, 1866-01-31
THE FREE TRADE CONTROVERSY,
Moral Aspects OF Protection.

Editors Chicago 1r1bune:'
A number Of writer's have argued tho CUES
tion Of Free Trade aud Protection in your
columns in its economical bearings, b1t none,
I believe, have treated Of its mornl features
tpropose to say something on this head.
Tint Protection is robbery is admitted on all
hands. Though some people squirm little at
the name) and the only difference between
the Protectiontsts and tho Free Traders Is
that the former contend that the robbery il,
upon the wholo, advantageous TO the country,
while the latter believe that 1t is dlsadyan-
iageous. Now the robbery, whether, upon
the whole, advantageous or tiisadEantascous,
is robbery otthe poor for the benefit OF the
rich, aud therefore is the worst species OF
robbery. Looking upon It in lts most favor
ahle light for the Protectionists, their doc
time is the doctrine that Re may do esil that
good may come-3n exploded doctrine in
every school Of morals In Christiandom ex-
ccpt Tie Roman Catholic Church.
Let me illustrate It. The Inv says I shall
pay tax Of 60 per cent on woollen cloth,
while tic maker ofthe cloth shall pay to the
Government only five per cent of this tar.
Fnty-1ve per cent then Is taken from
me and given to him. To make the case
palmer, suppose the cloth can be imported
for one dollar per yard. Government steps
in and says !" You shall not have this cloth at
dollar yard, you shall buy cloth Of a Mas
sachusetts manufacturer Mt one dollar and
sixty cents per yard, and he will pay into the
Treasury five cents per yard and keep the
other hfty-1Ve cents, to encourage him to ra-
peat the operation on you" Now this ia
sheer piracy under the firms oF Law Put II
to one hundred men, unbiased by political
sff;o1+Jes nn,7 n,natv-nine ,,-;1, ..r - ,o 4h.t
:, - ~ ,,o.s1s .n.,.s,a ~. ~ ... is
~ - NV Afe4e'' "'nole' on' oo"nt1gat
0sceny.
This larceny has been going On for years,
they were enoapnd in a 10, Thcr .,oho,.;1
- s.xss = ~ 10y a. "es!n'
ulns - nouce no"' "1u aah tnen, WAAe
tney afe studS1ng the subject In its other
phases, to reflect whether there Is not great
moral principle underlying this question, ex-
do.,r,a. 49, -,saa. ,.ss.,. .ueie'e W.
..- stus aae s4sas lucel"n. ~ NAKED no
otne1ence 10 me whether dollar Is taken
from me by pick-pocket In violation OF law,
or by protectionlst In accordance with law.
Names do not alter the nature of th,nrz Tho
:, .ud IL +tara T. o,,,,ar asas .5 49,. AaI
a.,S - -. - s' t,.4u tt1st n"uu
must protest aealnst so much the louder, as
1t is performed BY the law, than If 1t were
performed In violation Of the law. In the lat
ter case would lare no OCCASION to nrotcst.
I would Law INV cose 1,ef,re the mac;.,ratsc ~
he 7zon1d rearc.a mr. nrro9~s D..
IN the fo1,ner c.sa harc N re1nag +Ugs' out nut
hy m arneai H. Tho neonie whn In,ta tEpa
~ ~ ~ osfss'' ~ @Ao fsop'e "n' i'''1Ae the
7 come now to consider, wbctber 4bere :.
~ ;,,siinnst,+,, f,r th;s r,tha-. rha 81 Is
r;tinnists env Tint fI,e a~rreoajc on,nnnt or
tLn r1nntsor Z savna IN III Sorn4rr sn,,o "
Whcrc a,,d that II cn,ncs hack ~ mr. or r;i,
NJ sn,1c 1I,t1,rn time I don't be1fere a wn1d
of IL: 1,ut suput,se II were true. have thev n
.pnfher rerson without nv cnnsenfs T am
NET hr hiobTay1nan. WHO says: uG1re ma
vour @ unrse ineed money, but Iwtll ciye It
hark Ia yon Mt the end OF i've wears exnect
II make a Great 1eal Of money In the course
If five ycars' In tits neck orwoods, and will
pay you Ill that hare taken from you, and
mo.e too" The only difference between the
:nTmcr % fannens MS to have lie faw W on his side.
whiie The latter has the law aoa,nsf him
rnncedinr 1 I'll 1hat tbe nro.ectionist claims
foT His dorf,ine W.. fhat The money dncs
rnrne bncf in liz rea1 owner IN somc ronnd.
ei,ot.t, wsT Whit ia It but a forced ioaa} The
an1v i1ifIcrcoce detween II a1d forced loan Is.
that IN The latter case the person whose mon.
ev il taker, las a Foycrnment bond riycu to
Inn far tbe ulttmsic repayment, while tn the
otNer ease h. has nofbtn1 riyen In him Int
~ ssanrancr n Enn,e noiiticnl econoroIst
~. Tanrt = fanny rrhnsc iacas Wnrc hore.
rnEcd % frc;n tbe fenial ares. when Mi com.
r,erre was rohherT. md when the greatest
hnDds viii a1Tays bling somcthiur In he
,,nrle+ uvuIs WI whet W,,1 M5. Caur;s Sssu1ancc
tnaae. T. .s "t oesn1n1cc thst ~;ii
~ e - -. ~ a.. tha 1xbs,h hs h.a