Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-08-28
CONTINUED from yesterday


tssary. is still less considered. II
Is true that we pay higher wages
per day than are paid elsewhere.
but that does not necessarily mean
that the actual labor cost of the
article is higher here than abroad
On the contrary. the rule Is that
high priced labor produces a cheap
er article than low priced labor.
Manufacturers Of hardware will tell
you that they san export hardware
which contains a great deal OF la
Dor and a small amount OF raw
material, but that they cannot ex-
port hardware in which the raw
material constitutes a large por-
ton OF the value We are send
ing manufactures OF steel all over
the world. The steam engine. for
instance. is made by skilled labor
and yet We can send 1t abroad and
defy competition. Our electrical
machinery is made by skilled labor.
and yet We have no fear of com
petition, even in the foreign mar
kets. Our agricultural machinery
is made by skilled labor, and yet
we export ii to all countries. Our
sewing machines are manufactured
by skilled labor. but the American
traveller finds our sewing machines
everywhere; and the list could be
extended indefinitely.
For twenty-five years the Amer
lean working man has been told
that he receives higher wages than
th1 English workman solely because
of protection. but our wage earners
now know that this cannot be due
to protection. because the English
workman receives higher wages
than the German workman, al
though the German tariff is higher
than the tariff of Great Britain.
Protection does not make good
wages. Our better wages are due
to the greater intelligence and skill
of our workmen. to the greater hope
which free institutions give them.
to improved machinery, to the bet
ter conditions that surround them
and to the organizations which have
been formed among the wage earn
ers.
a revenue tariff will not bring q
panic; it will not inaugurate indus
trial depression; it will not reduce
wages; on the contrary, It will slim
ulate business and give more en-
ployment. and a larger demand for
labor will be a guaranty against the
reduction OF wages. A reduction
OF the tariff will reduce the extor-
ton that is now pract!ced because
Of the high schedules; a reduction
in price will cause more people to
buy, and this larger demand for
the goods will put more people to
work and increase the number of
Industries. A lower price will great
ly stimulate expectation. and man
ufactureTs who are now crippled by
tariff upon what they use will be
better prepared to enter the contest
for supremacy I'm the worlds trade
We cannot hope to invade foreign
markets TO the extent that we
should. until we relieve our manu-
facturers Of the handicap that pro-
lection places upon them in the pur-
chase OF materials they have to use.
Neither can we hope to continually
Increase our exports without increas
ing our imDJrts. Trade must be
mutual if - y 20 be permanent.
President Mckinley recognized this
and in the last speech that H. made
he pointed out that Va must buy
from other nations IL we expected
to sell to other natiols.
TLd Democratic pan does not
contemplate an imm sd.sfe change
fro:I one system to arJth,r; It Cx.
pressly declares that the chang
shall be gradual. and gradual
change Is possible where the coun-
try is satisfied with the results OF
each step taken. W. elect con
gress every two years and Pres
ident every four years. and the peo-
pie can soon stop any policy 81 tho
results OF that policy are not salts
factory But We believe that the
experience the people have had with
protection for projections sake"
has led them to favor a restoration
Of the tariff by gradual steps 20 a
revenue basis. and we arc convinced
that the advantages following each
step will be so pronounced and that
the benefits will be so universally
enjoyed that there will be no ces
sation in the progress toward n sys-
tenn under which the tariff will be
levied for the purpose Of revenue
and limited to the needs OF the gov
eminent. The low tariff law Of
1916 did not produce a panic: on
the contrary. IL was so satisfactory
that when the Republican party
wrote its first platform ten years
aterwar1 the protective principle
was not endorsed.