The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-19
The Protoctive System.

Mr. Webster is said to have claimed in his great din
ner speech at Philadelphia the honor OF perfect consist
eney on the tariff question He declared that zone OF
the first laws OF Congress act to protect the
uacurng interests" (not exceeding ten or fifteen per
cent dutyD 81 hold to these principles, (exclans the
orator) learned them when was young. held them
when was older and shall hold them till Providence
sees fit to terminate my lfe" And yet this consistent
politician made the following declarations in the speech
which he delivered in Congress in 1874, in reply to Mr.
Clay: E
'Geueneh tell thar they favor of domestic in
dusuy. So am l. They would give protection. 30 would
l. H them all domestic industry not confined manu-
facures The epioyInents OF agrc uure, conInene and
navigation all branches OF the domestic industry
They all furnish employment Tor American capital and
American labor and when the question Is whether new
eouageen 70 particular manufactures, every reasonable
ask himself both whether the proposed en-
coursgenent NECESSARY and whether be given
WITHOUT INJUSTICE other branches of industry. II Is de-
aFable "a know, also somewhat more distinctly, how the
great object proposed Tor example, Is the inc rse OF the
home market for the consumption OF agricultural products
This certainly = much 10 be desired but What Proylslons
this is stated would suggest tat some Inc Tease
ofd,e home market may not follow from tue adoption Of
this bill but All provisions have not On equal tendency to
produce this effect Those manufacturers which employ
sosT LABOR create o, eourse most nsHtS9 FOR aSrctss
ofwhch cArrAL AND SKILL ENTER as the chef ingredients
" If all the nations adopted it, te protective system
then they would be prosperous In the proportion m which
they abolished intercourse win each other aud the less
commerce, the beter The laws Of Spain bad because
they restrictive, partial aud probiloy. The general
OF the sets strong OF freedom OF
commercial intercourse, and unrcsaned individual action
Men yield up their notions of monopoly and restriction
slowly and reluctantly but they cannot stand the general
ude OF opinion" ~. .. EH.H. aE pr. ...." .'-
Mr.. Clay having challenged any man to produce a
country where manufactures had aourshed without pro-
,ectve and prohibitory laws, Mr., Webster replied
There Is country in which the progress of manlliac-
lures has been FAR more rapid than IN any oer and yea UNI
the hapIicst which the shines The
wooen manufactures OF England have existed Tor
and have had every legislative aid Ours the
ary, but Of yesterday; and with than the
projections OF existing laws, they already the point of
close aud promising competition. We have need, then,
initiate the clumsy helps with which governments
have sought 10 Liable the ingenuity and industry OF their
people obble along In the cotton manufactures also
competing with the English l venture to predict
that in few years, II viii be thought wonderful that these
branches of manufactures at least, should have been
thought TO require additional aid from government The
best aooy oT laws of prohibition and laws OF monopoly
viii be found in that state of society, only uneng
ed but sluggish, in which they are generally esab-
iShcd" ", $4,000 -.'. .
Twenty-Five years have made wonderful difference in
Mr.. Websers opinions. This is, however, OF little con-
sequence. What regard as of far more Importance is
the truth OF the principles which he advocated in $780,
Boston, and in 1924 in Congress- and which he repudaes
They will stand the test OF truth and Of time
We defy Mr. Webster himself to shake, with all his
sophisty, the adamanne column which he has erected
The author OF the number, which publish to-day,
under the signature OF Ant-Tarif carries out the true
principles of Mr. Webster's free-trade doctrine with
the further advantage OF applying them the present
if of 1916;