Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-05-17

of any such subject.
Mr.. HALE. | do not wish to mislnterpfet
the gentleman from Virginia. am perfect
ly willing to insert in my speech any portlon
Of his that he may desire. Nhat READ l
think clearly embraced his idea, that he did
not fear what the Republican party would do
so far as slavery is concerned, but that the
real object of the party, and what was in the
main the ground Of objection to it, was that
it aimed to restore the protective system. !
do believe Mr.. Chairman, that the Repubi
can party is fully committed to the great doc
trine Of protection TO American industry.
am sure that | would not belong TO any party
that was not No party in the State could
exist, did it not at least profess to hold that
doctrine. The Democratic party there claims
to do SO, with how much good faith leave
the gentleman from Virginia to answer.
Mr.. Chairman, the gentleman from Virgin
ia is greatly mistaken if he supposes that
the protective system is sustained upon the
popularity of anti slavery notions. There is
no doubt a deeD feeling in the northern States
against the extension Of slavery; but, so far
as Pennsylvania is concerned, the feeling in
favor Of the protection of American industry
is quite as strong. and it would be firmly i'm
planted in the public mind there if the other
question had no existence. We believe both
doctrines to be Just and true. IF one receives
aid from the other, has the gentleman any
right to complain? Certainly not. Every
member Of the Republican party in this
House, save one, has voted to sustain that
measure; and it may, therefore, be fairly
claimed, think, that protection to American
industry is one Of the principles of that par
ty.
The condition of the country at this time
demands the earnest and thoughtful consider
al al Iuf- TOD bn voar r1ar
ment of its affairs and it seems to me that
we should at least occasionally turn our
thoughts to the actual results and inevitable
tendency Of the present practical free-trade
policy which now, and for some time past,
has ruled this country, even if we thereby,
for the time, suffered the " Dred Scott de-
cision and its kindred topics to be passed
over. Our Democratic friends seem to think
there are no other interests worthy of our at
tention, and scarcely deserving a passing no.
tice, but the single one Of slavery. 1t en-
crosses the Legislation Of the country, to the
exclusion of almost everything else. All
other questions, all other interests have to
give way before its imperious demands and
.exacting and aggressive spirit.
But, | desire to make no further remarks
upon this subject at present. Ny purpose is
20 call attention to the present disoTdered
state of our financial affairs; and, ifpossible,
to devise a remedy. We now owe a foreign
debt Of over five hundred million dollars and
that debt Is steadily increasing more than if
ty millions annually, while our ability to
pay is constantly decreasing. Our imports
are every year growing larger; and our ex-
ports except from accidental and extra0rdina-
ry causes, are falling of. Our manufactures
are, one by one, going down under the de
structye effects of foreign competition our
country drained of IT'S precious metals to
make up the balance Of trade always against
US; the industry and enterprise Of the cJun-
try everywhere, to 4 great extent, PROSTATE
and paraIyzed under the depressing effect
which this state Of things Is sure. sooner or
later, to bring in lis train. Nothing can be
more certain; cause and effect are not more
sure, and no axiom in political economy can
be truer, than that a nation that constantly
buys more than it sells will, in time, become
bankrupt. variety Of causes may post
pone the evil day; temporary relief may oc-
caslonally be found but the certain tendency
OF this course is, and must be, to this end
This state Of affairs existed prior to the pas
sage of the tariff of 1912, when, in the pro
greSs Of the free trade system for some wears
previous to that time, we were brought to
the verge bankruptcy and a bankrupt law
which at one stroke wiped out our indebted
ness Of untold millions became as was sup
posed, necessity. The tariff Of 1912 grad
ualiy brought the country out of the depres-
sion into which it had been thrown by the
previous system, and restored it to unw0nted
prosperity; and it may safely be asserted
that every branch Of industry and enterprise
IN this country never was more prosperous
than between the years Of 1913 and 1871
the time when the beneficial effects Of lie
tariff Of 1872 had their legitimate infuen
ces.
We seek, by the passage Of the present tar
lit bill, to arrest this downward progress of
the country, and restore it to that state of
prosperity and real independence which our
great natural wealth and resources and the
industry, skill, and enterprise of our people
justly enttle us to. To do this, we must in
laying our revenue laws, so protect and en-
courage our own industries, that we shall be
able to carry the productions of this country
10 the point OF actual use. This would in
crease the capacity of the consumer of acri-
cultural products. Our farmers would have
market at their doors for their surplus pro
ductions, and the consumers would. from
their increased ability and numbers. buv
more OF the quantities and kinds of all farm
ing productions, and nothing would tend to
stimulate the agricultural interests of the
country so much as a ready market near his
own door of every agricultural production
which the farm could raise.
How much is lost now for the want of n
home market for many of the bulky articles
OF the farm which will not bear a long trans
portatlon; how much is lost in TRANSPORTING
the more valuable products to a distant and
expensive market, it is easy to imagine.
We have facilities for manufacturing. in all
natural resources, quite equal, if not superb
or, to any other country in the world: in
water power, soil, climate and mineral wealth.
in the intelligence, skill, and industry of our
workmen, and in that active spirit of enter.
prise which characterizes the American peo-
pie aboVe all others. Then, why is it that.
with these superior advantages, cur own man
ufactures so languish? Why is it that we