Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-03-02
Reason for Protection-Free Trade the
Policy of Health and Happiness.

A mechanic att Bridgeport, Conn,
has actually made discovery of a
new reason for protection to Ameri-
can industry by tariff which all the
learned writers, economists and |
statesmen had hitherto overlooked. |
The discovery is seeming to change |
the minds of thousands of free ira
ders. 1t is as follows:
"The steam power and machinery
of England are equivalent to six
hundred millions of laboring men,
while in the United States such sub
stitutes for human labor is equal to
only three hundred millions OF men,
or half the power Of Great Britain.
Even with this difference against
American labor we could get along
provided Britain would consume all
our agricultural surplus. Ia such
case we should be even-only the
cost of transportation in our favor
to give our mechanics better wages
than British laborers."
awe have not only the overwhel-
ming numbers of European lalorers
to compete with ours, but also their
overwhelming capital. Superiority
makes protection useless but to for
eign superiority of finish on account
OF cheap labor, Britain has the ad
vantage Of more aud better machin-
cry and more wealth-their wealth
also excelling ours in quality as a
gold dollar is superior to green
back dollar"
In pure selfish view of things we
have no doubt of a protective tariff
policy being the true policy for
America
But, when we look upon the hu-
man race as brotherhood. our clear
duty to mankind is free trade Our
duty, as u brother, to the English
man Of toll is the same as to an
American man Of toll. What signi-
ties it if America be impoverished, if
by such impoverishment the hun
dred millions of hard tasked people
in Europe have their burthens light
ened
Americans are having it too easy
for even their own good. With the
American system of protection and
our immense free domain, our people
are making fortunes without perfor-
ming above a third OF the labor per>
formed in England, taking pcpula~
ton into account. The result il, our
young men and old are largely idle
and in business anything than pro-
ductive. 1t may seem blessing for
people to have such an easy time of
it. But what as a consequence shall
happen to the next generation P
The answer appears in every page OF
the history of such as had like easy
time of it. The family having moth
ing to do, their ancestors having
left them small oceans of ready made
wealth, cannot mistake their way to
idle habits and ungoverned passions.
Their ruin is not question Of fact,
but of time and of how many others
they are to drag down with them
selves.
We therefore take it that such poll
| SlCo 40 WOutu COHIpcI IuoIG ilcu W
resort to productive industry are
better for the human race than
policies that would surely increa Sc
the number of idlers. Aud as free
trade would drive more men to
labor, it would be more productive
of true and lasting wealth. There
would be more virtue and less vice
and surely longer life to the nation.
Families would live longer is,
be a greater time in climbing the
ladder of fortune and a longer time
descending it. Under protective
policies wealth is Of impure quality,
and of easy and speedy requirement.
1t therefore gives few pleasures, de~
moralizes the family and suddedly
Notwithstanding its late occupants
without home, industrial habits or
morality, withal in possession OF
some pride, just enough TO light
them down the road TO obscurty.