Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-04-12
Protection vs. Free Trade.

stskl IN no wise lose his reward"
Protection vs. Free Trade.
The following petition is being cir
.ised in the iron region of South
sT Ohio. for presentation to the
present Congress. The importance
Of the subject, and the soundness of
is statement, induces US to publish
I it
4 q view or our immense national
debt and the heavy duties imposed
on our home manufactures, in many
cases, exceeding those assessed on
thf foreign rival fabrics, resulting in
excessive importations of foreign
| goods, and the expectation of gold
aud government bonds to pay for
TIN. which it is to be feared will
N bankruptcy, national and in
disidaal, unless speedily prevented
b3 the passage Of law repeating
ap,es now paid by our home manu-
5fsFers, or imposing on foreign
xyods high protective tariff-ex-
claiIse everything tiEAt We can make
ioe ourselves, diyerssfying the eIo
crmenss OF labor, creating home
Eefs sotouf farmers and securing
high wages at home, thereby drawing
LABOR and capital from abroad to aid
.in the Development of our vast ma
tional resources.
We would further beg leave to sug.
aestin the fewest words possible,
some Of the facts and general prin-
ciples which should influence legis-
lation on this subject.
1st. That as productive labor is the
great source of all national wealth, it
should be cherished and protected
against injurious foreign competition
in all its departments, mechanical,
manufacturing and agricultural, a
mounting in the aggregate to more
than five thousand millions annually.
When the whole mass of working
men Of our country thus unite in
humbly praying your honorable
bodies to protect them against the
overwhelming competition Of the low
priced and "pauper" labor of Eu-
rope, can the demand be disregard
ed?
2d. That although the immediate
effect OF q high duty may enhance
the price Of the manufactured arti-
Gle, yet this very enhancement of
price, making the business profita-
BILE, will soon attract additional cap
itaf and labor into it, ultimately re-
ducing the price by increased skill,
competition and supply of manufac-
tured goods. To this end duties for
protection should be specific, never
ad valorem.
Sd. That protection is the true
policy Of all countries where the
wages of labor are Highland Free
trade is the true policy OF all coun-
tries where the wages OF labor are
low. Hence protection is the true
policy of this country where wages
are high, and free trade is the policy
Of England and other countries where
labor and its productions are low,
because Free trade would open our
ports to the free importations of their
low priced goods, thereby COMPEL
ing our mechanics and manufacturers
to give up the markets and quit
work, buy everything and sell moth
ing, or bring down the wages OF Is
bor here to the low and degraded
level Of wages abroad.
4th- That our farmers and labor
ing men are much more benefited
than are de manufacturers by the
exclusion Of foreign goods, from the
fact that q; least three-fourths Of the
price OF foteign goods is male up of
foreign agricultural products and the
wages OF foreign labor combined.
For instance wool constitutes half
the value slf foreign cloth and the
wages Of isbor makes most Of the
other ~ Iron is almost exclu-
sively an eEric cultural prouuc+ con
sisting Of the grass and gram con-
sumed by The animals, and the bread
and mest consumed by the men en-
ployed in its manufacture ANY
practical furnace man win testify that
when we purches< foreign iron we
pay out none fof lsreign agricul-
tural prodiice essk1d up into iron
by foreign A<bSr 4ed sent here for
sale, leagfng ces own formers with
out<.nsrkets, or lshor withdRt en-
pleymezf- 80 ,srr rich minez Of
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