New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-04-30

Jne VOCeS OF 20 laI1u DcInOCIdJS anu eNcly
Wing but one-A. II. Chappen of Georgia,
who forthwith turned Democrat. .1
Now came on another Presidential Election !;
and again Pennsylvania and New-YOrk were
carried by the Democrats-by small majorities
Democratic ProtectiOnists insisting that Polk
was as good PrOtectiOnist as Clay, While
Dallas as ce-President held the casting vote
for Pennsylvania. Yet by that casting vote was
the Tariff of 1912 repealed! Pennsylvania gave
her every vote for Protection but his and one
other; but they did not suffice to save it. We
were sold again by men who talked Protection,
but voted the Democratic ticket. .-
Again we have q Protective Tariff, and
again we see the pipe laid for cheating us out
of it. Thus The ~ Y. TimeS-which expressly
repudiated Protection so long ago as 1S52-now
commends the Boston Free Trade organization
as follows
"The Reform league is not free trade organization
Its promoters themselves free traders In principle
but at the same time confess that the financial
from imporations Even II 1t were possible TO OBJ
nze in the habits and predictions OF the people ius
perablo objection TO entire reliance upon direct taxation
Besides they appreciate the claims OF interests at nave
grown up under the present system and the hardship
and injustice involved In sudden and radical change
OF the fiscal policy The now movement, then, Is lar re-
moved from mere theories extreme purposes Recog
Ezng customs tariff as necessity II only asks that
the articles selected for duties shall be those which can
best bear the burden-that, In fact as Mr. Atkinson has
said 'Sueh taxes shall he levied far as possible
upon articles which represent the results OF labor rather
than upon those ". ich enter into tho processes OF
labor Such purpose Is Just; moderate; : ana
lug enterprises but on the contrary tends TO her IN
creased prosperity The only class whom 1T affects pre-
judcally the mOnoposs who under tho pretense OF
protecting home industry. have fastened upon greyous
burdens and whose pretensons are as detrimental TO
the revenue as TO the progress and prosperity OF the
"The Reform League. therefore represents a compro
mise rather than a crusade The business men VINO
originated 1t abandon the out-andout free trade view as
for the time and take theiT stand on ground
siOner," &c, &c, &c.
How many times more must we be done in
this wayR Who does not know that the force
and momentum of an army are not truly lndl-
Gated by its skirmisl-line, but by the solid
masses behind it? The issue between Protec-
ton and Free Trade is n great and grave one;
but there are precisely two sides to it, and no
more. Either Tariff should discriminate with
intent to protect Home Industry, or it should
not. If it should, then our present Tariff is
good one and should be firmly upheld. If it
should not, then there ought to be no Tariff
at all, so that the products of foreign lands
should sell here as free from impost as those
of our own labor We call upon honest and
earnest men on both sides to help clear the
field of the guerrillas who fit from camp to
camp, ready 10 shout with the victors and
plumber the fallen, and make our approaching
struggle manly contest for principle. IL Free
Trade is right, then we ought to be beaten,
and rant to be beaten. If it is wrong, then
its champions should be equally willing to be
vanqushed for the public good, Do let us
have this grave problem for once treated as
its Importance deserves
Possibly, there are defects of detail in our
present Tariff; but these are of no such i'm
portance as to require or Justify great popu-
lar agitation. Let the twaddler or trimmer
"Call imperfection what he fancles such
Say Here IL gives too lttle,-there too much
and pretend that he is not opposed to Protec-
ton, but only to so high duty on Salt, or
Sugar, or Iron; but let all who mean some
thing, and know what it is, act frankly and
boldly up to their convictions, and we shall
settle this question benefcently, and so that it
will stay settled