The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-22
The Party Press Free Trade and
Protection.


questions of free trade and protection Il
enough to bewilder the brain Of any one. In
this city, for example, there is dished up
almost every day In the paper that assumes to
be the organ Of the democrats and free
traders . quantity of stale dogmatlc stuff
against the protection theory, and in the radi-
cal protectionist organ flood Of distractions
and perverted theories against free trade and
in favor of protection. Then, again, We have
free trade journals that are radical In politics
and some few democratic papers that favor
protection. Besides there are the revenue
reformers who are for tho most part radical
republicans. The great cosmopolitan city OF
New York, being the heart Of all movements,
| represents these parties, but they originate
with and are based upon the interests OF the
different sections Of the country. New Eng
land and Pennsylvania are for profession be-
cause they manufacture, and the West and
South favor free trade because their industry
and interest lie chiefly in agriculture. While
the views OF each find expression and are re-
presented in this commercial and financial
metropolis, and while the mass Of the people
here are Inclined to free trade, we can take an
impartial view of the subject and hold the
balance between tho extremes.
This contest between free traders and pro-
tectionsts is not, as is well known, new one.
1t is as old as the government, and, perhaps
We nigh. say, as old as human society. More
has been written on the subject than on almost
any other. The foundation Of the frse trade
theory and of all the arguments on it is be-
nevolence or philanthropy-the greatest good
Of tho greatest number the world all over. This
is Christianity. 1t is q noble theory. 1t is to
exchange freely, without impost or restriction,
the products of the soil, mines, sea, manufac-
lures, and whatever the labor and skill of man
can bring forth. 1t would make universal
brotherhood of all nations and races, and place
them on the same footing with regard to trade
or commercial intercourse as the people of any
one naticn-as the people Of the United States
hold with one another. The fearfully bloody
and exhausting civil war in this country was
Tough: on the part of the Unionists principally
to maintain free intercourse or free trade be-
tween the different sections Of this vast CONT
nent. The unrestricted interchange Of the
industrial productions Of people does more
than anything else to establish national unity
free trade which we have between the different
sections and among the States composing the
republic the free traders would extend among
all nations. Hence as was said, the basis Of
their theory Is benevolence-good fellowship
among the different nations and races of men
ard the greatest good to mankind in the
aggregate.
Then, again, it is said, free trade would in
crease the products of industry throughout
the world, because people would labor to
produce just such things as they could most
cheaply and abundantly. The people Of every
nation Or section Of country would use the
advantages which soil, climate, mineral
wealth, water power or acquired skill gives
them for certain class of productions. If it
takes eight days labor to produce a ton Of
iron in Pennsylvania, where all the conditions
are favorable, and sixteen days labor to pro-
duce the same amount in another State less
favored for such industry, it would be better
certainly that Pennsylvania should continue to
produce iron and exchange it for the products
of the other State. Then another State pro-
duces certain things with half the labor that
it would cost Pennsylvania to produce them.
II, therefore, there be free exchange be-
tween the two, each continues to employ its
labor most economically. The total produc-
ton is thus doubled. The same argument ap-
plies to nations as to States or sections of the
same country. Not only would free trade be
benevolent in its operation, but it would tend
to multiply production greatly, and, as a con-
sequence, to largely extend commerce.
But beautiful and Christian-like as this
high state of civilization when nations will!
forego apparent special and present advantages
for the good of mankind at large, or for
the sake of an abstract principle. II all
nations could be induced to enter into a
universal free trade league at once it might
not be long before the advantages would be-
come eqlaiized and the benefits felt every
where. Bat this cannot be expected This
Utopia cannot be realized. Nations are selfish
and study only what they believe to be their
own interests. Most of them consider protec-
ton useful if not necessary to their own in
dustriai development. One nation could not
adopt the principle of absolute free trade
while others imposed tariffs and restrictions,
except, indeed, any one should be found that
has all the industries fully developed within
itself and able to compete with all others.
England, perhaps, is nearer that condition
than any other country, and we see, conse-
quently, a stronger tendency to free trade
there than elsewhere. Still the principle is
sound. It is in accordance with the truths Of
political economy. The world as it advances
in civilization must tend more and more to