North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-01-19

More Protection Wanted.

1t is on unavoidable evil of bad legisla-
ton, that each bad law requires another
law of the same class, to cure the evils
that it creates. In no system Of bad
laws does this fact appear more conspicu-
ously than in the tariff legislation of the
country. And the evil, in each case,
proves incurable for the additional aid
Of legislation invoked as remedy gener'
ally only makes matters worse, instead of
better
An instance Of this occurred in the
"wool ring" The wooden manufacturers
secured an immense tariff by way Of pro-
lection on their goods. The men who
raised the wool become righteously indig-
nant at this state of affairs. A yard Of
cloth cost twice or thrice as much wool as
thought to cost. Very appropriately the
wool growers were mostly Vermont and
Ohio radicals and SO when the next
radical tariff was ground out, the wool
growers secured tariff ON arool. This
was to prevent the importation of wool
from South America and Australia, and
to keep up the price of wool raised at
home. For short time it worked beau
tifully, as the iron tariff worked well for
while in the profits it gathered for the
manufacturers of marine engines and
other iron ship tackle. Sheep were worth
from So to 8 each in Ohio, and in all the
wool growing States. But it was an un-
natural, fcverish and diseased prosperity,
as the sprightliness and vigor produced by
artificial stimulating liquid is de easeL and
ephemeral. The era of prosperity was u
brief one. To-day, IN Ohio, under the
operation Of a 'cool protective tariff, sheep
are ,corth but from 60 cents to Sl.25 each,
and are being killed fer their pelts and
tallow. In some way, hat law return
cd as plague upon those for whose
leneft it was enacted. Political econo-
mists cannot give reason but such is
the result.
And now we have another instance
waiting to come upon the carpet. The
tariff has made labor, materials, canvass,
cordase, copper-s -sheeting, and iron bolts,
bars and spikes So extensive that on the
great lakes, the Canadians can build lake
going vessels for about half what it costs
to build them in Buffalo, Cleveland, De-
troit, Milwaukee and Chicago. AS con~
sequence, the Canadian lake shippers can
carry cargoes up and down the lakes for
half or two thirds of the freight rates that
the United states vessel owners can, and
the United States flag is being driven
from the great lakes as it is being driven
from the high seas by the operations Of
the tariff Aud now what? The owners
Of United States vessels on the lakes are
pettioning Congress for "a protective
tariff on freight and passenger rates, so
that they can cont nue. to exc pre-
carious existence along shore. They want
The sale of Canadian built ships to Amer
lean owners to remain unlawful, and the
tonnage tax on Sanaulan vessels SO ln>z
creased as to make it impossible for them
TO compete with the high freight rates of
the United States vessels. And this means
an advance ~ re-, rates, and from
taree to i've cents = bushel more knocked
off the price of Minnesota wheat, because
It will cost that much more to transport it
co the Eastern markets. And We predict
that, as in the great iron works, and as in
the wool business, this additional protec-
tion will not arrest disaster, but will, in
some indefna5le way, prove a curse to the
interest for whose fostering care it is in.
voked.
When trade is free. its natural laws will
protect its existence and growth. But
human Ingenuity is not gifted enough to
devise human laws upon which nanufac>
lures. commerce and finance can be made
10 endure and flourish, like bringing up a
paby on bottle. 81 Paul Pioneer.