The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-02-02
the TARIFF AND WAGES.
False Alarm of .ionop"listic American
Manufacturers.


hear threats Of reduction in case the
Wilson bin becomes law. The reduc-
tions which have actually been made
are the results Of the business dcpres-
sion. which is due primarily 10 the
panic Of last summer and the inevitably
slow and painful process OF recovery.
The threatened reductions are vociier-
ously declared To be the necessary re-
suit OF the lower duties For twenty
years il has been preached and pro-
claimed that high tariff makes wages
high. and that low tariff means re-
duction OF wages To the paupcr limit
OF Europe. We are told that now we
shall have the proof OF the pudding IN
the eating What is the truth Of the
matter?
The notion that the general high
range OF wages in the United States -
due to the high protective system IS
really one OF the most prcposterons Of
the many prepostcrous IDEAS on Geo
nonic subjects which have had vogue
in this country. The reader who will
look in the books on political economy
To see what they have 10 say about
wages and about the causes which
make them high and low will find
plenty OF difference Of opinion on this
topic among the economists; but the
one thing he will not find any rcpu,-
able writer TO say is that the protective
system makes wages high or that Il
free-trade system makes them low. II
the books are supposed to be the works
If abstract theorists, who keep far
from the realities OF life, we need only
regard n few simple and obvious facts
of history to discover that high tariif
cannot be the cause of high wages
This country has tried almost every
sort OF tariff system. beginning in 1889
with duties which the protcctionists of
our day would consider outrageously
low. and ending century later in the
Mckinley tariff act, with duties which
the frec-trader considers outrageously
high. Throughout all the vacillations
of tariff policy, under revenue tariffs
and moderate tariffs and extreme tar
IFS. wages here have been steadily
higher than in European countries.
The simple explanation is that this is a
country of rich and abundant resources,
developed by an active. energetic and
ingenious people, in which the great
productiveness of industry insurcs "A
high range of material welfare. Wages
with US are high from permanent and
abiding causes, and. fortunately, DO
not depend on tariff legislation or any
other artificial prop.
-..t. u -. :.
init freely that the wages of some par
ticular classes OF laborers. IN some
limited groups of manufacturing indns-
tries. may be seriously affected by the
duties. The high duties of the last
generation have forced into existence
some industries in which the efficiency
of labor and capital is not up To the
general average, and in which the
manufactures who pays high wages TO
his worlsmen is not compensated by
their greater skill, energy and produc-
tivcness. In Industries OF this sort the
free competition of foreign producers.
paying lower wages, would compel
either a reduction of wages or All
abandonment OF the industry. Where
there is really such connection be-
tween the duties and high wages every
one would say that congress should
proceed with the utmost care, and
should not expose to a sudden reversal
of fortune or Il sudden change of occu.
patioh the wOrancn whom our tariff
legislation has induced to enter into
weai-knecd industries The same Is
true OF the capital embarked in them.
Vested rights should receive their due
consideration. We believe they have
received their due consideration in the
Wilson bill. There may be reductions
that 90 beyond the danger-line in some
particular duties: but have we not been
authoritativcly told that even the Ne
Kinlcy bill made mistake or two.
The common-sense and the political in
terest Of the democrats may be trusted
TO prevent them from max ing changes
that promise TO be really destructive
and the testimony of the protected
manufacturers as 10 the effect Of dutie'
must be received with the same allow
ances as the pleading Of a lawyer fol
his client
But the number OF shalxy and dc
pendent industries. as compared will
the whole manufacturing system, i,
insignificant; and in any case there i.
no threat of free competition from
abr Dad. From the clamor which ha,
been raised it might be supposed tina
the Wilson bill gave up all protective
duties entirely, and that all forcigr
goods were going TO come in on easy
terms. The fact is that the Wilson
bill is careful and conservative meas
urc, and that the duties, even rs re
duccd, still leave large margin OF pro
elton for the domestic manufactures
1t must be remembered, too. that th'
temptation to make partisan capita
out Of reductions and threats of rcduc
tions Of wages is one OF the many bas
results of that unfortunate alliance o
politics and manufacturing which hai
marked the history Of the last tel
years. The manufacturer who object
to the Wilson bill because it will Gu
down his profits or compel him to in
troducc economies and improve hi
methods to meet foreign competition i
likely to proclaim that he will reduce
wages. just as he will virtually compc
his operatives to sign petitions agains
fhn snrftf lill oil with ff,c hn,,. =,