Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-14

We print to-day an instructive letter
from MI. George A. Macbeth, the we'll
known lamp chimney manufacturer of
Pittsburg, who, as previously stated in
these columns, has disconnected the
Protectionists by his independent and
manly attitude as an employer who
does not ask his government to levy
contributions upon the public at large
70 keep his factory running, In our
former reference to Mr.. Macbeth's posi-
ton upon this issue of taxation for the
sake of protection" we referred to him
as San exponent of that true American
spirit that is ready to stand upon its
own merits, without asking the govern
ment to tax A, B, g, and all the other
letters Of the alphabet to assist 2 in pill
ing up a fortune" A perusal Of Mr..
Macbeth's letter will show that he has
fully merited every word of this en-
comium.
Mr.. Macbeth is a practical man. He
writes Of what he knows; of what he
has learned in the school of experience.
With him the unsatisfactory and
inequitable working of the manifold
tariff acts that have characterized Re-
publican legislation is and has been ali
the way through ga condition, not a
theory" The judgment he expresses
now-that it is folly to depend on
tariffs TO regulate prices--and his con-
demnation of the selfish fallacy that it
is the function of government to secure
to everybody profit on any business
he may see fit to carry on-are not the
outcome of recent and immature OBJ
servation. He tells us that "my views
on tariff, or any tariff, were settled long
before dreamed of this business, and
all expressions on this whole subject
have been outside of, and independent
of, personal interests, and as result or
confirmation of my practical observa-
tons in the last twenty-five years"
A practical man, who speaks from out
of such wealth of experience and with
the manliness that will not permit its
possessor to assist in or connivc at the
diversion of the public taxing power to
the enhancement Of the private property
of individuals, speaks with an authority
that will make itself heard and respected.
We are glad to say that this manliness
is not by any means so rare among
American manufacturers as our Protec-
lection brethren would have their readers
believe. Mr.. Macbeth is a conspicuous
example of large and steadily increas-
ing class of manufacturers in this land
who are ready and willing to unshackle
trade and, disclaimlng government
bounty, stand forth for fair field and
an equality of opportunity, confident of
their ability to hold their own against
competition and to place their goods in
the markets of the world. We have be-
fore us, at this writing, an extract from
an interview with Mr.. A. @. Moxham,
of the Johnstown, Pa, steel works,
Congressman Tom L. Johnson's partner
and manager, bearing on this point.
MIR. Moxham criticises the Wilson bill,
in that it does not go far enough in the
direction of emancipating American
manufacturers from the incubus of pro-
tectionism. He says;
II anything it (the Wilson biln is weakly
protectionist. ! can only commend it to
the extent that it admits some articles free
of duty. II Is commonly assumed, in op-
position to the Wilson bill that foreign
nations wonld take possession of the mar
kets of the United States in the event OF
free trade on the basis Of the present labor
cost of home production. How can this
claim be reconciled with the law that a
small increase or decrease of demand will
alter the selling prices of the materials de.
manded2 There can be no large increase
in supply from other countries without q
heavy advance in prices from to-day's
basis, and consequently, an increase in
the price of labor in those countries
Therefore, what would happen on the re
moval of the tariff would be an equaliZa.
ton Of the price of labor by an advance
on the part of manufacturers In this coun.
try. To my mind, free trade in America
will be bad thing for English manufae
turers. And. because | happen to have
everything invested In American stee
manufacture, am anxious for free trad,
in order that may sell steel rails to Eng
land.