The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-07-30

plain tariff for revenue and for no other pur-
pose. Wber yer they complain Of any particu-
lar rate of duties the use the same plea that
tariff prOtectionists do--in fact. protection. If
they advocated tariff changes that should be
most effective for revenue only, they rnust ad-
vocate either placing the duties on such articles
rs cannot be produced in our own country, or
an ''iron clad scale upon all imports alike with
no discrimination whatever. But they advocate
neither Of these. Neither do any two of the
free trade journals, that We have seen, agree
precisely as to the terms of the tariff that thew
want. The only thing that they agree about,
and about which the protectonists also agree
IL that large number of articles should be ad
mitted free Of duty-some because they are ar
ticles of great and common necessity, Others be-
cause the revenue derived therefrom wonld not
pay for the extra trouble of collection. ard
Others still for their great utility in home pro
ductive arts and industries. Hammering away
at difference of three or five dollars a ton in
the tariff on pig iron, will never raise it to the
white heat of a party question. Notifications
may be sought tor on a variety Of articles, and
the test Of experience must after all determine
how far they should be made Even now, con-
gress is engaged in that very work. Aud 90 long
as there are any discriminations in tariff duties,
We care not upon what pretext they are made,
the principle involved is protection. All tariff
advocates are therefore protectionists however
they may talk The real difference between the
so-caled free traders and protectiunists ia in
regard to who shall be protected
The protective tariff advocates go in for
protection to all home industries for en- coura p
ing them IN their competition with foreign in
| terests. The free traders, while claiming To r.
vor protection 20 consumers as against produc-
ers, are really working to protect foreign man
ufac;uring industries in their rivalry with our
own. For there it comes at lest. BY throwing
of the duties upon goods that compete with do
m estic mAnufactu we should not only throw
away the amount of revenue derived therefrom,
tut that very part of the revenue which, under
he tariff, the foreigner is compelled, III part at
least. TO pay. Prolections.s claim that BY pro-
ttcting and thereby promoting domes it manu-
actures, they increase the home market for pro
auctions Of the soil, and that thus all parties
are b-ne6ted.
But there is no question broad enough in this
tariff iseue to constitute substantial plank in
party platform. For many years past no party
has dared unequivocaly to put free trade iu its
platform, aud no party will dare to do SO for
meuv wears to COM.
We call attention to the above sound and
most intelligent statement Of the tariff cues
ton from the Grand Rapids Daily Eagle.
Of Michigan. The assumption that the
general sentiment Of the press Of the North
west is for free trade, is a most caluminious
and erroneous one. Until within two years,
not one Republican journal in twenty Of the
press in the Northwest was for free trade,
and we still doubt if one in four Of them is
so. We admit the backsliding of the
Cincinnati Gazette, 81. LOUIS Democrat
and Chicago Tribune, are formidable facts
for the champions Of American industry
But their arguments are in the main frothy
earnings at trifing details, such as the deter
mined critic can always find in all works,
human or divine. But they can not deny
that a protective tariff has more than quad
rupled our revenue that the protective por.
ton Of our present tariff now yields three.
fourths Of our custom duties that the gene
raj prosperity Of industry in the United
States during the past ten years, has been
more uniform and VIGOROUS than for any
preceding ten. and all this notwithstanding
flee of these years haze been years Of tht
mos: expensive t0drfare ever carried on 6y0
single nation. The sober sense of the
American people can not fail to see thai
protection to our industry has been the sheet
anchor of our safety.