The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1896-09-05


the free silver. the Mexican raises
his coffee, say, for 7 cents, Mexican,
and sells it in New York for IA cts,
in American gold, to American con-
sumers. Then he takes that IA
cents and sells it for silver, buying,
say, rs cents in return. Thus he
makes 200 to 800 per cent upon
every thing he manufactures. The
effect upon the prosperity of the
country is manifest.
There is plenty Of work, and the
man who will take the trouble to
hustle will always make an album
dance.
Now, ii the United States shonId
adopt the silver standard. there
would be an immediate rise in the
silver dollar all over the world.
There would be a renewal of the ad-
vantage that | have cited, and the
American manufacturer could better
compete with the Mexican"
The gentleman then passed TO the
discussion of Democratic versus Re
publican politics in the United
States.
Il am q manufacturer, and a
speak by the card he said, IF the
manufacturer would only talk frank
y with you, he would readily admit
that the benefits of a high tariff are
entirely to the manufacturers advan-
tage. They come from The people,
who pay The price. The manufac-
turer does not. For example, if
have a high protective duty upon
the articles that | have to place
upon the market, | do not fix my
price upon the cost of manufacture.
but upon what my competitor can
sell his article for, without regard to
the percentage that I make.
| get as much as | can for the
goods, and the people who can not
purshase the things from other a
tons muat pay my price.
Does that benefit the lahorer any?
No, sir. they do not get a cent
more, and | tell you, as a fact, that
as a manufacturer / want all the
protective tariffs that | can get, but
as q man it goes against NV con.
science to receive it. But being q
manufacturer, I get as much out of
it as my brother monopolists.
The capitalists tell you that they
keep wages up to a higher standard
by the protection, but that is abso-
lntely false.
1t is not human nature for a man
to give the snap away like that.
He will make all that he can, and
will not advance the wages Of bis
employees | cent for the benefit that
he derives from government protec.
ton.
For example, a certain article
costs me $12 to manufacture, aud
under The protection that | receive,
| get $50 for it. ! DO not give my
laborers the benefit of the heavy
profit, but put it in my pocket, and
it comes out of the pocket Of the
buyer, who is paying The duty into
my hands. He is enriching me, and
that is all that a high tariff ever did
Zurich the manufacturer at the
expense Of the people.
The effect of free silver in the
United States will be to eventually
to put England aud all other Euro
pean countries on a silver basis. It
will do it for this reason. When a
japanese, for example, buys of a
foreign nation, he ia going to buy
from that country which has the
same money standard as his own.
He will choose such a country in
preference TO one in which he has to
pay a premium on his money to SET
tie his debts. And SO will America
take an advantage over other selling
countries.
England will have to come to that
haais in order 10 control her trade,
and you will see that other countries
will follow suit
Mexico to-day is il a more pros
porous condition than ever in all her
history, She stands as a growing
and fourisbiug manufacturing eonn-
try, and her currency standard is
rasnnnsihie for mnat Of ~