Thoughts To Think Of

Tlie average free trade organ Invarlably throws its Inflaence aiaiut all projects and mesures for ioereaaing and diversifying home industries. Ie say if American Industries canuot compete with like foreign industries on a free trade basis, let thein go to the wall. This uieans that if the American employer eanuot compete with the foreign employer in the same kind of business without tarilï' protección lie Bhould go out ot' that busieess and let his employés go to the soil for a living, The Ameiioan employer saya: "Give. me labor ;it the foreijjn price and 1 will compete with my foreign rival, but 1 can't do it without protection if I luve to pay twice. as inuch for labor, which I now do, as my foreiü'i rival pays." The free trade auswer to this is: "Then shat up your factory, discharge jour employés and go with them to raising wlieat, corn, Í1O2S, cattle and so forti:." Tüen the farmer eteps up and says: "But hold on ! This country doesn't need more farm producers; it needs more home consuniers of farm product?. We are alreadv producing more than the home markets deiuaud, and we don't want to be compelled to go 3,000 miles or more to find a inarket for our stuff and then sell it iu cimpetition with farm products raised wtiere labur is not half as costly as it is here." The logical free trade answer to this ie: "You want the markets of the world The farther off the market the better for you. This 'home market' business is a fry.ud. Our manufacturers are all monopolista. It is all wrong to enconrage them to go on couvening raw material, which is worthless until used into millions of wealth, building up cities and towns and their home markets and giv ing employmt-nt to millions of working men wuo ought to be farming it for a living." Then the merchant steps up and says: "But, see here; we in this little town have offered big bonuses to manufacturera to put up milis and factorles here. öome of them have coine and are doiug a good business. Our idle workiiigmen are ernployed in these milis and are our best customers. The town is growin?, business of all kinds is better and our farmers for miles around lind a muoh better home market bere than they did before these füctories were started." Yes, Democrats and Republicans worked togetherfor these improvements. They held public meetings without any politics in them, and raised thousands of dollars as a "bonus" for the establishment of a big factory in their town. Free traders and protectionists were alike interested and enthusiaslic. They would not have the new industry stop or move out of their town for doublé the bonus they paid to put lt there. Now it is election day. The protec tionist goes to the polls and votes to keep that factory running. The free trader goes to the polls and votes to cripple that factory. The Republlcau merchant votes to piotect what he has put bis inoney into; tlie Democratie merchant votes agaiust the bonus he put iuto it. The Republican farmer votes for the thing that increascd his home market and brought so many more consumera to his door; the Democratie farmer votes against it. The Ilepublican workingmen votes io prntent his own wageí; the Democratie worklngrnan votes to reduce tbm. Tbi is politics. Wlien thty were nll wnrkinj to;;ether to secure more mi"Ufncluriuj! ii wa? business. T-ikc the lead Induatry t'or instante. In 1R61, wlien a txriiV was put on, tlie j produeed 14,000 tons and I paid t reivi conntrles $3,698,7 15 f or lead ore. In 18S9 tbi? country produced 180,000 tons nf leHd oie, pald forelen onuntries $25,026 í r wliMt it ImportPd, and gold in foreiüi) marketa 19!), 802 worth of our leatJ. And during tlii. time tlie prioe has heen reduu d rrotn $6.25 per 100 II)?. P3, Aiwr-cm minera are iid f 2.75 div; MpxiCHmnlners are pald 54 cents day. It 'he tariff tfiat protects our lead liners a taz ?