Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-05-29

Repubiichnism had been thoroughly made
before the faculty of the party assembled at
Cb,caqp. A protective tariff bolus was lin
,iispensible to carry Pennsylvania. The in
ternal organization Of that State could not be
moved by any other medicine, and IL Is an I'M
terestine feature in that State that she regards
the beginning end the end Of protection ms
achieved by a nigh duty on coal and iron;
and,freo trade as the true principle in oil
other commodities. This, however, isla geii-
eral virtue among protectionists, each regard
ing free trade as the true principle in every
thing except his peculiar "vanity"-as Mr..
Weller would call it--and protection as only
iustifable in thnt, until ''our infant manufac-
tories" have acquired strength go alone; or,
as atemporary expedient, 10 Offset the low wa
ges of the pauper labor Of Europe-the theory
being that all laborers are fully employed and
wealthy here; and the difference in the cost
of subsistence which cheap lands should
cause, not being worthy Of consideration.
Pennsylvania is very strenuous on pro-
lection. 1t is doubtful If even General Jack
son eohid have carried that State,Sif he had
not expressed his views on this question, and
with that boldness and decision which always
characterized his expressions on political
questions, declared himself in favor of "iu-
dicious tariff The enthusiasm with which
the banner of ''Polk, Dallas and the Tariff Of
'42" swept that State, is also get green in
memory, and it is well understood that a
protective tail must be appended to any
ticket, to carry Pennsylvania, although it
may be as incongruous as the banner of
"Buck, Breck and Free Kansas" which pre-
vailed in that intelligent Copmonwealth at
the last Presidential election.
Pennsylvania finds the duty Of twenty y-four
per cent. quite inadequate to protect her iron
and coal, even with the additional protection
which the cost of three thousand miles freight
furnishes. II is difficult to say how much the
modesty of that State would permit her to
ask, if the question were submitted to her.
II is quite certain that it would be rate that,
ifput in the platform, would sink the Repub-
lican party as effectually as If PENNSYLVANIA
iron were tied to its neck and il were lanched
into the sea; and as there are no prophets
going about now, making iron swim, its case
would be essentially disposed of
But it was not to be expected that State
whose protective demands had been so easily
salts fed in the instances we have mentioned,
was going to be lost for want of skill in a
party which has such managers as ''Old Blair
of the Globe'--as Greeley calls him-and
Greeley himself Is any so unsophisticated
as to suppose that protective plank could
not be contrived, which would satisfy Penn
sylvania and all protectionists, while il would
declare nothing that the most radical free
trader could not subscribe TOT If there .isany
such, let him read the following tariff plank
in the Chicago platform: s.eyY o. cR
"That, while providing revenue for the
support of the General Government by duties
upon imports, sound policy requires such an
adjustment of these imposts as to encourage
the development of the industrial interests Of
the whole country and we commend that
policy of national exchanges, which secures
to the working men liberal wages, to agricul-
ture remunerative prices to mechanics and
manufactures an adequate reward for their
skill, labor and enterprise, and to the nation
commercial prosperity and independence"
II will be observed that the latter half of
the resolution has no connection with the
first half, and would answer just as well for a
free trade as protective platform, while il
does not at all conflict with the FIRST part o.
the resolution, which does not even declare
that the Government shouldcollectitsr revenue
by tariff on imports. Free trade is tn,
natural condition of national exchanges
Every advocate of free trade argues that il
will best develop all the interests of the
country; that free trade viii best secure tc
the working men liberal wages, to agricul
turists remunerative prices, to mechanics ant
manufacturers an adequate reward for thei
skill, labor and enterprise, and to the natiol
commercial prosperity and independence.
But does the resolution declare that protec
tive duties are "that policy of national ex
changes which will work all these blessings
Not by the remotest implication. If SC
duties would be n blessing, and the burden
of government the great source of nations
prosperity. But the converse of this rul
also follows: if protective duties are n,
beneficial to the industrial interests of ii
whole country, they are the most unjust
fable system of taxation for the support
Government that was ever devised by al
government, either civilized or savage
system under which the wealth of the countI
escapes its share of taxation, and the man
moderate income pays as much for the su
port Of Government as the millionaires al
Astors; and under which the cost of cole
ton alone is not less than ten per cent
the revenue, without counting the millio
annually sunk in building custom-houses al
in protecting the revenue. The resolutio
however, does not disturb this questio
There is nothing in it in favor of colleetil
our revenue by imports, nor in favor of d
eliminating duties to protect manufacture
but it says, "While providing revenue (
the support of the general Government
duties upon imports, sound policy requiI
such an adjustment Iof their imports as
encourage the development of the industr
interests of the whole country" HRl
But does Sound policy" require duty
thirty per cent. on sugar, or SIS tun on
iron, OF $40 tun on boiler and band, a
hoop-iron, or 81 tun ON bitumenous co
as is provided in the tariff bill now pendin
Does any one believe that sound policy
quires that thirty per cent. should be add
o ~ = . :.