St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-02

ing wages is what makes a good many
men free traders. People with fixed
incomes think that anything which
raises wages is inimical to them, and
manufacturers who are in foreign mar
Kets are naturally anxious to have
wages OIL the foreign standard. ] con-
Tess to you that this question of wages
is to me the vital question. TO insure
our growth in civilization and wealth
we must not only have wages as high as
they are now. but constantly aud stead
lily increasing. This constantly increas-
Ing wages does not have its origin in
love for the individual, but in love for
the nation.
Mr.. Reed eulogized the American
market as being the best in the world,
owing to the high wages paid here.
enabling workngmen to purchase
largely of the comforts of life, instead
of increasing this market, he said, by
leaving it to the steady increase of
wages that the figures of the Aldrich
report show so concluslvely, and which
have not only received the sanction of
the members from New York, the secre-
tary of the treasury, the Democratic.
bureau of statistics. but this action
everybody who hear, our committee
propose to lower wages. and so lessen
the market, and then divide that mar
ket with somebody else, and ali for the
chance OF getting the markets of the
world. To add to the existing posi-
bilities OF this contention, the orators
On the other side say they are going
TO MAINTAIN WAGES.
How can that he. possible? All things
sell at the cost of production. If the
difference between cost of production
here and cost of production in England
be not equalized by the duty, then our
cost OF product must 60 down, or we
must go out. Our laws have invited
money and men. and we have grown
great and rich thereby. The gentle
man from lliincis (Mr. Black has NO.
ticed that men come here, and he does
not want them to come: hence, he is
willing that our wages shall be lowered
to keep people away. Well, this is not
the time to discuss immigration; but,
while people are coming, l am glad they
have not yet imbibed tie gentleman's
ideas and have not yet begun to clamor
for lower wages.
To sum it up, if this protection gives
us money and men, and our vast coun-
try needs both, it may show why we
have so wonderfully prospered. 1t it
does. am inclined to think that the
way to have two jobs hunting one man
is to keep on making new mills and to
try to prevent the committee OH ways
and means from pulling down old ones.
But what do you say about the
farmer? Well, on that subject do not
profess any special learning, but there
isione simple statement l wish to make
aud leave the question there. If, with
cities growing up like magic, manufact-
uring villages dotting every eligible
site, each and all swarming with mouths
to be filed, the producers of food are
worse off than when half this country
was desert,
I ABANDON SENSE
in favor Of political economy. One
other thing L have noticed in this debate.
When the gentleman from Kansas (Mr.
Simpson, gets little money ahead he
Ao0o NV Pue IL into otoCAS Ill tueSe
immensely profitable manufactures he
has too much sense. He adds to his
farm. and has others add. Example is
richer than precept.
Ii the hope,of agriculturists is in Eng
lish free trade, they had better ponder
| Oh the fact that while the wages of
artisans have increased in England
S2.43 per week since 1850. the wages of
the agricultural laborers have only in