Huntsville gazette., 1893-09-09
FREE TRADE HEDGING.
Democratic Organs Manifesting Ten
dency Toward Protection.


The Boston Herald, which said last
year that rise in wages is directly op-
posed to free trade" is becoming
alarmed at the damaging effects of its
own doctrine upon labor, in the shut
ting down of mills, the discharge OF
workmen by thousands, and the feed
ing of people at public expense who
last year enjoyed in abundance the
comforts of life. Hence it is beginning
to hedge. In recent issue it afirms
that as soon as financial confidence is
restored the ''old tendency toward i'm
proved wages and lessened hours of
| work" will be resumed; that lin the
immediate future this happy condition
of affairs bids fair to be intensified as
the result of tariff changes" and that
liberty of trade" will give returns in
the form of wages far more satisfactory
than any they have hitherto received" f"
The Herald realizes that the time for
opening another campaign of educa-
tion' is drawing near, and that some
thing must be done to parry the effects
of the general suspension of industry
and wages. 1t has begun to feed the
starving workmen on promises.
The Herald was just as ardent a free
trader a year ago, when it conceded
that free trade was opposed to an in
crease of wages, as it is now when it is
called to face the fact that the mere
menace of free trade is destroying
American industry. Other free trade
papers, not less intelligent or ardent
than the Herald, are not SO apologetic.
The New York Times confessed not
more than a fortnight ago that the
wages of labor must undergo "long
and painful surgery as the result of
tariff reform, and the New York Evening
Post about the same time declared that
''the reductions of wages now begin
ming to be reported are to be deplored
on general principles, but under pres
ent circumstances they are hardly to
be avoided 1t should be remembered
that steady and very long continued
rise in the value of wages has existed
The New York Times and the Evening
Post were last year among the most
earnest supporters of the democratic
tariff reform" platform. Were they
unconscious then of the natural conse-
quences that were sure to follow the
removal of all protection? And in this
connection we quote from the Buffalo
Courier some words of Thomas Dolan,
a democratic textile manufacturer of
Philadelphia, in order to show his error.
According to the Courier Mr.. Dolan
spoke as follows:
Il believe that the depression is almost who'll
ly due to the silver policy. II the alarm was
due to the victory Of the democrats, why was 1t
not manifested last November? The people
knew then as well as they know now that 1t
was within the power of the new admins ira
tion to repeal the tariff laws, yet no uneasfness
was felt In fact. in the wooden business every.
thing went along swimmingly until the first Of
July"
This effort to relieve the democratic
tariff declaration in the platform of re-
sponsibility for the recent depression,
by asserting that there was no mani
festation of it in November, is met by
a quotation from the New York Daily
Commercial Bulletin, an organ of free
trade, on the nth day of that month
just nine days after the election of Mr..
Cle~cland:
rangements will be found to finally settle upon
raw materials and labor If the manufacturer
has to accept lower price for his product he
must either close his works or get compensa-
tion in a reduction Of the costs OF production,
and that economy must be his first resort for
self protection. The producer Of raw materials
can have no choice but TO accept his share of
concession, at once If he must later if he may.
Labor may be expected to yield its quota of
concession, grudgingly and tardily and possibly
not without more or less disturbing resort to
locl1outs and strikes. Those who have taught
workingmen that reduction of tariff does not
mean relative reduction of wages have
adulterated great reform with very paradox
ical doctrine, but we doubt whether they have
succeeded to any great extent in misleading
their pupils"
We have put these quotations togeth-
er in order to show that the democratic
free trade organs desired and confident
ly expected reduction of wages when
they commended the Chicago platform
last year. The trouble with them is
that it has come with greater sudden
ness and force than they were looking
for. Hence the information from some
quarters that wages are to be higher
under the new adjustment when it is
| completed, and from others that the
| democratic free trade declaration is not
responsible for the very result predict
ed by themselves concerning it when it
was the great war-cry of the campaign.
The plain fact is that the closing of
mills and factories is not wholly due to
| the silver situation, and repeal of the
purchase clause of the silver law will
not set their wheels in motion. The
true explanation is that manufacturers
are not willing to buy materials at
protection prices to put into products
which may have to be sold at free trade
prices. In shutting down they are sim
ply exercising ordinary business pru-
dence. The financier will not invest
his money where there is doubt of his
getting either principal or interest,
and the manufacturer is animated by
| the same desire to protect himself.
Repeal of the purchase clause of the
silver law is greatly to be desired, but
| with it must come an emphatic declara-
ton by congress that the tariff is not
| to be reformed" in accordance with
/ lxy - -