that OF 1890 and, for the
same reasons the Free Wool bill and all other radical
alterations Of the established basis upon which our
business fabric is erected believing that the prosperity
OF this country cannot be improved by legislation that
brings radical and sudden changes upon any OF Its
great branches VI employment trade ana particularly
nets, as does this Free Wool bill. What We need TO
improve our condition Is, 10 be let alone by men who.
# they had any natural business ability or regular In.
dustry would not be IN politics We need. above all
things, pernaneilce and stability OF policy. that
the laws Of today will not be jeCpardzcd or snnlhi
lated by the laws Of tomorrow. The real question
Protection or Free Trade is the better for us Pro
lection has been the policy OF the country for long
term Of years all nr0Yssy and labor values S are butt
the building up, In one age, OF world OF varied In
dustres. unexampled in magnitude and perfection.
will not waste his time over speculatons as to what
might have been under another system.
SHALL WE NOT WORK OUT OUR OWN DESTINY.
We have these works and their concomltants. viz,
we'll paid and thriving population with the most
marked prosperity Of any nation on earth. The real
question then Is shall we work out our destiny In
this great structure have carefully and de
erminedy built, or, shall We bring 1t down upon our
heads by ruthessy knocking out Its foundations
through such nitiat0ry blows free wool III Is doubt
full If many people have reflected to what would be
the actual consequences to the business Of this
try this and similar contemplated acts were 10 become
law. / deem It the most reckless, illconsdcred and
dangerous piece OF commercial legislation pro.
posed In this country. The result would be bank
ruptcy. Four hundred millions OF dollars would be low
estimate OF the value OF all the WOOL woOlen goods
and clothing held In the United states by producers
"nannsrrers and dealers The eject Of The Ceyc
land and Springer free-eool policy would be u take
OF one-thd Of the value OF all this property, which
means wipng out, by the enactment OF n law. OF from
$780, 100000 Sl50o0oOo0 OF the assets o. unit'dy,
Of the largest and most general trade interests In
the country.
1t can be easily seen why, the woolen mills would
stop, and also that the disastrous effects OF such
crisis could not be confined 10 that single Interest.
They woud Immediately extend to banks and financial
institutions and through them to every line Of industry
monetary disturbance and finally business panic. The
real intent OF the fleew move Is quite obvious IL
lion that the woolgrowers hold the balance Of voting
power In National politics They are now allied 10 ths
Of tariff protection. Deprive them Of that and the
bond is broken they BECOME then the rctaliaory ad-
who have no interest In and have always been opposed
to the policy Of fostering skilled Industries. The
work OF destruction would then begin and It's prose,
cution be carried with all the ygor that marked the
war for secession
ENGLAND'S FOUNDATION WAS PROTECTION
They. who cite the policy Of Great Britain as a
model for do not alnde 10 the fact that for ages
that Government held 10 the most nsid protective
policy that any nation has ever adopted and that she
the benefits OF protection In building up her skilled
industries to such perfection that she could defy foreign
competition. When, through protective stimulus TO her
petition. when through protective stimulus to her
n'anuh,n cS. she had becoin" the workshop Of The
production within her bcdcrs to level bOw that Of
any other Country when: In fact, protection was o.
when II was, Of no more use than an cvero nj IN
hot summer day she threw It Csidc ard has been cvr
since herOcaly prOcalmng the virtues OF Free Trade.
in the hope OF opening the doors Of other nations 10
the surplus mill products that her ilpad masses arc
unable 10 consume Conld she instead raise the pay
and social status OF her working masses % something
like that proportion Of the cost OF living and being
that prevails here she hns not machinery enough 20
supply the increased demand from her own popua
ton.
The woelercwers have been persstently dlnned With
the assertion OF the Free Traders that protective tanN
IS the cause Of the decline IN wool. II that IS the
fact would like II explained how In the United States
onequartcr blood and common woods opened this year
from par to one cent per pound higher than they did
last year, while in FreeTrade England the same class
Of woods grown there opened and are to-day two cents
per pound lower than they were nj the period
last year. The fact is that the price OF wool declines
because Of thc continued increase OF production
consumption outside OF the United States and prices
here respond az far rs the tariff will permit Take of
the IL cents per pound duty and washed woods 81 this
De criptiOn that today sell for "a cents would not
bring 90 cents.
Farmers who grow other crops than wool seem
charmed with the Free Trade music. They do not
feet that the destruction Of the prosperity Of me-