The record-union., 1894-04-28

Is THERE AN ERROR HERE?
Is there not a mistake in the calcula-
ton? No. But some may say that the
example is. perhaps, not fair one. for it
it was given on the basis of imported
goods, and on wheat that was exported.
How about the manufactures made at
home and the wheat sold in the home
market? There is no real difference.
Protection enables the home manuiact-
urer to charge the same price for his
manufactures as that received for i'm
ported manufactures with the duty
added. AS for wheat, whether exported
or sold at home, the price IS governed by
Liverpool Gust as long as there Is sur
plus for export. 1t is this condition
which enables the manufacturer TO pay q
s. wage rate per day, under protection,
when the worlds price of that wage rate
is no higher than similar quantity or
quality of labor in Austria or Germany
would command, and which is valued III
those countries at not to exceed one
'gulden" or two "marks" per day. Ii is
this law which compels the grower of
wheat and cotton to pay S255 624 for 500
worth of goods, and enables the working
man to buy wheat at 80 cents, 20 cents
and 90 cents per bushel, being ~ cents,
30 cents and 40 cents less than what 1t is
worth in free-trade Liverpool.
Now, if this is just and equitable, then
''iustice" and '.equity" are misunder-
stood terms. / should call it injustice
and WRONG, gross and palpable. And yet
it is true-absolutely true; so true that no
truthful man will deny it. Many have
attempted to, but they were not truthful
men or were not well enough informed.
Well, then, it would seem that the course
is clear: that protection is unjust, a wrong
that should be eliminated from the Amer
lean system. But, no; protection is not
wrong; protection is right. Our system
of protection is wrong, because 1t is one
sided. If we protect manufactures we
should also protect staple agriculture.
1t has been shown before that the re-
moval of protection would remove that
wage rate which makes American citizen
ship honorable, and it is absolutely essen
tial to retain that which does this. But 1t
is not necessary in order to maintain a
system of progress to make 1t one'slded,
and for the benefit of class. A pro-
gressive State should embrace within the
scope of it's laws all producers, treating
with equity alike the workshop and the
field. Unfortunately, however, and as
rule, they cry most for equity who are
suffering under injustice, and they pay
little or no heed to it who are benefited by
injustice. Now, in this case, the bene-
fitted party is in the majority as far as
votes are concerned, and an appeal Tor
Justice for the sake of justice would be
likely to be sneered at as the howl of
cranks. Happily, time has wrought con-
dition which renders matter OF justice
into an act of expediency. The condition
referred TO is the constant and steady de-
cline in the price of the great staples,
which decline has been caused by the re-
cent introduction Of labor-saVlng agrl-
cultural devices and machinery into the
cheapest labor countries of the world,
oh hoc 6ad ho
under cultivation, thereby lowering the
price here, as well as in the worlds mar
ket.
THE EFFECT OF THIS CONDITION.
What effect does this cause produce in
the United States An effect deteriorat-
ing, far reaching and evident The dimi-
mutton in the net return to the producer
of staple agricultural products endangers
the existence OF the freehold system and
makes easy the substitution OF the tenant
system. This. if persisted in, must en-
danger the existence of the republic. But
this is not ALTAR from it. The staple
agricultural-pro class is the great
est customer of labor in the y nlted States.
Now it clearly follows that, if the net re-
turn of this great producing class has di-
miniShed, their purchasing power has dl-
minShed; and with the decline in the
purchasing power must come decline IN
the demand for labor-skilled labor, es-
pecialIy; with the decline in the demand
Tor labor must come decline in the rate
of wages; and the decline in the rate of
wages of labor will be followed by an in
crease in the hours of labor, which no
organized effort, however vehement or
cOerciVe it may seem, can overcome. In
fact, as soon as the decline in the demand
for labor has come, organizations such as
trades unions melt away like wax before
a fire; they lose their potency, for these
are only efficient when there is demand
for labor.
"Weu, suppose this does take place
that wages are reduced-will not the
working man be as well off, seeing that
the decline in wages will reduce the cost
of commodities?'
No, he will not be as we'll of, for his rent,
food and the coarser grades Of domestic
goods will hardly decline, for, as shown
before, cotton and wheat, whenever there
is surplus for export, have their prices
fixed by Liverpool. Now these essential
necessities consume about three-quarters
of his income, and in them he can effect
little, if any, saving. The remaining
quarter may give him opportunity to ef-
feet slight saving; he may save cents
day, but will that compensate for
loss of % cents, so cents, 70
cents or 81 day in his earnings?
he not a sample of this very state of at
fairs right before him now? Let him al
so bear in mind that the present is the
formative state, and that those whose
wages have not yet been lowered are sure
to have their turn come should the wage
lowering cause continue.
We all know that the effect of the de-
pressing condition is manifest and Is the
concern Of many. Among the measures
advocated for relief is a change in the
financial system, and, strange as it may
seem, quite a number of farmers are
clamoring for the issuance OF large
volumes of redeemable and irredeemable
paper money-in other words, for fiat
money. These men ought to know-or
at least their leaders ought to knOw-that
fiat money, while it would initiate prices,
such as, for instance, the price of sus-
penders. hats, shoes, dry goods-in short,
of manufactures, whether imported or
made at home-will not increase the price
of the great staples. Wheat and cotton
will remain at the Liverpool prices, and
all they will get for their pains will be
manufactured goods at a higher price
than they can get them for now; but not a
copper more will they receive for bushel
of wheat or a bale of cotton.
The silver advocates, too, are clamor-
Gus, and try TO point out how double
standard in the United States would in
crease the price OF commodities gener-
ally. They are right as TO that effect, but it
will not increase the price of wheat and
cotton copper just so long as there is a
surplus for export and the price is fixed
at Liverpool. Even had we the power to
coerce Great Britain into adopting the
double-standard, it would make no diff
| ference in the ultimate outcome.
THE REMEDY.
To return to the old condition of affairs
it would be necessary that the modern
! labor-saving agricultural devices and
machinery be taken away from the hands
of the ryot, the moujik, the coolie and