New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-05-09
THE REASONS FOR PROTECTION.

| There was a preliminary gathering yesterday
at the Astor House of some two hundred citi-
Gems interested in or otherwise favorable to
Protection to Home Industry. Mr.. Peter Cooper
presided, and ten or twelve States were repre-
sented Gov Piepont of Virginia was present,
and in full sympathy with the meeting and its
object. A Committee of Organization was ap-
pointed. and, after much animated discussion,
an adjournment was had to the 22d inst, when
it is intended to organize for a vigorous, deter
mined canvass of the whole country, by means
of meetings, speakers and documents
1t was high time. The importers have sub
stantia control of the Newspaper Press of this
city. THE TRIBUNE and one or two other jour
nails excepted. We do not, in saying this,
charge any party with corruption. II happens
that the importers are Free Traders, and that
they, with the iobbers of their goods are very
large and constant advertisers as most Amer
lean producers of Metals, Wares, and Fabrics
are not The importers advertise mainly in
journals which talk as those importers would
have them on the Tariff question; and the
great majority of our journals talk so as to
please their most liberal advertisers. All this
is rather natural than otherwise, and we are
not blaming either party. We state facts which
explain other facts, and demand public atten-
ton. ...,.. .,.. ..-..-.. .r,.4.
That miners and manufacturers who seek
Protection are mOnOpolists, extOrtioners, rob-
bers, is the general drift of our City cotempo-
raries' political economy. That the essayists
who condemn Protection are unquestiOnably
right, while those who uphold it are knaves or
fools, is style Of argument which our neigh
boring journals find at once easy and profta-
bic. That Pennsylvania iron-master who has
TO pay twice to thrice as much for labor, &C.,
as his British rival, who can export his
product Ito this market Gas ballast for dry
goods, at lower freight than the Pennsylvania
must pay, evinces exceeding rapacity and
Cheek" in asking for a Protective duty on
imported Iron, is quite currently believed here.
New-York is more largely inhabited by Euro
peans than by Americans, and very many of
our merchants are more intent ON taking
" home large pile within few years than on
building up the country wherein their fortunes
are made 90
q That American Manufactures are exception
ally, enormously profitable, is constantly asserted
by our Free Trade neighbors, and every scrap
of news that favors that assumption 10 conspicu.
ously paraded, while the scores OF facts that
prove the contrary are quietly suppressed. 1t Is
in vain that we say to the Free Traders: You
shave among YOU adequate capacity, energy,
"and capital, and you are not ayerse to max
cling good profits. Now, if it be true, as
"you constantly assert, that Manufac-
"tures are generally sold too high
here. and that large profits are realized
"by those who produce them, why do not yoa
embark in their fabrication Here are water
power, fuel, ores. and all manner of raw ma
" terial in abundance; why wiH you persist in
some pursuit which pays you meagerly when
"yOu might Gf you state the truth) make 20 to
go per cent by smelling Iron or weaving