The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-08-21
PretectIen-What is Meant by the Words


Mr. Perry, professor of Political Economy in
Williams College, has just given us capital
outline of the Free Trade theory, and not a few
alarming facts for the consideration of the
people.
He denounces protection, whether incidenta
or direct; and all tariffs as a tax or tribute.
which, however indispensable for a govern
ment, is at the best, an abridgment OF our lib
erty-the liberty of judging for ourselves and
of choosing for ourselves. a' g 'ot .a''
That under peculiar circumstances, such for
example, as prevailed in the war of 1929
when we did mt make blanket nor yard OF
wooden cloth for ourselves, we had to depend
upon smugglers and privateers for clothing our
soldiery; and were paying from twenty-five to
fifty two cents yard for prints, 20 better than
we soon learned to make for ourselves at
ten cents yard, we may need encouragement
and protection in some shape and for time, to
begin with, it were preposterous to deny. But
in what shape should we have it?
Would not a bounty, such as the English
paid for fifty years to the manufacturer of pins
and needles be. better than a tax in the shape
of a tariff? Then we should know what we
were paying. ms7., tsrl5 ia
but again 1 ask what is meant by protection
Lis it the duly of statesman or law1giver to
| protect the few, and leave the many unprotect-
ed?-to'protect here and there one, at the ex-
pense of millions? Can that be Justly cal led
protection9 Is it not rather fraud "a delu-
Sion, whereby monopolies are farmed out, as
taxes once were over sea, and perpetuated
without remorse or shame? the greatest-hap-
piness principle, The greatest Jtappinessor The
greatest number" being wholly lost sight Of? (
That we are to buy where we can buy cheap
est is only half a maxim, for we are to sell
where we can sell dearest. In other words, we
are to buy and sell where it is most for our adj
vantage, zoe being the judges. And this wheth-
er we sell our work manship, our time, our tai.
ients or our labor. And achot shall hinder us
Nothing but our own blindness and folly. And
| acho? Nothing but our lawmakers, if we are
foolish enough 10 allow it. Markets are need
ed Until our farmers wives can find mar.
ket for their labor it is economy for them tc
waste their time in knitting stockings and
weaving home-spun iustead of sitting idle and
buying better articles for half price. But this
constitutes only an apparent exception to the
great law, which Commands us to buy where
we can buy cheapest. Glyesus market where
they can both buy and sell to advantage, and
to the-bugs with your protection.
Our Pennsylvania masters-the coal beavers
and their confsderates 1.-The conspirators. who
own the mines and control our household econ.
| omy, are beginning to feel alarmed to have
their misgivings. Already they talk about
| buying up Nova Scotia. Let them! Mean
while coal is coming down. Iron must follow
| and so must copper and Wool especially thai
Which 10 wastad for carpets InN massacn uSetts
where the manufacturers are protected, first
by monstrous and shameless tariff, and then
by a special exemption in their favor, an ex-
emption so special as to stand alone.
g And yet tie people bear it, as they do some
| thousands of other taxes, only small part Of
which ever goes into the National Treasury
But will they continue to bear it? If they do
they deserve to be put under guardianship and
have what there is left of their princely herr
tage administered upon by black-legs and
thimble-rggers., Protectioni God forgive the
blasphemy! Taxing thirty-fiye millions of the
great human family tor the benefit of a few
thousand, at most, under the name of a protec-
tue p0Iicyl j. N,