Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1887 — BLAINE’S ARGUMENT REVIEWED. [ARTICLE]

BLAINE’S ARGUMENT REVIEWED.

An Old Republican Recalls Hig Official Report on the Cotton Trade. He Says ir the Republican Party Opposes Tariff Beform He Will Vote Tor Cleveland. The following letter from a life-long Republican, living at Dayton, Ohio, is printed in the Chicago Tribane: Mr. Blaine * “bugle blast* seems to have a hollow sort of echo. Yet many call it an unanswerable reply to Mr. Cleveland,without seeming to perceive how superficial it is. For instance, his reply to ’pi* question : "Tuen you think Due question of labor underlies the whole subject * -Of course it does,” replied Mr. Blaine. “W henever you oau force carpenters, masons, iron-workers, and mechanics in every department to work as cheaply and live as poorly in the United States as similar workmen in Europe, we can of course manufacture just as cheaply as they do in England and France. But 1 am totally opposed to a policy that would entail any such results. To attempt it is equal to a social and financial revolution—ons that would bring untold distress.* These are portentous words, and, were they based on a real condition approximating that which he assumes to exist, they would be well Worth consider ng; but if we are to believe Mr. Blaine's own testimony they are not so based. When Mr. Blaine was Secretary of State under Garfield he aent to the House of Representative* a report on the cotton trade of the world, signed by himself. Speaking of wages he said: The wage* of spinner* and weavers in Lanca-I shire and Masaachuaetts, according to the foregoing statement, were as follows: Spinners—English, $7.20 to s*.4o, master spinn.rarunnlng as high aa£l2 ; American, $7.07 to Weavers—English}s3.Bl to SB.M, subject at date at which these figures were given to a reduction of 10 per cent.: American, $1.82 to $8.78. The average wage of employes in the Massa-' chusetts mills is as follows, according to official figures: Men, *8.80; women, *6.02; male children, s'J.il ; female children, *B.OB, According to Consul bhav’s report the average wages of men employed In the Lancashire mills Jan. I,‘ 1882, was about $8 per week, aubjeot to a reduction of 10 per cent.; women from $3.40 to $4.30, subject to a reduction of 10 per cent Ihe hours of labor in the Lancashire mills are fifty-six, in the Massachusetts mills sixty per week. The hours of labor in the other New, England Stat s, where the wages are less than, in Massachusetts, are usually sixty-six to sixty■nine per wetk. Summing up the Consular reports, he says: it thus appears that eaoh Amerloan operative works up as much raw material as two British, operatives—turns out $1.50 worth of manufactures to the British operative's $1 worth; and even in piece goods, where the superior quality and weight of the American goods are so marked, the American operative turns out 2.75 yarde to 2.50 yards of the British operative. He oonoludss this brunoh of the subject with the following weighty remark • 'Undoubtedly tne inequalities In the wages of English and American operatives are more than equalized by the greater efficiency of the latter and their longer hours of labor.” In the face of such facts over his own signature, what folly for Mr. Blaine to talk of inequality in the price of labor. Why, it is safe to sar that, with raw material as cheap as England and France command theirs, we can manufacture any kind of goods under the sun of which our artisans have knowledge and compete with these great manufacturing nations in like quality. It is a well-known faot that our eotton goods sell In England and France in open competition with their own manufacture; and eo would many grades of our woolen goods if we could obtain our wool and dyestuffs as cheaply as they. But Mr. Blaint treats a foreign oommeroe with contempt. He says it all amounted last year to only $1,900,0j0,0J0 both ways, and that our internal trade amounts to $40,000,000,000 or $60,000,000,000. Startling figures these, Mr. Blaine, if true ; but, like your other argument, they are essentially incorrect for purposes of, comparison. The $1,900,000,000 of imports and exports is the net cost before duty in paid, and represents but a single transaction; while the enormous figure used to represent our Internal oommeroe represents every business transaction in the country, Including the sale of the importations through several hands and the exports also. The actual value of all products of manufacturing and mining in this country in 1879, according to the last census, was #>,389,570,191; and In 1887 it will possibly reach $6,500,00j,000, and no more; and out of this beginning Mr, Blaine magnifies our internal trade into $50,000,000, Out). Mr. Blaine assumes that our markets must be found in Europe. Well, give us the same show in raw materials that other manufacturing countries have and we will sell carpets in Brussels and cutlery in Birmingham, and pay just as good wages to our mechanics as we now do —in fact, better, for they will have constant work, and no strikes or dissat sfaction. But our markets must bo found In South America, in Mexico, in fast-developing Africa, in China and Japan ; and even in India we will sell Yankee notions. Out upon the ungenerous system that would confine the trade of a people to transfers of commodities among themselves. lam a Republican—an out-aud-outer; never voted for a Democrat for a higher office than that of Street Commissioner in my life; but, If the dear old party of progress and of civilization is to oppose so reasonable a revenue-reform polioy as that enunciated by President Cleveland, I for one will vote for Mr. Cleveland next year, though still adhering to the grand old party in all State and munioipd elections. If Mr. Blaine had remained Secretary of State fcng enough, perhaps he would have instituted comparative researches as to the wages of our American and the European minors and workers in metal. If he had, be would not have made any remarks about the inequalities of wages in their case as compared with our better facilities and superior intelligence, for here he would have found wages paid in Pennsylvania mines and in some branches of iron-working to be actually lower than in England; and, had he been Inclined to disbelieve it, he could have gone among the workmen of that great protected State, and found them in a most deplorable condition. The condition of workingmen in Pennsylvania is simply bad beyond description. I know, for I have been there-and seen it. Henry George's North American Review pavers did not overdraw the picture. Lamar and the Veterans. The ex-Union soldiers in the Interior Department are indignant at the published statement that some associations of veterans have adopted resolutions denouncing Secretary Lamar on account of his treatment of old soldiers. They say that such an expression, if made, does not represent the Grand Army men. Capt. Fillock, who is a one-armed Union soldier, and is in charge of the watch force of tho Interior Department, said to-day: “The old soldiers in this department have no reason to complain of Secretary Lamar. In fact they have reason to be g'ateful to him because he has loosed out for their interests and kept them in their places. In addition he has made a number of appo ntments of old Union soldiers. As far as the old soldiers in this department are concerned, I am sure that they w\uld do nothing in opposition to Secretary Lamar. ” Washington special.

Wherever an honest Republican is found he indorses Fresident Cleveland’s honest taxation views. The dishonest Republicans, those who favor land stealing, monopolies, trusts, whisky rii gs, Fresident stealing, Dorsey’s tactics, etc., are opposed to the President’s policy and in favor of robbing the people. —lndianapolis Sentinel

A weather report—A thunder-olap. —Boston Courier.