The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1846-12-31
THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.

Mr. Webster (sayslhe Washington Union)
is said TO have claimed, in his great dinner
speech at PhiladepIla, the honor of perfect
consistency CA the tariff question. He de-
clared that "one Of the first laws of Con-
gress was an ACT to project The manufactur-
ing interests" (noi exceeding len or ffleen
per cent. dutyD 81 hold 10 these priNI
pies, (cxclams tho orator.) learned their
when was .ysung held them when y
was older, and shall hold them till Provi-
dence sees fiji 10 terminate my life" And
yet this consistent politician made the fol-
lowing declarations in the speech which
he delivered in Congress in 1924, in reply
10 MIR. Clay: M
"dentlemen tell as that they are in favor
of domestic industry. SO AIN I. They
would give it protection. So would |. But,
then, all domestic industry, is not confined
10 manufactures. The emylosments of
agriculture, commerce, and navigation, are
all branches Of The same domestic industry.
They all furnish employment for American
capital and American labor; and when the
question is whether new duties shsll be laid
for the purpos, of giving further encourage
rneni TO particular manufactures, every rea-
sonable man must ask himself boIh whether
the proposed new encouragement BE NECEs-
sARY, and whether it Can be given WITHOUT
INJUSTICE TO other branches of industry. Ii
IS desirable to know, also, somewhat more
distinctly, how the proposed measure will
produce the intended effect. One great OBJ
jcct proposed, for example, is the increase
Of The home market for the consumption of
agricultural products. This, certainly, is
much 10 be desired; but what provisions of
the bill arc expected, wholly or principally,
TO produce this is not stated. would no,
suggest that some increase Of the home
market may not follow from the adoption of
this bill; but ALL provisions have not an
equal tendency toproduce This effect. Those
manufacturers which employ MOST LABOR
create, of course, most DEMAND FOR ARTI-
Giles OF CONSUMPTION; and those CREATE
LEAST, in the production of which CAPITAL
AND SKILL ENTER as the chief ingredients of
cost,
elf all the nations adopted il, Che pro-
teclve sys'em,) then they would be pros
porous in the proportion in which
they abolished Intercourse, with each
other; and the less commerce, the better.
The laws of Spain are bad, because they arc
restrictive, partial, and prohbtory. The
general sense Of the age sets in strong cur
rent in favor of freedom of commercial inter-
course, and unrestrained individual action.
Men yield up their no.ions of monopoly and
restriction slowly and reluc,anfy, but they
cannot stand the general tide Of opinion"
Mr., Clay having challenged any man TO
produce country where manufactures had
hourished without protective and prohibitory
laws, Mr.. Webster replied:
"Thero is country in which the pro-
gress of manufactures has been far more
rapid than in any other, and yet unaided by
prohibitions or unnatural restrictions. The
country, the hapRcst which .he sun shines
on. is our own. The woollen manufactures
Of England have existed for centuries, and
have had every legislative aid. Ours, Oh the
contrary, are but OF yesterday; and yet with
no more than the protection of existing laws,
they are already at the point of close and
promising competition. We have no need,
then, 10 initiate the clumsy helps" with
which governments have sought to enable
the ingenuity and industry Of their people
to hobble along" In the cotton manufsc-
lures also we are competing with the Eng
lsh; lvcntuIe TO predict that, in few years,
il will be thought wonderful that these
branches Of manufactures, at least, should
hastr been thought to require additional aid
from government. The best apology for
laws of prohibition ami laws OF monopoly will
be found in that state Of society, not only
unenlightened but sluggish, in which they
are most generally established"
twenty-five years have made wonder
full difference in Mr.. Webster's opinions,
This is, however, of little consequence.
What we regard as Of far more importance
is the truth of the principles which be advo'