First. Working men can get mote
wealth by stealing it from foreign
ers; receiving it as a gift; or obtain
ing it in the shape of legitimate profits
in trade.
Second. The rewards of labor may
be increased by the laborer receiving
a larger share of the proceeds of his
labor.
Third. 1 ,aborers can obtain “ more ”
by working harder, or working longer
hours.
Fourth. They can obtain “more”
by adopting more efficient modes of
work; so that a given quantity of
labor shall yield a larger product.
These four cases comprehend all
the means by which the material pos
sessions of workingmen can be aug
mented.
Which of these different modes will
protectionists choose as the channel
through which protection operates to
increase wages. Past experience is
powerless to supply an answer; and
we will therefore, proceed to examine
them all in the order named:
First. Can wages be increased
through protection, by means of vol
untary or involuntary contributions
levied on foreigners? Hardly. One
of the first effects of protection is to
diminish imports. By thus lessening
the number and magnitude of our
transactions with foreigners, to this
extent it lessens our chances of ob
taining both legitimate and illegiti
mate gains. Beyond this, to make
perfectly certain that laboring men
shall obtain no advantage from for;
eigners. they are compelled to pay a
tax on nearly every foreign made
article they purchase. Manifestly, no
part of their alleged increased wages
can come from foreign sources.
