New-York tribune., 1893-12-22

where else on earth There have been great ac-
cumulations OF capital necessary for the world
development all over the universe. but In the
United States all this has been accomplished by
the nearest approach 10 general distribution
that the world has ever seen. This has not
been owing to the tariff. but the tariff mas peeh
the foundation OF it. Labor organizations nave
played a great and useful part in this distribu-
ton. Men in general who employ labor are
no more naturally disposed to pay high wages
under tariff than those who exploit the laboI1ns
man under free trade; but the train. by giving
steady employment under the influence or IL
sure market. by establishing the organization or
industry under the factory system. has given
TO organized labor the material to work upon,
the fund OF which 1t has demanded distribution
a fund so great that it could never have been
equallel or even been approached in the COM
paratively isolated life which the unprotected in
dusries, taken alone. would have given us as
people.
WHAT PROTECTION HAS DONE.
Protection has established the clusters of
great manufacturing and working centres which
have given railroads the possibility Of existence
which no scattered population could ever have
created. The railroads which these great man
ufacturng towns and their need OF transporta-
ton of freight have built are sources OF ENJOY
able wealth. which are not confined TO the pro.
tected Industries. but are spread through all
the business OF the United States and inure to
the comfort and happiness OF all the people.
Take example from this very Dill
Bltumnous coal is one of the great industries
which Is developing the State of Virginia; upon
II the welfare of that State largely depends. 80
its Democratic Governor testifies. and many OF
its most respectable citizens including an eX-
Senator Of honorcd name. Is that development
confined to that State alone? BY no means.
With the addition of the coal fields Of Old Nir-
Gna. the Norfolk and Western. the Chesapeake
and Ohio obtain from these mines a very valua-
bic freight in Transporting coal TO the seaboard.
From other bituminOus coal fields the Baltimore
and Ohio and even the great Pennsylvania road
obtain no incOnsiderable part OF their freight.
IL the coal will be made free there will be fierce
competition with the coal Of Nova Scotia, ana
not only will the mines OF West Virginia, OF
Old Virginia, and Pennsylvania suffer. but the
great railroads Will suffer severely also To he
sure. these are corpora ations without souls. but
the stocks and bonds owned by people with
souls. unless modern political inidelity should
determine otherwise. Whether Nova Scotia
coal would afford any relief to New-EnGland
manufacturers II It n separate measure.
is n matter much In dispute but that Il would
give them any relief adequate TO the damage
this bill Will do them is not in dispute at all.
Without being guilty Of that attempt To press
the question into a nutshell which Is the bane OF
economic discussion Il may be briefly said that
every product which goes 70 market must meet
every other Ike product on equal terms. II In the
United States there arc higher wages and "A
higher cost Of CAPITAL. there must be such bar
rers against goods from abroad as will eGualize
these higher COSTS or the products of the United
States canno; he sold cxc"p. at loss. Sales AT
a loss cannot long continue
II may be- nattcfing - our National vanity 10
be told that our wOrkmen being Americans. are
SO much abler than others beyond seas that they
can therefore do So much more work that the
higher wages Will continue mark of their
superiority. But much "a We would Ike 10 be-
lievc this. there are no manufacturing figures
which justify the assertion. In addition. the ton
dencv I'm America s toward f"Wer hours or labor
n tendency unmistakable. ana which must bc
recognized not only "a an existing fact. hut as
directly contrary - the tcncis - the Manchester
school. which seem now - preside over our
politics.
THREE GREAT rGoBLEMs.
There IS also a constant demand FOR lower
prjces which demand has to be listened 10 !n a
country always striving toward a higher plane
of civilization. We have. therefore. before us
.always thrc. probcms--waGes to be maintained.
hours OF labor 10 be lcssencl ana prices 10 Dc
lowered Not one. but all.
II is true that invention AZ once Keeps pace
and regulates the demand for higher wages ana
for lower prices and fewer hours which are the
conditions OF our higher plane Of civilization but
Il cannot do more. 1t cannot meet In addition the
lower prices Of lower level OF civilization. our
inventions are too quickly absorbed py iVreIbn
countries 70 permit this. Hence the result ol
refusal 10 protect our labor at It's present rates
must result in lower wages. This seems chiapIc
nf n rough Demonstration our goods are now met
bv foreign goods our own shores az price
made M of raw materials plus labor ana pils lhe
present rate Of tariff very nearly eqnaI terms.
II the tariff element De lowered '''' SUI,
must be lowered our side. ana IN the IaSt ".'-
alvsis it will be labor and capital. ana III 'he
long run the loss - capital IL also loss oi lnbor.
for capital employs labor, and lost cap''a' se's
pn machinery I'm motion. We must. thrl meet
tho reduction Of price of foreign goods which are
our competitors by reduction OF the ptice oi
labor Some men regard this as soIu.ioh "l
the nroblem and soothe themselves with 'Iie
thoupht mat perhaps some return will come from
the cheapness OF things made ABROAD, WltnVut
thinking that all that is made abroad ny 'hls
Nan 60 hut labor unemployed and unpaid mere
at home But while this easy solution OF tie
nroblem IS simple enough on paper: II VIII Piono
very uncomfortable In practice men VINO m ens,I nsi
y,orked at one rate of wages cannot DE easily
taught IN real life that II IS Just as well 10 worh
at lower rate ,...o. ,,rooroea
.hnt same unwillingness To take a lower station
,har tho highest already filed Not only ~ th's
ca in the individual. but In organizations Ok
men It Is even more striklngiy So anu , ~ iahny
o,d canital which will ensue In the struggle 10
do what seems so simple on paper "a reducuoh
Of the prices Of labor to comps'e WIN ,, w, 30 tats
~ labor abroad-he feels that II ought 10 take
vnuch faith IN the bygcne wisdom OF Richard
Cobden to nerve the modern reiorher I'd MS
task. ,,.. -, ,ho oroe,ion or
,rages which Is not to be overlooked lessened
as,es mean lessened consumption III wages
we're diminished one-half. one-hali our iharhet
for products would be gone
ryFAIENEsS OF AID vATDREM DUTIES.
But while this Dill IN i's PiihciP'c' !" ~ '"'
ony. IS not unprotectlve. II viii be absolutely |
60 in practice not only In its direct reductions
but also in Its indirect reductions sure 10 come
from the change from specific duties TO al val |
o-em which is a marked feature OF the bill.
An ad valOrem duty, the name implies, Is |
one which varies according to the price. II |
nrices could be exactly determined nothing would |
seem to be fairer than an al valorem duty.
but unfortunately prices are very much mat |
ters Of opinion. on which honest men may differ |
much and rogucs much more. 1nasmuch as the |
duty depends on the price cheat on the price |
&C. a cheat on the duty. If n piece OF goods IL
worth SC a yard and the duty IL 70 per cent the |
correct duty is 81 80. II the price be invciced |
at 81 a yard and the fraud not detected. the duty
collected becomes 81 81. and the ad valorem. !
which seems TO be q per cent. becomes about 20 |
Der cent and not cnly is the Government cheated |
out Of It's quarter OF dollar. but the manu-