New-York tribune., 1868-06-10
"RADICAL PROTECTON.o
Railroadn writes us elaborately under ! he

v Railroad" writes us elaDOrately under he
above title--saying:
"You win probably be willing to concede that at pres
ent the United States cannot produce everything she
needs refer, OF course TO manufactured articles and
That her may BE- she
terial progress"
If Railroad" will allow us to speak for
ourselves, we will tell him exactly what we do
hold on these and kindred points, and then he
will see why the residue of his article is super
huOus.
1. The United States cannot produce all her
people need, and ought not to do so. For Coffee,
Spices, and very many tropical products, we
have no suitable climate; and there are prob
ably some Metals not found in this country.
These we would freely import, taxing their in
PRODUCTION, if at ALL for revenue alone.
III. We do not refer, of course, to manu-
factured articles" On the contrary, we would
have each nation import only raw materials
not indigenous to or easily produced from its
SOIL and fabricate therefrOn for itself. We
believe this best not for our country only, but
for eUeyy country. We believe idlers the chief
curse of every community, and that idlers are
transformed into workers by the diffusion of in
dustrial arts. A people wholly devoted to
farming, or numbering, or mining, or cloth
making, or any other pursuit, will have far
greater proportion of idlers than one which
has more diversified industry. Let Italy,
for example, exclude most British and French
fabrics, and cover her waterfalls with fifty
thousand manufactures, and she would have
far fewer lazzaroni and beggars than she now
has, and would rapidly increase in thrift and
wealth. Liberia, Hayti, Spanish America, will
become more prosperous and civilized as they
shall severally increase and diversity their man
ufactures.
III. AS to "skilled labor" we have far more
now than finds employment whatever we lack,
we would either attract hither from older lands
or develop among ourselves. Far better i'm
port artisans and art6cers than their products.
". Our people do not lack capacity" as
they have abundantly shown Our country has
enriched md2kind by the Cotton Gin, the Plan
ing Machine, the Sewing Machine, and many
other inventions of priceless worth. We are
assured that the Screw Anger now in general
use was invented in Connecticut and never
patented The Ameses now export Spades and
Shovels to British colonies, paying British du-
ties and underselling their British rivals. No
other nation makes Axes, AIDES, and other
edge tools, so good and cheap as we do. We
have recently commenced the manufacture of
Saws from the finest hand-saw to the largest
mill l-saw, and are rapidly running out our Brit
ish rivals. In all cheap Cotton fabrics, whether
plain or figured, we are nearly even, whether
in quality or cheapness, with those who had
the longest start of us.
V. In Metals, we are as yet somewhat be-
hind in cheapness-in part because we are as
yet comparatively beginners, in part because
we need more railroads, &C., to concentrate
cheaply our ore, coal, lime, &cy but in good
part because Labor is far dearer here than in
Europe. But we are steadily improving, and
are bound to improve still faster if we have
fair chance. We do firmly believe that this
country will soon obtain cheap well as choice
Iron and Steel France has obtained cheap
is, through efficient persistent |
Protection. |
Such are the convictions which place us in |
nntagonsm TO the views of Railroad" and |
render cooperation between us impracticabe.