Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-06-27
WILMING TON, tn URsDAr. JUNE ~



wILMTNG TON, tn URSDAT. JUNE ~.
Not in the Interest Of BrItishers.
For many years familiar part of the
argument against tariff reform was the
claim that it was conceived in the in
terest of British manufacturers. Pro-
tectionists said that the Democratic pro-
gramme would give our home markets
over to the British. American mills
would have to close; American laborers
must accept lower wages or lie idle; and
American consumers would become en-
tirely dependent upon British pro-
ducers Prosperity would fly from our
shores and make her nest in Great
Britain. They even went so far as to
assert that the whole movement for
tariff reform was inspired from abroad
end supported by British gold, Who
has not heard protectionist orators de-
clare, with dramatic earnestness from
the stump, that the Democrats proposed
tariff policy which would lower the
wages of our own laborers in order to
Increase the wages of Englishmeu?
Such arguments and prophecies are
now put somewhat TO the test. On
August 2sth of last year a tariff for
which the Democratic party is responsi-
BILE went into effect. If there was any
truth in it all, the time for increased
wages in England and lower wages in
the United States has come. What is
the situation?
@Wc found in one Of our exchanges
Friday statement of the present condi-
ton of affairs in Great Britain. 1t sain I:
Great Britain is at last aware that she Is
not safe i'll her boosted supremacy in either
the manufacturing or the carrying trade
OF the world. In the first she has been
ottrun by the United States as far as guam
tity and quality is concerned, and is driven
In the face of continued labor agitations to
discuss the question of further reduction
In the wages of her labor.
We see from this statement that the
Democratic tariff has not brought any
marked prosperity to the manufacturers
of Great Britain. For the first time
England finds herself second best in the
race with the manufacturers of the
United States. Embarrassing labor
agitations continue there; and instead of
better wages, she is face to face with
"the question of further reduction in
the wages of her labor"
If the statement of facts in the above
quotation can be relied on, it is evident
that the advantage which Great Britain
was to gain over our own manufacturer.
through tariff reform in this country
was all moonshine. The paper from
which the quotation is taken is al
ardent protectionist. Not to make a
secret of the matter, it is from al
editorial in Fridays Morning Ne,os OIL
this city. We shall presume that it is
fare picture of the present situation o
Great Britain's manufactures.
What is the situation on this side o
the water under this Democratic tariff
In the first place, the wages of laborcr
in manufacturing industries are bein
increased on every side News of tina
kind comes every day. And the increas
of wages is coming in the most crafty
ing way-in way which shows tina
the employers of labor are seeing goo
business and fair profit ahead of then
In almost every case the increase {
1 wages has not come as the result {
V labor agitation and threatened strikes
has been the voluntary action OF eu
ployeIs, who have said the improve
condition Of their business iustife
them in raising the wages Of their me
10, Is, or 30 per cent as the case may b,
In the whole history OF wages nothin
like this voluntary increase has eve
been known before.
Manlfestly the result of tariff roforl
has been the exact reverse OF what PR
tectionists claimed it would be. 1t Ii,
benefited this country not Great Britai
1t has taken the letters off of America
industry, and has thus helped mani
featuring enterprises while rclievi1
consumers of unjust burdens II is a
complaining just about what tariff r
formers said it would accomplish.
we carry the principle of tariff refor
to its full extent some day, there
every reason TO anticipate that it "
make the United States the create
manufacturing country on earth.