Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-18
Some Democratic FaIlacies.

cratic EDITORS ana letueTS VIII are Gil
deavoring TO persuade the voters of
Maine that protection is not essential
to their prosperity and that they have
nothing to lose by supporting the
cause of w. j. Bryan, the Nebraska
free trade leader.
To the wage Garner they say, cit is
true that you are getting better wages
under the present Dingley tariff law
than you got under the Wilson tariff
law that was in force when the Demo-
cratic party was last in power, but 1t
is costing you more for the things you
eat. One of the leading Democratic
organs of Maine advocates free trade
with Canada $50 we can get some
more to eat''-in other words so that
| there may be substantial reduction
in our markets in the prices Of farm
products.
When, however, the Democratic
seeker Of votes goes to the farmers Of
our state he sings different tune
1T is true" he says, "that you are
getting under the Dingley tariff law
much better prices for your products
your grain, your hay, your straw
your butter, and poultry, and eggs,
etc, than you did under the Wilson
law when the Democracy was last in
power, but see how much more it Is
costing you for farm labor, and the
manufactured goods that you buy"
Strange to say these Democratic ar
guments have failed to appeal with
or the farmer.
The wage worker still believes that
he is best off when he is getting the
highest possible pay for his labor.
The farmer just as firmly believes
| that he is best off when he is getting
the highest possible market price for
the products of his farm.
Both are right-and the Democratic
attempt to make them believe that
| wages, and lower prices will fail, be-
| cause they are intelligent men and
| know better.
Let us examine these two Demo-
| cratic fallacies more closely.
| First the Democratic claim to the
| working man that he is no better off
wit he l.; 10 g,
| under the Dingley law because it costs
him more for the products of the
| farm and the factory. If this we're SO
| it would follow:
THAT the working man spent all
| of his wages, and saved no part of
| them for 4 rainy day.
THAT there had been no decrease
| in the hours Of labor
| 3-That the increased cost of the
products of the factory and the farm
had equalled the increase of wages
under the Dingley law.
| 1t can be easily shown that none of
| these propositions are true-and par
| tlcularly so as applied to Maine. The
savings banks and loan and building
associations of this State are fair
| barometer of the thrift of the plain
| people, who have no dealings with
the stock and bond markets and whose
savings are collected into those insti-
tutions for the building Of homes and
for rainy day funds AS we shall
show, presently, from the official fig
| ures. these savings have increased as
never before under the Dingley tariff
law
Statistics carefully gathered by the
United States Bureau of Labor cover
| ing the years 1890 1905 show that in the
| latter year as compared with the ten
years from 1890 to 1899 1916 more per-
sons We're employed hours of labor per
| week had been reduced Al per cent
| Earnings of all persons employed had
| increased 1913 per cent. Retail prices
| of food had increased 124 per cent,
| the wages of one hour would purchase
| IS per cent. more food.
These figures constitute very effcc-
| tive answer to Democratic fallacies
| Nos and 3 az noted above. So
| much then for Democratic fallacy as
| applied to the wage worker. Is it true
as the Democrats claim that the
| farmer is no better off today with the
| higher prices he Is receiving for his
products under the Dingley law than
he was with the lower prices he re-
ceived for them under the Wilson
| law?
Most certainly not The reports of
| the United States Bureau of Statistics
show that in 1897. the last year of the
Wilson tariff law, the value of the
| farms and farm property in this coun-
try was $4,000, OOO, 900. In 1907 the value
was s25OOO.CCO.OOO a gain of 81 ,OOO, OOO,-
| 600 under the operation of the Dingley
| tariff law.
The value Of the farm products of