The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-06-18
NEW ENGLAND PAPERS on Low.
Err WAGES.

the past II was the pTOuu BOAST OF New
England and other parts Of the north
hat the labOrers received far higher
wages than the corresponding classes
did in Great Britain or in Europe. This
was attributed to the high tariff. But
that was a fallacy. In proof, England
that had no high tariff, but was nearly
free-trade, paid much higher wages
than the protection nations in Europe.
You see the point. If protection alone
caused the prosperous north to pay
higher wages han other countries, why
did not the rule work also in Europe
why was it that the protected countries
all paid less wages than unprotected,
free-trade England.
But let us turn to more recent init
nations. From some cause the dea is
beginning to grow that wages must
steadily fall in New England and else
where in this land of the free" and of
high robberies. 1t is freely prophesied
now that wages must inevitably fall,
and so much SO as to reach the low
standard abroad-the basis of Euro
pean wages. If this is to be true prOph-
ecy, what has caused the change? 1t
can not possibly be laid to the door
of low taxes-of low tariff. There has
been no low tariff since 1861. 1t has
been all the time a high tariff-nearly
twice as high as the great Henry Clay
favored, and he vas in his day the lead
err of the protectionists. The Mckinley
| tariff was enormous. The Billy Wilson
| fraud was a high robber tariff I'M
| worthy Of the name Of low tariff or Of
| a fair tariff or of even an honest tariff.
1t averaged high, and was very high
| on many articles. The tariff before the
senate will become a law, with perhaps
a few inconsequential changes by the
house, and it will be so extremely high
| that wages must continue to be high
| also, provided they are now based, or
were indeed ever based. upon a pro-
tective scheme of class robbery.
1t will be recalled by intelligent news
! paper readers how all through 1896, and
before that time, the organs of parties
prophesied that if the policy Of the gov
eminent continued that it would be I'M
possible to prevent lower wages for
working people. Lower prices Of all
the factory, Of the workshops-Would
be certain to force lower wages. That
was the prophecy, that was the earnest
contention. Mckinley was elected by
the votes Of the vast laboring class
based upon promises Of the politicians
and the plutocrats. 1t was again and
again declared that the fall in prices
would not only cause a fall in wages
but that hundreds of thousands WOuld
fail in obtaining work at even very low
pay. Has not this been fulfilled, real.
lied within the last five years and
while a high protective tariff was in
full operation? We wish to copy a lit
tie from leading New England papers
The Boston Commercial Bulletin not
long ago said this:
1T looks as though in spite Of the eff
forts of one great political party, wages
in this country were slowly but grad
ually getting down to the European
basis. The fall in commodity values
cheap foreign labor and the disappear
ance of large profits in business be-
cause of the big trusts or combination
of capital. are making this decline in
wages not only possible, but inevlta-
ble."
That is not cheering. 1t forebodes
evil and only evil. The DID, conserva-
tive Springfield, CMass.) Republican
gave his comment. and mark. both
papers are gold standard
More tariff. in a word, will be una
vailing to turn back the currents which
are sweeping the country on to the
broader world basis of lower prices
small profits and wages adjusted ac-
cordingly. This is the conclusion &c
which thoughtful business men have
long since been coming. 1t is no Longer
a country of comparative scarcity Of
capital and labor. There is now abun.
dance of both. n in the sharpenec
competition of both. and under a com
mon standard of value, profits, wage:
and prices tend toward the lower leve
of the older nations"
That is all New England opinion
There is no Organism in it. Now 70
one southern comment. The able Hous
ton CTexas) Post. a very earnest hi
metallic, low tariff advocate, says:
Since the election the wages OF in
Vulnerable employees have been REDUCED
and thousands of men have been le
out of employment. Immediately afte
the election there was a short perlo'
of activity, resulting from the necesslt.
for filling ante-election orders whicI
had been held back for political ehec'
Since then, however, the dry rot ma
been working. Slowly the Q
wages is going down, dow to the Eu
ropean basis. and all the tariffs tina
could be enacted under the gold stand
ard could not arrest the
trend"
Some northern republican papers Sc
that there is no remedy for present de
pressed conditions in high tarins-Phi
adelphia Ledger, Philadelphia Amer
cam, Boston Herald. and those quote
~ ~oYl NO noro hylf IN