The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-01
.SThe Beauties of Protection''-- Another o
the Effects of Free Trade.

.sThe Beauties of PTotection'-A Another o
the Effects Of Free Trade.
THE Democratic party, through their organ,
the New York World, have frequently re-
iterated their adherence to the principles Of
free trade. In an editorial, recently, on the
Beauties of Protection" it says:-
"a while ago it seemed as If Britannia rules
the waves, might be nothing better than au old
song. But that was In the wooden age, 80 to
speak, before the war. Now whatever flag
would rule the waves must fly over iron yes
sells. But rather than that the Stars and Stripes
should be that tias, the Ponnsylyanla ron
masters greatly prefer to protect into their
own pockets about twenty-five dollars on every
ton of iron bought by American steamship
builders; and the Pennsylvania coal miners pre-
fer to 'protecp about six dollars a ton on the
coal used by American steamship builders into
their own pockets.
"And, as il this were not enough, the United
States Senate must needs vote the other day to
prevent the American flag from being hoisted
again over the vessels which during the war,
because OF our inability TO protect them from
Confederate cruisers, accepted the security an
other flag would give them, and cow seek to re.
regster.n
We have here another of the evils laid at
the door of Protection, AMI for which
remedy would be found in free trade. "Let
the tariff be abolished and the commerce of
America thus made the greatest of the
world" say these patriots. Let us grant for a
moment that they had succeeded in their
schemes, what would be the result?
Clearly, all the vessels would be built in
England, if on "the Clyde So a ton will buy
pig iron, which the neutrality-suspicious.
make the American shio-builder pay $50 a
ton for in New York." common sense
would cause the builders to secure
the manufacture OF the vessels on the
Clyde. No sane person would suppose that
they would ship the iron to New York, and
have it manufactured there. Hence, all of
that branch OF American industry which is
to-day employed in erecting iron vessels
would be idle, and the whole monopoly of
such business be transferred to Great Britain,
Hence, all the vessels launched would be
British vessels, would sail under the British
flag, and would psur their wealth into British
pockets. We cannot see how, by such a
change, the "hoped-for supremacy of Ameri-
can commerce" would be achieved. 1t would
rather ruin what little commerce we
have, and give to britannia" undivided sway
over the waves. We therefore must maintain
that it is better to have few American YES
sells built at a cost OF $50 ton for iron, than
it is to have British ships erected at $15 a
ton. BY protection we are taking the re
CURED course to secure IN the future posi-
tion from which we can compete with England
because our industry, fostered by tariff, will
secure such perfect and enlarged trade that
the rate will be declined.
The heinous offense committed by the
Senate in refusing to allow vessels sailin g
under foreign flag to be registered as Anne
rican, is really the only step by which the
ship-builders of the land could be saved from
a ruinous competition. If such transfer
was to be allowed, then all that would be ne
cessary for New York merchant to do, to
avail himself OF the cheapness of British
labor, would be to order of the Messrs'
LAIRD, or other English houses, a vessel
which, being made at the reduced rate, could
be purchased at half the price oil an American
built, and be quietly transferred to the protec-
tion of our flag, to compete with our Ameri-
can ships. Now, in order to secure the pro
lection of our Government, it is necessary that
the vessel be built in some port where it is
not necessary to have it registered to make ii
American. Hence the two provisions, the
tariff and the registration act, tend together
to save from utter annihilation what inte-
rest there is engaged in ship building in our
land.
The cost of iron in New York, even grant
ing it to be fifty dollars ton due to that stupid
selfshness which would lead merchant to
send ton from our iron hills to the Empire
City in order to have it wrought into the form
desired. The freight, the immense freigh
on such a heavy, bulky object, for over a hun
dred miles, would be saved, should the New
York free trade organs cease to endeavor tt
prevent the erection of the Navy Yard in oul
city. In their vicious greed OF gain the!
are willing to give to England all the carrying
trade Of the world, so that an additional com
merce win how to New York. They seek Il
deprive Philadelphia OF the advantages giveI
her by nature, and in the desire to monopo
lie all commerce, would prevent all building