The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-10-24
BRANDON, Thursday October a. 1914

y ment which agitate the country and de
r mand the attention of us all.
h The question OF protection to American
IS labor and capita !, in their competition will
l. the labor aud capital Of foreign countries
i. is one which comes home 10 the business
It and interests of the whole community
}, The vast variety of the soil and climate
y of our country, and of the genius and in,
s inclinalions of its people, plainly indicates
n that diversity of employment aud pursu
is essential 10 the full development of its
8 capacities for improvement. 1t was a
. sense of this, impressed by the practical
t workings Of foreign competition, that
! formed leading motive TO the adoption o.
I the constitution. The "more perfect
: union" of which that constitution was the
} bond was scarcel y, in any respect, more
} important than in the means which uni.
J form regulations of commerce furnished
for the counter.action of the foreign policy
/ which sought to establish our workshops
: abroad, and make our people tributary TO
the cheap labor and abundant capital OF
other countries. This purpose of the con-
, stilulion was carried out in the first reve-
nue. law passed under it, whose trainers
were careful expressly to declare, in its
memorable preamble, that the duties it i'm.
posed, we're laid "tor the encourage cement
and protection Of manufactures. And if
there is any policy which, more than any
Cher has marked our history, it is the
policy, of which that preamble was the
earnest and the pledge. 1t is under its
creative power that manufacturing estab-
liShments have sprung up in almost every
part of the country, sending the pulsatlors
of vigorous health through all departments
Of It's industry. We have. indeed suffered
under occasional partial suspensions Of
that policy, but they have served 10 show
us, what uninterrupted prosperity under it
might not have done--its indispensable
importance to secure adequate encourage
ment and reward to labor, Il full deve.ope.
ment OF the nations faculties for improve
ment, and realization of the benefits de.
rivabe from the compact which made US
lone people"
I In all the vicissitudes Of the protective
policy, it has never, perhaps passed
through greater peril than it is now en-
counering. The tariff of 1912 saved the
protected interests from prostralon. lis
benefits have been felt in revival OF 5u>
siness, restoration Of confidence, and ad-
equate revenue, and a general and hea llh-
full impulse to the labor of the country
But in the midst of these successes, it is
suddenly brought into peril. Twelve
years ago the system Of protection was put
in similar peril, by the coincident action Of
notification on the one hand and belray-
al by its professed friends on the other.-
That is the character OF the present dan
ger. Modification it iStrue, has lost much
Of its power; but false principles, decep>
tive reasoning, and disguised enmiy are
as strong, perhaps stronger than ever
This is illustrated IN The success of efforts
to confound all Just distinctions in regard
to protection, and lead the unsuspecling TO
an incautious committa Of The protective
system to the hands of lis enemies.
Thus we have the doctrine of protection
missated and perverted, by declarations,
that it consists in discrimination for the
purpose of recenue only" with protection
incident 10 such discrimination; and again,
that "the true ltnat OF the RICH and claim
TO protection. is that rate OF duty upon 0ay
,garen article which will yield The largest
amount Of reremue." Beyond this it is as
serted, the Constitution gives no power to
impose duties.
The hinge on which the whole protec>
live system turns, is The purpose for which
determinations are made in the adjust
ment of scale of duties. If revenue
only" is The purpose, every one familiar
with the subject can see that it may not af-
ford adequate protection 10 any interest,
since it is obvious that duty on given
article, falling far short OF Just protection
to It's rival of American production, may
BE- the duty which will yield The greatest
amount of revenue from that article, BY
reason Of lis greater importation under The
lower duty. 10 subject the protected in
leress 10 the operation of such rule, is to
commit them to mere chance. Ii this is
the true limit of the right and claim 10
protection" it is a limit within which ev>
erv protected interest in the country NAV
be crushed The true doctrine is, not dis
elimination for recenUe, with incidental
protection, but tariff for revenue with
discrimination for protection. The reve>
nue. purpose is to govern, when we are
considering the amount of revenue to be
raised upon the whole of the importations.
No more revenue, in the aggregate, may
be raised, than shall be necessary to supply
the wants of the making a
tariff, in this sense, revenue tariff But
while this great revenue purpose is to be
} kept in view. and its limit never exceeded,
another purpose is, also, to be keptin view,
namey-that Of so discriminating be-
) tween different classes of articles, and be-
} tween one article and another, of the same
ILL .I.l.ila In .La