The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-04-07
A NEW FLYING MACHINE.

IL Will Spoil the Plans OF Protectionists
AID Give us Cheap Goods and High
Wages.
1t was reported from Washington. on
March -. that Prof Langley. secretary
of the Smithsonian institution. and DIR.
Maxim, the gun inventor. who have
been working for long time upon a
flying machine. have completed a work
ing model, which will be tried soon.
Mercy. suppose it works. What will
then become of the remnants of the
high tariff party which believes in de-
stroying commerce by artificial OBJ
structions? 1t is comparatively easy to
control commerce by tariffs when the
only entrances to this country are at a
few ports and where railroads cross the
borders. But il goods come flying
through the air at any height from
twenty feet to two or three miles, and
at any point along our border of 10, 600
miles in length. no horde of customs
officials. however large. could prevent
the introduction into this country, alb
solutcly free of duty, of valuable for
eign goods OF course prices would
soon reach common level and goods.
such rs woolens, glass, gloves, tin
plate, etc. that now sell in this coun-
try for double the foreign prices would
be offered to our farmers and wage
earners at foreign ''pauper" prices
Then would our farmers and laborers
maintain their patriotism and insist
upon paying protection prices or would
they throw their protectionism TO the
dogs and smile because goods were so
cheap?
And what IL they were foolish enough
to accept the pauper goods of Europe
at paupcr prices and thereby save $50
or 900 per family per year? Would
that satisfy their wants so that they
would produce less than formerly. OF.
would they work harder in order by
exchange to get as much as possible OF
the good things of life? II they bought
more foreign goods, Of course more do
mestic products would be required to
pay for them and that would cause in
creased production. Increased produc-
ton would make a demand for more
labor and this would raise wages
IIEuVI NdkC6 Nouiu iuCICd>cu
consumption, and the wheels of indus
try would just hum. not only on this
but on the other side Of the ocean. 1t
is nn-Christianlike to think that our
European neighbors would pros per with
u.s. but then it couldn't we'll be helped.
while goods could he exchanged
through the air SO that each nation
would get the benefits of the natural
and artificial advantages in production
of all other nations. This could not
lower the prices of farm products, for
our farmers have the best opportunity
to produce in the world and now com
pete with all other nations II could
not lower wages. for it woul remove no
barriers that obstruct the passage of la
Dor from one country to anoth .r-be-
cause there are none to remove. 1t
would in fact raise wages by increasing
the amount Of goods that could be pur-
chased with a certain sum. But the
poor trusts-how they would suffer and
perhaps die under such competition!
The pocket cutlery trust. which has
raised prices 80 per cent since 1890,
would have To reduce prices at least 40
per cent. because cutlery costs about
half rs much in Europe as here. The
cartridge trust. which has advanced
prices % per cent and sells 80 per cent.
cheaper in Canada, would have to have
a lcveling down Of prices Hundreds
Of other trusts now making millions
out of the tariff. only thousands Of
which have been spent to sustain pro-
lection. would have to be content with
ordinary profits or yield up the ghost
II Harrison, Mckinley and other pro-
tectionsts ever expect to again figure
prominently in our history they will
squelch this whole flying machine bust
ness and bride inventors to work at the
perpetual motion problem. The
natural and artificial Instructions Ia
commerce must not he disturbed or pro
lection is doomed.
BYRON w. Holt.