Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-10-09

L WILSON.
theories of the protectionist. You ind
those are the very manufactures In
which the highest wages are paid
TO American labor. Why, fello" clti-
zens, it is no longer & question OF wages
paid TO the labOring man in the INDUS
tries OF the country, because the work
is being done by machinery, by steam
and coal which work as cheaply for US
as any people on the globe, while the
wages OF human labor are but small
and incidental part of the cost Of pro-
duction. But aside from that it is found
that it has become almost truism to-
day that high-priced labor, which Is al
ways competent aud intelligent labor,
and cheap products go together almost
The world over. II is thus In the
watches made at Waitham, Mass, and
/ Elgin, III. 1t is thus in our great loco
motive engines. 1t is thus In our car
pets, in New York; furniture, in Michi-
gan. and in iron and steel goods n num-
/ berless varieties. II is In the very llSt
7 of products that we pay the hlgnest
daily wages to our labor that we hnd
chat we ara ahla TO go out and compete
our share in their markets where such
thin gs can be sold.
Talk about protection being for the
, benefit of the laboring man and secur-
/ ing him higher wages, when protection
confines him TO the home market and
robs him of half OF the opportunity OF
employment. Years ago Mr.. Gladstone
made the prophecy that Industrial
supremacy might soon pass away from
| England TO some other nation that sur
passed her in its resources, and in en-
terpriSe, aud in the business intelii-
geuce of,its people. The manuiactur-
ing supremacy or the world will soon
come under competition Of modern
times, and will pass TO whatever coun-
try has
THE LARGEST AND CHEAPEST SUPPLY
OF the great materials OF industry and
can distribute them with the highest
Intelligence and through the best busi-
ness methods. We have to-day, so far
as the two fundamental materials Of in
dustry arc concerned, coal and iron ore,
supremacy which no other country in
the world can dispute or approach. BY
the assemblage of these materials close
together In Alabama We can manuiac-
ture foundry pig iron cheaper
than in Belgium or England or
elsewhere in the world. BY
the use of modern appliances
for mining, the steam shovel, etc, we
can gather up the ore that lies near the
surface on the shores Of the great lake,
carry it by water transportation 10 the
cities Of the East and produce Bessemer
pig and steel rails and other products
cheaper than in England and Belgium.
II under these conditions; II with these
bountes of providence, In this new
country; If with our skill for iLventing
and adopting the inventions OF the world;
If with our cheaper transportation;
II with the bouyaut enterprise OF peo-
pie developing a new country we are
hereafter TO lag in production, it will be
because Wa desire 10 lag and IL will be
because we 90 not desire 10 rise TO the
opportunities Providence has bestowed
upon US. We are told OF our protection
opponents that our attempt TO get out
side OF the United States and sell
=
other people come inside OF the
United States 10 sell against Us
means degradation of labor and di-
minutiOn OF the wages Of the American
workiugman. Does not every farmer
In this country know that for the price
OF every bushei OF wheat in his own |
market he must look to the markets OF |
England where wheat is sold in compe- |
titioL with the cheapest agricultural |
labor OF the world. The farmer in |
Dakota pays ten times as much for his |
labor as the farmer in India. The far |
mer in jefferson county pays five to |
seven times as much as the farmers of |
Austria and Hungary and Russia, but /
be has to put down his wheat in Eng /
land side by side with Russia, India and |
Austria an d through
THE COMPETITION OF ALL THREE
the price Of wheat there is estsbIish9, |
and Is established for him in the MIR |
kets OF Charles Town and Baltimore.
From the very beginning OK our ex- |
portstion Of cereals we had this compe-
tition, ana that is the way with our
products. We are able !
to sell our clocks and watches TO the /
railroads Of India because we can make /
watches cheaper at Waltham and EIz.1i
than in Switzerland or England. Wen
are able 20 sell locomotives TO al /
the nations OF the world because we
can make them with high priced skilled i
labor cheaper than any other country |
can with its cheaper labor. and l
yet We have been told thA
phrase: 'sTbe markets OF then
world means nothing aud is an empty
ielnsion. ana shat there Is no market =
RRSld which can compare with
Eet 10 the Amsfican %
Mhere Is great dea