The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1893-09-15
A TEST OF THEORIES.
fallaci0us Views of tho Advocates OF
Free Trade.

A TEST OF THEORIES.
fallacious Views OF the Advocates of
Free Trade.
The people are fast coming to prac-
teal test of tariff reform theories. at
the bottom of all free trade reasoning
there lies the theory that the people
will be able to consume and will con-
sumo as much without protection as
they have done with it. For the pres
ent, it is admitted that consumption
has materially diminished, and this is
attributed to financial difficulties But
presently, men argue, the old clothes
will be worn out, and stocks of goods
in country stores will be exhausted,
and the millions needing the same sup
ply as before will get them, only at
somewhat lower cost The mills will
Qoe started again, perhaps paying some
what lower wages. but for that lower
cost of products will compensate. The
country is SO mighty and SO prosper
that its industric. cannot long be de-
pressed.
ALI may sincerely hope that these
to the recovery, if not as to the cause.
But in order to reach clearer under
standing, let it be supposed that the
depression will for time deprive a
quarter of the workers of employment
Already about a quarter of the shoe
and cotton machinery is idle, ~ per
cent of the wooden and A per cent of
the knitting machinery, and at least 45
per cent of the iron machinery, which
implies corresponding decrease in the
mining of iron ore and coal and lime
stone used for manufacture. Also let
it be supposed that reductions of wages,
which have ranged already from 10 to
80 per cent. in many establishments
still at work, will average at no dis
fant date about 20 per ce-t. Then for
every dollar expended by the millions
Hast fall quarter will not be earned,
and of the remaining IS cents - will
be taken off by reduction of wages.
leaving 60 cents to be expended instead
Of 100 cents last fall.
III it were possible to reduce all
prices in that proportion, the people as
. whole could consume as much as be-
fore. But it is not possible, because
about 40 per cent in value of things
entering into the cost of living are the
products Of farms, and such products
are abnormally low, the farmer finding
;again, the cost of large proportion of
the manufactured products used by the
millions has already been reduced by
home competition SO far that such
goods are as cheap as in any other
country. This is true, as frce-trade in
vestiGaSors themselves admit, of all
the cheaper grades of clothing such as
the millions use. But these manufac.
'tured articles cover at least j quarter
of the total expenditures. Thus no re-
duction can be expected as to 40 cents
on the dollar representing farm prod
.ucts, or as to IS cents on the dollar rep
the cheaper manufactured
products, and if all other expenses
were reduced to nothing, rents, fuel,
lights, personal services, transporta-
.tion, and the luxuries and comforts
imported from abroad or produced at
higher cost here, still the 60 cents
earned instead of the 81 earned last
fall would not suffice to cover mere
necessities
Til Tree trader believes that the man
who is thrown out of work will still
eat as much, wear as good clothes, oc-
uupy as good q home and procure as
many of all the luxuries and comforts
rs the man who earns good wages We
sshan see if it is true. The theory is
that men who earn lower wages will be
able to buy just as much with those
wages because things will be cheaper.
But the farmers do not know how to
cheaper their wheat and the manu-
facturers of cheap woolens and cottons
and shoes cannot sell even as cheaply
as they do now, unless they have an
enormous demand The closing of
imany works means simply this. that
without demand enough to run the
works full time and with full force
they cannot produce at current prices,
or sell at such prices without loss.
Everybody will hope that the free
trader will find some way to avoid
compelling Americans to eat only sixty
cents worth where they did eat dol
lars worth. Men of our own race do it
in Canada and in Great Britain. But
they will not in this country if they
can help it.-N. Y. Tribune
TWorkingmen now understand
how necessary a protective tariff is to
high wages when the threat of free
trade brings about such a tumble in the
labor market This is why Gov. Nc
.Kinley will have at least thirty thou
sand majority.-Tuledo Blade.
~When the republicans were In
ipower they never implored the demo-
Gratis to help them solve difficult and