The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-06-30
Protection.

Protection.
In some portions OF the country our cpponents
| are endeavoriug thus early to weave into the
canvass of 1850 the old and almost exploded
| theory Of ''Protection for the sake of Protec-
ton" Particularly is this the case In New
| England and Pennsylvania but we notice with
pleasure that some o! the leading western Re-
| publican journals protest earnestly against TAX
| ing upon the shoulders of their party any such
load as the iron interest, the coal interest or
| even the less weighfy but more clamorous beg
gary of the New England looms and work.
shops. Asa matter Of party policy We are not
sure that Rcpublicanisrr would not make by
promising, as usual, "Protection to Manufac-
lures to secure votes in the Northern ana
Middle States, protection to the Rivers and
Harbors Of the Mississippi Valley to secure the
west, protection TO Cheese to get the vote of the
| Ohio Reserve and protection to potatoes to in
fluence the votes of those fellows who use sthe
rich Irish broguc," but in the present shape Of
their party it is probably impossible to unite
them upon anything farther than general oppo-
sition to every thing done by Democrats, and
as Democrats have been in the habit of doing
about everything that ever was done under this
government, it is but fair to presume that the
Platform of our OPT onents will contain not a
single affirmative proposition except such hack.
MED hra.es as "Amcricans should rule Anne
RIGA, ""Eternal hostility toslavery" (wlile prof
ting by the trade it fnrnishes,) leland for the
Landless,' &C., DC.
The Chicago Tribune we believe is down on
the Protection plank and to show our readers
that there is not likely to be any bids out for
the New England vote in 1860, we transfer to
our columns from the Milwaukee Free Demo-
crat. an able Republican journal, the following
pointed and rather humorous article
Protective TariE-Just now certain class
| of POLITICAL economists are preaching the neces-
sity of protective tariff. to rescue the country
from the pecuniary troubles it is suffering and
protect it against such evils in The future. A
large meeting was recently held in Philadelphia
in favor of this policy and Mr.. Crittenden made
it prominent point in his reply to the commit
tee Of reception welcoming him at Covington,
Kentucky.
1t is generally admitted that different COM
munities in the same State or different States
in the same country are fully competent to buy
and sell and regulate their trade, and found their
manufactures without the necessity Of govern
ment indicating by means of taxes and tariffs
where and how these things had better be done.
But when the ocean 1ntervenes, and nature it.
self has established the tariff of high freigh.s
and interposed the perils and difficulties of
navigation, it is assumed that some special GOV
eminent wisdom needs to be dispensed and APP
piled to keep the people from indulgng in fool
ish trade and making mschievous bargains to
the deriment of themselves and all the land
The people must be protected against them
selves. The tariff is not wanted to raise rev.
enue to keep the government in motion, but
the Legislators who assemble at Washington are
| required to devise mode and means by which
those who sent them there shall be compelled to
consult their own interests and at the same time
compelled to abstain from doing themselves an
Injury. 1t has been assumed that Brother
Jonathan was pretty sharp at a bargain. and he
takes peculiar pride in Representing himself
as "tarnation cute, and the chap that gets the
start of him will have to get up early, &c &C..
| yet this policy assumes that he requires to Re
in leading strings awhile; and subject to the
| discipline, a prohibition to keep John Bull
| from cheating him out of his eye-tecth by inn
posing on him goods that he don't want and
beyond his capaeity to purchase. 1t is our opin-
| ion that those who conduct trade ana are in
terested in it are July as capable of carryihg II
on TO their own Interests and that Of the coun-
Try, as Congress is to do il for them.
A protective tariff neither does nor can have
any Other purpose than TO increase the price of
goods: To be sure it is assumed, by thus pay
| itg high price for their a. tices. manufac.ur-
ers Will be enabled to ray better price for
labor and produce. Ii the ability to pay high
prlco TOR labor and produce necessarily inyoly-
ed Willingness and disposition TO do it, there
would be merit in the argument. But unfor-
| tunately these protected gentlemen are much
less patriotic than the law givers who have thus
legislated, as they can see nc benefit in protcc-
| ton except as it puts money in their own peck
| cts. ana labor and produce being without pro-
| lection they do not hesitate to Jew both dow
to the minimum for which il can lie obtained.
We are protected against the paurer labor goods
OF europe, but we are not protected against the
raupcr laborers who made the goods, who find-
ing themselves out of employment at home by
the withdrawal of our patronage and the estab
lishment OF our manufactures, naturally and
| inevitably come here to compete with our own
wOrkmen thus transferring the war of pauper
labor to our own shores. 1t i. a protection of
about one-tenth of the population at the ex-
pense OF nine-tenths who are left without pro.
lection. The man who sells goods is to be pro-
tected, but the laboror, from wood sawyer and
ditch digger up to the man who last turns the
fabric from his hands. are to be wi,haut protec-
ton, except such as it is assumed the goods will
vouchsafe them out of the liberality Of Con-
gress to him.
China and Japan are about as fair practical
Illustrations OF the protective system faithfully
applied as the world affords. The friends Of
the policy should never failto appeal to them
as examples.
''Doctor" % exclaimed fdgetty old lady !;
"Doctor, I'ye swallowed mouse "Ah,' said
the Doctor deliberately, "the remedy necessary
to save your life is to swallow eat" For the
mouse of this recuniary difficulty which now
afflicts US, the protectionsts prescribe the swal-
lowing of cat. The remedy is much worse
than the disease. We had better not take it.