The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-15
REEDS GREAT sPEECH.-continued.


II what cheap ocean frefghts mean between !
us and European producers. Suppose all
those countries had her machinery, her
skilled workmen, her industrial system.
and labor 40per cent cheaper. Suppose un-
der that state Of facts, with all her manu-
facturers proclaiming against it, frantic in
their disapproval, England had been called
upon by Golden to made the plunge into
free trade, would she have done itf Not II
Golden had been backed by the angelic
host. History gives England credit for
great sense.
An English Free Traders Tribute.
While our wiseacres are reading British
books Of 40 years ago with the emotions OF
great discoverers. what do the English
themselves say aoout the actual facts? They
come here in shoals. Naturally they do not
like cur systeic. But for it they could do
our manufacturing for us. Nevertheless.
prejudiced and prepossessed as they are,
they are startled into some incautious
truths Says Mr. Jeans, whom have al
ready quoted about the amazing prosper
ity'' Of the United States:
1T requires, think, unusual temeIity to
allege that the tariff system OF the United
States has been failure for that country"
What prejudiced English free trader
regards as ''lhusual temerity" and which
he might have called unexGmpled rashness
is not only exhibited BY our committee of
ways and means. but by every gentleman
who can recite Sydney Smiths discourse ON
the etaxed Englishmen under the impression
that he Is delivering an original speech. Mr..
Carr, too, remarks the strange phenomena
Il am" says he, "a convinced free trader.
Protection is to me an economical heresy.
the fraud and folly''-how like one of our
own dear southern statesmen he sounds
''the fraud and folly of which are capable
of mat atbematical. demonstration. And yet
throughout the length and breadth OF this
vast continent one is almost daily brought
face to face with solid. indisputable facts
that seem to give the lie to the soundest
and most universally accepted axioms OF
political economy"
Yes. not only do solid, indisputable facts
seem To give the lie to the scundest and
most universally accepted axioms of polit-
ical economy" but they do give il, and 80
does the whole history of this country. IL
what he calls '.the soundest and most uni
versally accepted sxioms" had been axioms
af all. this country ought to have been per
pauently for 10 year. in the situation which
Il Is now in temporarily after III months of
this free trade nightmare. We ought 70
have been halting in every branch of manu-
facture~, we ought to have stopped progress
and faltered to the rear. for we were wasting
both capital and labor in Improbable EN-
ploymep. - ~
Protection Raises Wages
Our workmen penned up in our little
country while Englishmen reveled in the
| markets of the world ought to be impover
ished beyond all the experience of history
Instead of that. the Aldrich report, which
, deserves the high encomium Of the gentle
naaf from Ney Xork lAr. Cockranl. With
de approval q the disiinguished secretary
/ Of the treasury,'' even II IL dos .epApats
from q Democratic bureau of statistics. =
shows that eiDce 1860 money wages have
risen 6s per cent. Or IL You say-and you
would be right in 10 ssying-that wage
should be measured by what they will buy
the result is still more striking.
With wages rising. prices Of manufac
tured goods falling. with lessening hour
of labor. what more do you want except
more of the same sorti
The truth is. that this very question o.
rising wages is what makes good man,
men free traders People with fixed in
comes think that anything which raise
wages In inimicAl to them. Manufacturer,
who have foreign markets are naturall,
anxious TO have wages on the f0eeign stand
ard, and when . great COCOA manufacturel
in Boston and . great agricultural tool
maker in Philadelphia proclaim themselvel
on the side Of free trade We find In botl
cases large foreign trade and along will
IL desire for foreign wages for their work
ingmen.
/ coufess TO you that this question o
wsges b 20 me tie vital QUESTION. To in
sure our growth n civilization and wesltl
We must not only have wages = high .
they are now, but sceHAntly cd stsadil.
stsnSly Increasing wAtes does not have IL
origin in love for the Individual. but in low
for the whole nation in that enlightensl
selnahneas which recognise the great trutl
that your tate and mine, Ar. Speaker, an
the fsss Of your descendants and mine ~
% wrapped up in the fate cf all others tha
whatever contributes to their progressgive
J to MS all . nobler future and higher hope
waess the 0rsss Qssstiss-
The increase of wages which the servic
seller ought to have and the only useful In
crease he can ever get will be BY the opers
tion Of natural laws working upon the OF
potunities which legislation may aid i
furnishing The increase will never com
from the outside, will never be the gift @
any employer. Can you get carpenter Q
bricklayer to work for % cents day. II
did it in England in l725. Today in th
United States it is . poor place where b
cannot get 10 times that sum. Why doe
he have TO have 10 times ~ muchf b
, cause the carpenter OF today could no NOR
live ~ did the carpenter Of l726 than b
. could live in cave and hunt snakes ia
food. The difference In wages means tn
difference In living, and the eRO b - muc
. necsaaity today - the Is esnts was Il
years ego.
Il Thh question Of wagn u alltnpoEtaQts {
bnEing upon the Quession Of ooo.uupetol
An pso1uc&ion dspsnds upua o1nGunpe1ou
Who ~ ~ eonsuuneul IN ~ Cd ~
whsn - psoduets q manutastuses W
1uxusisA IL loud and his sseeinegA q
l4ly = lG4eje wsN =: eulks