The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-20
A NONsEoUITUR.

A NONsEQUITUR-
It requires a genius to tell lie that
will stand the test Of a cross-exami-
nation. This because 1t is necessary
not only to construct a plausible lie
but it Is essential to surround it with
all that natural environment that sur
rounds ordinary events. The unity of
artificiality must be preserved and
carried into all details. 1t Is just the
same when men, assuming omni-
science, attempt to substitute for the
natural course their own artificial con-
ditions. Their schemes always break
down because they do not take into
their fabric all the other conditions
needed to make it work tremendously.
For illustration, free trade is a natural
condition; protection an artificial one.
Under the former all actions adjust
themselves easily and smoothly; under
the latter, either from the omission of
needed factors. or from changes made
without regard for effects on related
and dependent factors, there is con-
slant jar, friction and discomfort.
The apologists for the artificial ar
rangement of human affairs are just
now endeayoring To find some spec
ious explanation for the friction be-
tween the tin plate manufacturers and
their employees. The New York Tri-
bune takes the claboring oar and
sweats under 1t. Its argument runs
along this line. The tin plate men
formed defensive combination" be-
cause the steel billet men formed an Of
fensive one. The latter combined be-
cause the Lake Superior iron ore bar
ons and the Pennsylvania coke men
had made their combinations to force
up the price of their products. The
ore and coke and billet men could do
it because the tariff was sufficiently
high to shut off competition. The tin
plate men, the price of whose sheets
on the ground floor were already TAX
ing all the tariff benefit the law al
lowed and they could not raise prices
without opening the gates to a flood
to reduce the price of the only other
commodity that had been omitted in
the protective scheme, the wages of
their laborers, and said to- them: We
must reduce cost somewhere; we can't
reduce that Of our raw material; you
must either consent tota reduction of
wages or we must shut down. Out Of.
this exposition Of the sequence of
causes the Tribune reaches the only
possible conclusion for 1t unless 1t
would fmpeach the divinity of pro-
lection. The whole trouble is; because
tin plate is not protected enough. If
it were the makers could advance
their prices to the consumers and out
of the gains pay the wages. This dis
regard of the consumer would be
striking had he not been SO long the
Forgotten Man that he is never con-
sidered
Instead Of this explanation Of pro-
tection's organ establishing its con
clusion it presents the most conclusive
of reasons why thereishould be no pro-
lection at all. It shows that protec-
ton does not go all the way around.
for 1t leaves the consumer the unpro-
tected victim of the 4protectees. The
ore and coke men, the material men of
the billet men, takes their protection
in an Increased price of product;
the billet men, the material men
OF the tin plate makers, in turn
raise their prices to compensate for
the advance in their materials: the tin
plate men, if sufficiently protected
raise their prices correspondingIy the
great body of the people who use tin
plate and furnish the market for it.
have to stand the increase, the scheme
railing to provide any compensation
for them. AS there are several thou
sand consumers to one Of the bene
hciarfes Of this branch Of the gen
eral plan it would seem to follow
as an irresistible conclusion in q
country where government is claimed
70 exist to promote the greatest good
OF the greatest number, that the many
should not be obliged to give the few
something for nothing. ..The lower
ing of wages is thus the direct
fruit OF the reduction of duty ION tin
plate) by the Democratic tariff con-
cludes the Tribune On the contrary
1T is due to the refusal Of few Dem
ocrts. infected with McKfnleyfsm, to
wipe out all duties on these materials,
needless for revenue and useless for
any purpose.