Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-09-06
aa lGfglla
A PROTECTIVE TARIFF.
Its Revenue and Protective Featur

Its Revenue and Protective Features.
Few OF our people are so little interested
in the subject as not to have noticed that
the autagOnism which exists between two
classCs Of thinkers and actors IN this country
known respectively as PrOtectonists and
Free Traders, is fast developing itself into
condition Of actual warfare
Not satisfied with feeble attempts at con
tr0yersiOn and disquSltion, the champions
Of free trade have sailed forth from the at
mosphere Of quilts and Iukstands 10 wage
their cause In the arena Of politics. Last
year, when the manufacturing interests Of
this country more than ever demanded judi
cious protection. the quasi free traders Of
the West and few legislators from the
East, for want of something to make rep
utation upon, seized this new sensation OF
free trade, and adopted that for the pur-
( pose These mistaken persons, led on by
/ the unScrupulous men collectively known as
+ the American Free Trade League, mana
/ ged 90 exert sufficient influence in Congress
I to defeat the bill, than which, as measure
+ Of commercial necessity, nothing could have
+ been more wise. reasonable, or well adapted
to the circumstances Of our manufacturing
interests. Through the same opposition
this bill when brought up again IN Congress
during the winter, was again stItied, aud 1t
was only as an unavoidable necessity that
this same meddesome clique suffered to pass
the Wool bill in March previous to the adj
Z i0urumcnt Of the Thirty ninth Congress.
Since that time the Free Trade League
has commenced the publication Of an organ
specially devoted to its interests. This by
itself furnishes no indication of the growth
of their perm cious doctrines, the organ allu-
l. - A 80
to affiId any further indication OF the pro
gres, OF the League than that of mere exis-
teuce But we believe II TO be an unques
/ tionable fact that under the teachings OF
European economists, who understand moth
ing about American affairs, and the shallow
reasunings Of their disciple, here, who under
stand, If possible, less, the doctrine of free
T trade has obtained such extensive support IN
/ this country that 1t will not do any longer to
! ignore It's existence. With few exceptions,
the leading papers of this city are devoted
T to its cause, anu the influence Of the metro
politan press Is such, that unless Immediate
and energetic steps are taken, II Is not uu-
reasonable to expect that before a long while
the leading papers Of the country Will uu
thinkiugly be led into the same channel.
There Is evidently but one way of dealing
with this evil, and that way is to give it bat
tie To enter the lists unaTmcd, against
an opponent As Well prepared as is the Free
Trade League fed as it is with foreign gold,
and petted as it is in the clubs, would be
sheer madness. For these reasons We call
upon the manufacturing interests Of the
country, and We call almost in the tone OF
right, for their support of journal which
Is intended to be especially devoted to their
interests ia this great cause. Unless they
wish 70 see the entire value of their invest
meDts swept away by acts Of legislation
either OF commission or omission; unless
they wish to see the industrious poor around
them suddenly thrown out of employment
and reduced to hcggaryi unless they wish TO
see the entire commercial interests Of the
country brought to a sudden stand still and
the whole land aeitated by financial con
vulsiln, let them respond at ones TO every
reasonable effort which may be made to
avert these calauities, and particularly To
suo3 a one as the present, which, in this
lanl Of newspapers and newspaper readers,
has always proved tie most eficacious, Ii
IS now TO be seen which side viii enlist IN t>
favor the potcut cnsinc OF P0PHiar opinion.
for without this neither cause can hope 10
permanently triumph; and let il not be said,
should popular opinion be won for cause
50 plainly false as that of free trade, that IL
was won through any listlcssness or apathy