The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-12-23
Jug-Handle Prosperity.

we now learn, has astonished Europe as
much as it has the United States, and has
in addition to that given the greatest con-
Germ to one or two of the Continental
nations, especially to Germany. These
reports without any exception have shown
that in each month we have imported less
of manufactured articles than for the cor
responding month of last year, or, in fact,
any year, while at the same time we have
been exporting more of manufactured
articles each month than we ever did in
any corresponding month of earlier
years."
The establishment of European nations
and chagrin, especially of Germany refers
to the immense amount of exports from
the United States Last year our exports
amounted to almost billion dollars
worth Of merchandise farm products and
manufactured goods. This year, our ex-
ports will reach more than twelve hun
bred million dollars, or probably billion
aud quarter, while our imports will foot
up about half that sum. What is espec-
tally noticeable in this statement is that
about half this immense export trade is of
manufactured goods. The United States
is actually sending manufactured good
half billion or more this year-to
Europe mostly, and selling them in the
"pauper labor" markets Of that country
under the noses ofthese pauper labor
manufacturers which our high protective
tariffs were enacted to prevent Cutting
the markets and lowering the wages of
| American workmen
How was it possible to bring about srch
conditions? There is one memorable law
of trade. Buyers always purchase in the
| lowest market. A half billion of Amer
lean manufactures could not be sold i'll
markets of the Old World unless they
were sold at prices lower than the ''pau-
per labor" could produce goods of a
similar quality. We are then manufac-
turing goods and underselling the nations
of Europe in their own markets because
we are making goods for less, or selling
them for less at all events, than the
'pauper labor countries can do similar
work. This result is achieved by employ
ing the best class OF the latest improved
machinery, machinery that is almost
automatic, manipulated by the most in
telligent labor in the world, laborers that
can produce more in given number of
hours than the slower and less intelligent
labor of Europe. There is one more factor
in this problem and the most important
of all. The wages Of this intelligent labor
are driven down till the products sell at a
less prices than the products of "pauper
labor" rivals of the Old World
If the ultimate results of these aston
ishing exports are considered they are Of
the most profound concern to the laboring
and producing classes of this country.
Such conditions do not mean prosperity
to them but a system OF ultimate wage
slavery if continued. The wages of
European workmen are at the semi.
starvation point, and it would seem they
must be reduced still further OF lose their
own markets in the battle of falling prices
with the more active, harder working and
more intelligent American. The cheap
ness of American goods that is alarming
the ruling class ofthe old nations is oppres-
sing our own people like heavy load.
Our farmers are supplying food for the
old world people at prices less than the
cost of production. Every farmer is cast
ing about him TO see where he can econ
onize and save little, but when his farm
expenses, taxes and insurance are paid,
the larger half find they have nothing
left to lay by for rainy day and large
numbers of them are short, their expenses
eating up all of the earnings and running
into the principal. The farm or home
with mortgage resting on it is almost
invariably lost.
This is the condition which these large
exports of farm and manufactured pro-
ducts leave our middle, industrial and
laboring classes i'll. The monopoly organs
are filling the ears and confusing the
brains of those classes with never ending
song of the enormous wealth and unpar-
alleled prosperity these conditions dem
onstrate. Truly they indicate neither
wealth nor true prosperity to the country
These vast products of hard pressed and
poorly remunerated labor are gathered
into the hands of comparatively small
number of people who realize profit over
and above the money they pay to the
producers. The farmers are obliged to sell
at less than cost the most of their pro-
ducts. The manufacturers are turning
out goods at prices they claim are but a
fraction above cost and often at no profit
at all. They skimp and cut down the
wages of their men to keep clear of the
devouring jaws of such a competition as
the world never before witnessed, .from
which some of them escape by going into
trusts.
Every class of honest industry is being
pressed to the earth, under low prices,
and the great wealth aud prosperity
which it is claimed is astonishing the
world is all gathered in by the great COM
binations of concentrated capital and
law-hedged monopoly. The great labor
mass is not enjoying this vast wealth but
suffering from the loss of it. Conditions
are such that they are robbed of it, and