The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-08-30

revision CT tho tarlH IS again dC.eiiiP'
ed.-Richm0nd State.
Protection Must Go or Wages Must
Come Down.
Congress has passed joint reso-
luton directing the Commissioners Of
Labor to investigate and report upon
the effect of the use of machinery up
on labor, and the cost of production.
If this investigation is properly made
it vii! bring before the American
people facts which will challenge the
most interested inquiry 1t will de-
monstrate, in the first place, that
machinery has, within the past forty
years, enormously increased the pro
duction of manufactured articles per
capita, and the sum of benefits to be
distributed amongst the people, and
it will further demonstrate that the
capacity Of each operative in the way
of production is very nearly, if not
quite doubled in that time. The law
of modern development is that ma
chinery is taking the place in manu-
facture of men, and this confronts us
with an absolute certainty that we
must either secure wider markets for
the sale of our manufactured articles
or men must cease looking to manu-
Factories as the place where they are
to earn their living. 1t is doubtful
also if we can ever stay where we arc
In ceasing to aid to the numbers EN-
ployed in manufacture, it may actu-
ally become necessary to reduce the
number now employed, for improve
ment in machinery goes on from day
to day, and as machinery is improv-
ed the need of human hands dimin-
ishes.
The first question which confronts
MS when we take this case up is that
of wages. Can wages remain what
they are? This is the view of the
case which most interests working
men, and this the worlSingmen should
at once take under consideration for
most earnest attention. With a pro-
tcctiye tariff law it is certain we can
not enlarge our foreign markets to
any considerable extcot. AS rule,
nations will not willingly buy from
those nations who no not buy from
them. The law of the case is that
they place their orders with those
nations which buy their own produc-
tions. The great rewards which the
protective tariff laws give to Ameri-
can manufacturers through giving
them the monopoly of the American
market has stimulated manufacture
here until we produce more than the
American people will consume. The
American working man must see, then,
that with machinery always improv-
ing and thus diminishing his chance
for employment, and with American
markets restricted to America, his
wages must come down. 1t would
seem, therefore, to be the plainest
proposition in the world, that all
American workingmen should be in
favor of striking from our statute
book every vestige of protective legis-
lation. Wo can never extend our
markets whilst we have protective
tariff, and more manufacturing is be-
ing done ROW than the American peo-
pie want.
When our foreign trade is critic
ally examined it gives us indications
of what we would be able to do if it
were entirely free and unembarressed.
England is free trade country and
the greatest manufacturing country
Of the world.
But Notwithstanding our protect
i've tariff laws she is by far the great
est buyer of what we sell in the world,
The total of our exports last year was
$780,, 143, SAT, and of this there went
to England $43l, 063,6S7. In the
past six fiscal years the aggregate of
our exports was S., 254,7S7,75S, oil
which England took $2,627, SO4,0
This is an apparent paradox, but as
England, thanks to free trade,is trad
ing in every quarter of the globe, she
evens the thing up by selling to US in
other regions when we suppose we are
buying from other parties.
Now, Notwithstanding the fact that
England is a free trade country and
he greatest manufacturing country
N the world, we still sell her manu-
'actured articles. During the last
iscal year we sent to England a mill
ion dollars worth OF agricultural
Implements and cars and carriages,
hrec and half million dollars
worth of builders hardware, sewing
machines. steam engines, and other
machinery, including machine tools,
md nearly two million dollars worth
If the manufactures of wood. We
rave been sending wood pulp, and we