New-York daily tribune., 1865-11-14
WHAT PROTECTION MEANS.

consider the positions and meet the arguments
of the advocates of Protection 1t is easy to
talk, talk forever, in favor of any theory. pro-
vided you contend only with the men of straw
conjured up by your own fancy or convenience;
but to meet the arguments of your antagonists
is another matter Yet the only worthy end OF
controversy is, through the collision of opposing
theories and assumptions, to.elicit the absolute
truth.
The following compact statement of the eS-
sential bases of the Protective policy was made
by the Editor of THB TRIBUNE to the readers
of The Phrsnologieal Journal, at the request OF
its Editor. We reproduce it here, not as con-
tanning any views that will be novel TO the mass
of our readers, but to ask them to ponder this
question: "Have these positions ever been
coniuted by the so.called Free Traders DO
they talk to the point or away from it ?" Read
and judge:
PROTECTION EXPLAINED.
BI HOMAGE GRyRIkr.
The purpose Of political economy Is the increase al
once Of individual national. aud general wealth hat
ever renders human labor more efectve-that IT, more
prOuuctlNe-iunllsteTs Ia ths emu
still larger proportion Of the human family ron idle
ness TO industry from want 10 thrif. from sluaof 10
comfort such is the aim Of the true economist;
Diversity of pursuits Is an inexorabe condition OF our
thrif and prosperity. community exclusively en-
gagged in numbering mining fishing. grain grow ing or
anything else will have employment for large pro
portion of its adults. and must permit many " not
most Of its children to grow up IDLE unhkieu anu ue
pendent The child reared In daily contact with the
diversified and complex operations Of county like the
Middesex Of Massachusetts or the Allegheny OF Penn
sylvania can hardly fail TO be more efficient IN amer
life than II acquainted only ih the rude cultivation OF
sea island or the silk manufacture Of Sptalheds or
Lyons Industry is the chief education OF majority OF
who rank higher or lower IN scale OF being
AZ its processes wherewth they are familiar are more
or less varied and perfect
Protection has been prejndiced In the e'es o' tbon
sands by being invoked (a least It's opponents so saw
to achieve impossbiities-t0 insure the growing OF
pueappes IN Greer the breeding OF reindeer at
1imbnctco. Political economy and common sense alike
condemn such absurditics as the attempt 10 make
bus ness Of extracting sunbeams from cuouDbes OF
boil tes-kette with the heat latent In snowbails
Show that Nature fobds the prosecution OF any Pur
sait in this that region-that AN article STAPLE. or
fabric only be there produced nj cos OF double u
treble the labor required for Its production
and agree that 1t IL not there propcr subject for
Protection Rest assured that have considered Our
ground and neither mad men nor idiots None arc
more averse than We tO superseding good and cbeap
articles by rivals nt inferior and more costly and
none readily than to agree and Insist that raw
materials and bulky staples should be gathered from all
quarters and subjected only to light revenue dulles II
10 any nj all.
Wherein then. DO we differ from our adrorsarieS
the so called Free.I adersi answer
We Insist that The monsy pr,oe at rAA a. srt,ci, 10
sold affords absolsfe criterion of ' cost For instance
the State Of Iowa buys cloth aud cells grain Let US
suppose that, with our factories and workshops H.
Europe the average prices obtained hy her farmers
should b. y cents per bushol ior wheat and twenty
five tor Indian corn while they bought their fabrics Of
Europe at prices indicated by the retailing Of good
sal metz at dollar per yard Now let us suppose
protective tariff imposed which should lew dnty
Of hny cents per yard on imported saiine,- and
thus transfer their manufacture for ,on to
this country and in part To Iowa and it vicinity thus
creating and maintaining an adequate homo market for
our beadstu thereby raising the price grain In lows
dollar per bushel for wheat ard ity cents for
corn; while the home made satiDets are fotGIed
for one dollar and twenty five cents per yard. Is
1t not plain that the Iowa farmers obtain their fabrics
really cheaper though nominay dcarer than before p
that each farmers snrpu- Of wheat corn viii buy
him cloth at the enhanced than II did at the lower
price And does the circumstance that the former Is
termed artificial the latter natural make any essential
difference
But why is the home ade cloth really cheaper to the
farmer than its foreign rival though IT possible to
sell him the latter at a lower money price, answer
Because the fabrication Of his cloth IN Europe necoss
aes the expectation Of his grain, and the consequent
graduation Of its price by that ruling In Europe de.
ducting from his returns the cost OF transporting IL
hiiber. Let Us suppose that Iowa grows mainly wheat
for sale and must send the larger portion OF her
plus across the Atlantic To mud consumers selling
1t IN Birmingham Sheffield at two dollars per
sorbed in the cost and charges OF transmission.
OF Der farmers can receive In the average but
ty cents per bushel. But transfer the production of
her fabrics from Europe 10 America. and much Of II 10
Iowa its vicinity aud now the price Of grain in Iowa
rises by law inexorabe that OF rayitation 1t In
longer depressed by the necessity Of finding market
for good part Of four thousand miles away but rises
to far higher level And not only Is wheat dearer 10
the farmer though cheaper To the manufactured than
II was but the farmer now finds ready market for
fruit vegetables hay etc. etc. which be could scarcely
t.rts an
gies were devoted 10 agriculture alone.
H. What We seek by Protection is 10 shorten the
distance which separates farmers from manufacturers
and thereby diminish the too heavy cost OF exchanging
their products respectively. II a thousand farmers
growing grain IN Iowa and thousand manufacturers
making and fabrics In England exchange their
products four thousand miles of land a1d water
employing the services and consuming the time OF three
Thousand forwnTders, boatmeD railroad hands. scamen
etc. etc, IN doing II N manifest that the whole five
thousand must be subsised the products Of the two
thousand actual producers. Now bring the manufnc
turcrs near the farmers that one thousand
easily perform a the labor required TO exchange their
products. and II Is clear that we have ibernod two
thousand from various productive employments
functions ind added them to the number Of PRODUCERS
We have more grain grown and more cloth made
wealth created and Jess capacity absorbed IN pursuits
which, however necessary under certain
add nothing 10 the sum Of human comforts.
Tie Protection we advocate 10 simply the saving Of
human labor. We maintain that. instead Of sending
wool grain and meat from Iowa to England, and bring
Ing back fabrics In return Is cheaper aud better to
bring the lubricant once for ALL from England Ia Iowa
OF near IT, and there feed him from the products of
generous soil We hold that the farmer and the manu-
facturer alike benefited by this course; and that 1t
insuIes 10 each a fuller reward for his labor. and
lnrgcr measure Of sustenauce and enjoyment;
Protection, then, Is not narrow, nor selfish nor e1
elusive IL does not ignore the brotherhood OF man nor
seek special advantage at tho expense Of general good
II seeks TO build up own country by drawing hthcr
the better portion OF the population OF Europe through
the profier OF higher wages, better position and
greaer comfort than they enjoy or can expect In their
native land. Why notf
The Jaekson (Miss.) Ntrs is one Of those