The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-11-16
PROTECTION Us. FREE TRADE,
Letters to American Voters.
NuMRER III.


NUMBER III.
One of the most popular objections to the
encouragement of domestic industry by
protective duties, is, that it forces capital
~. u It's natural channel into a less pro-
ductive one; and that in due time, when it
shall be for the interest of the country, cap
ital will naturally seek investment in man
ufactures. Will our opponents tell US what
important branch of manufactures has ever
been established in this country without
protection believe none can be named.
If such experiment has never succeeded,
and if legislative encouragement has in eV-
cry instance has been attended with success,
we have conclusive arguments in its favor.
Will it still be said that the proper time
has not yet come for the undertaking p
When, / ask, was or would be the proper
time Every attempt, up to this day, would
have been crushed at once, and would be
for ages hereafter. l will show the reader
HOW this would be done. The process is
described in the following extract from a
public document published some years ago,
| by order of the British House of Commons
1.-The laboring classes generally, in the manufactu-
ring districts of this country and especially III the
| iron and coal districts, very little aware Of
| the immense losses which their employers incur III
bad times, in dor to destroy foreign competition
and to gain and keep possession OF foreign mar
kets Authentic instances well known OF en-
ployers having, in such times carried on their works
at loss amounting in the aggregate to three or four
hundred thousand pounds in the course of three or
four years. If those who encourage the combinations
to restrict the amount OF labor and produce strikes
were to be successful for any length of time, the
great Accommodations of capital could no longer be
made aohsch endbIe feac ct ars1tts capt
taLists to ouerqchela al foreign competition in tmei
of0rEdt depression, and thus to clear the way foI
the eoole trade to step in when prices revive and tc
carry great business before foreign capital car
again accumulate to such an extent as to be able tC
establish competition in prices with any chance o
success The large capitals of this country the
great instruments ofwarfare against the competing
capitals offoregn countries and are the most
| tidE instrument now remaining by which manu-
featuring supremacy can be maintained the other ell
emens, cheap labor, abundance OF raw materials ant
means of communication being rapidly in process o
being equalized."
This dissipates much of the fog which the
advocates of free trade have thrown over {
plain subject, and by which many unthink
: ing or uniformed minds have been deceiv
ed With small capital, and before thu
] requisite skill and improvements in machin
cry can have been acquired, it has been ut
terly impossible to maintain a successful
competition with the foreigner possessing
the advantage above mentioned. We hav,
alarm the ignorant by the bugbear appre
hended danger from the accumulation o
great capital in the hands of the manufac
turers. What could an individual or com
pany do with capital OF few thousands
What Roadway could be made in the estab
lishment Of manufactures against the heav,
!. capitalists of old countries He must b
very nearly an idiot who would make sucl
an investment. Besides, it is only by car
n rying on business on an extensive scale tina
low prices are assured,
Many have been deceived by the cry Q
monopoly" as if encouragement to manu-
features created monopolies, What is
monopoly 1t is the entire control of on
kind Of goods in the market, an excusv
:, right to carry on particular business O
branch Of trade. Does not protection leav
the business open to every man who wishe
to engage in any manufacture The Law
granting protection does not create the cap
tai, or furnish it to any one or to any mum
Der, and withhold it from others; nor atfor
protection to some and deny it to others
Who, then, can be deIuded by the nonsense
cal Cry of monopoly?
Among the arguments against the protec
tive principle which have had occasion t.
meet is its alleged insmoraJity. 1t ha
been found to be gross injustice and wron,
to interfere with the labor of poor foreigners
Gas the creation of home manufacture
would lntertere) whose wages are already to-
low to afford them competent support.
= know no principle in morals which oblige
me to provide for the wants of my neigh
boris family On preference to those of my
Town. am, by Divine arrangement, made
the protector first OF my own household.
Equally is it the duty of Government t.
protect It's own citizens, and especially wher
foreign governments have adopted policy
which operates injuriously upon their labor
1t cannot be its duty to allow it's own PEG
pie, who contribute to it's own support, owe
it allegiance, and defend it against invasion
I and instruction, to suffer or to starve, il
order to provide for the paupers Of foreign
countries But, happily, we can provide
for our own people and the poorly-paid
half-starved population of Europe. Having
produced demand for labor at high prices,
let them come over and help US, and share
with our native citizens the advantages OF
our benefcient policy. Our arms are open
to receive them. But our Government has
gone farther, and has, by legislation, en-.
couraged their emigration hither. These
facts should silence the ISLANDERS of those
who accuse our Government of injustice and
immortality.
But what avail the most papable and I'M
deuiabe facts in a discussion with con-
it, med aaUeterGte free trader His pride OF
opinion or unconquerable prejudice will re-
sist the force of the strongest arguments
Our hope is in the candid intelligent, I'M
sophisticated yeomanry of our country
They have most at stake in the issue be-
tween the opposite policies which are CON
tending for the mastery, and which must,
at no distant day, be decided by the Ameri
can people. Let the decision be as enlight-
ened as it will be candid and honest, and
We have nothing to fear.
l. u