Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-28
The Pro,ectiopists' Idea Of ProtcetiOn.

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The Pro,ectIonists, Idea Of Protection.
We notice in various Republican journals,
I,bored articles on protection as the sover-
eignest thing for the inward bruises Of the
country. The Gazette is strong in this per-
suasion, and we noticed an article in the
Ohio State Journal in which it was statistic
ally shown that, under the recent tariffs, the
number of sheep in Ohio fell off one-half
We suspect that the high price Of beef
cattle and dairy products will account for
the falling of in sheep; bnt this is a very
bad point to make in favor of Republicanism.
The duty on wool has been adjusted ex-
a,tly to suit the, views of protectionists,
which the Journal win find are always for
free trade on every thing except the exact
article which they manufacture. The duty |
on wool was adjusted to suit the New En- |
GLAND manufacturers. Nominally it provides |
protection; but, on the theory that it is only
for the interest of our farmers TO produce fine
wool, il admits wool, invoiced under twenty
cents pound, free. By an admixture Of
dirt the finest woods were easily reduced
below twenty cents a pound, so that the
amount of duty-paying wool is merely NOM
inal
Now we suppose that if a protective tariff
was made, which openly provided no protec-
tion for wool, so glaring q contradiction Of
the principle of protection, would expose the
fraud of the whole pretense, ard cause it to
be secuted by the people and by Congress.
But in tariff, framed especially to suit the
views of protectionists, this is done in a
covert manner, which imposes q protective
duty, while all the wool comes in free; and
the same feature was preserved in the House
Tariff Bill of the last session, which it will
be remembe ed was strictly Repub. n
tariff.
It is part of the principle Of protection
that it encourages production and manufac-
ture at home, so that manufactured articles
will be furnished to our people as cheap as
the average price of the imported articles;
or ifthey cost the consumer any more, it will
be more than made up to him by the home
market which this manufacturing industry
furnishes for his agricultural products. But
if any body believes this, the manufacturers
themselves do not. Men who believe that
would not be sharp enough for manufacturers.
Our tariffs have been framed by our manu-
facturers, and the plan in every case has been
free trade in every article of material and
subsistence which they use, and protection
alone on the article which they manufacture.
The reciprocity treaty with Canada, ad-
mits free all the heavy agricultural products,
from the only country which is in situation
to compete with us. A vast territory as
fertile as Ohio is nearer than Ohio to the
New England market. From that, chiefly
the New England manufacturers are fed
And this they argue is necessary to enable
them to compete with foreign manufacturers
The principle that home products will be
made cheaper by protection they keep fol
marines. 1t will not do for themselves.
Wool, the only great agricultural product
of the United States, which can be imported
from distant countries, is nearly all brought
in free, while the fraudulent pretense of pro.
lection is kept up. The manufacturers say
this is necessary, because they must have
cheap wool in order to compete with foreign
manufacturers; and they say, truly, that j
British and German manufacturers havt
free wool, while they pay duty of thirty
per cent. on it, they cannot compete will
the others in the markets of the world. Bu
what becomes of the theory that protection
makes market for agricultural products? ant
why dare they not apply to the wool pro
duction the tkeory that protection reduce
the cost of the article to the consumer?
The fact is, there is nobody that believe
in protection, except the outside fools VIII
are not supposed to have any thing to pre-
tect. The manufacturers themselves are free
traders, in every thing except in their ow
commodity. Pennsylvania is notoriously 70
free-trade in every thing but iron and Goa
and when she says protective tariff, she NEAR
iron and coal, and nothing else. Any dut
which any protectionist consents to allow
any body else's article, is merely to combiI
strength enough to carry his own projeC
There never was so glaring fraud practic'
upon any country as the idea that there
such principle as prOtectioni- when eve
class that is supposed to be interested in
scouts il in every thing but their own col
modify.
five admit free, as we almostdo now, eve
article of material and consumption whi
manufacturers use, there is no such thing
protection TO all interests. five do not, o
manufacturers, even with the protective du
on what they manufacture, can not comp
in our own markets with imported articl
and will be undersold in the markets Of I
whole world. This alone shows that
protection is impossible in the nature
things. If carried out, it would reduce I
country TO a Japanese exclusion, by maxi
us incapable of manufacturing any thi
which we could export to markets whert
would come in competition with the "a
commodity manufactured Of free materi
Let the Republicans, who are willing
grant Pennsylvania all the duty she wa
on iron, in order to get her aid in cutt
the throats of other interests, reflect VI
the consequences which this iron monop
will have on all the American ingenuity
industry which is employed on the Fl
articles Of iron manufacture, and nachin
for export. If woolen manufacturers
not manufacture without free wool, how
iron manufacturers manufacture with