The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-03-07
FREE TRADE IN LOUISVILLE.
A speech with Meat In It

in Louisville, spoke as follows:
The advocates of protection and of
cur present tariff claim that the sys-
TEN is favorable to the development
of American industry. From this
assumption and conclusion, We en-
tirely dissent. This system of pro
lection may, indeed, appear to pro-
mote the prosperity OF Industry IN
It's beginnings, because 1t furnishes
an unusual stimulus to the de
velopment of those interests which
are protected, but its usual
result is to restrict all other
industries, and finally te bring disas
ter upon the protective industries
themselves. This effect of the pro
tective system is visible upon the
operation of our present tariff. Its
influence has been disastrous upon
our commerce and ship building.
Previous to the war we were the sec
ond commercial power In the world.
We are now degraded to the fourth
position, and our degradation is ad-
vancing with rapid strides. Tne great
reason of the disastrous effect is the
excessive duties levied on ship tim
Der. copper sheathing, cordage, sail
cloths and all the materials which
enter into the construction of the
ships. These duties are so high as to
render it impossible for our ship
builders to compete with those of
other nations.
A few years since, in crossing the
East river, the observer could count
thirty three large steamships in course
of erection in the barbOr at New
York. Last fall but single one was
In process of construction, and this
with the recent construction of the
Spanish gunboats comprises all the
large ships which have been built in
that port IN the last year. In that
city were eight large iron works, cele
brated for the manufacture of large
steam engines, whose work has ex-
cited the admiration of all lovers of
machinery. These esta blishments
employed nearly 1000 hands. OF
these eight, two only are in practical
operation. One is leased as car
stable, another has passed into
bankrul Ecy. and the balance
are closed. This paralysis sore
out of the decay in shipbuildiug
In 1864. we counted in the haTbor of
Bath, Maine, eight large ships in
process of construction, varying in size
from 1900 to 1,600 tons. Not a single
vessel has been built at that port for
upon this Industry is illustrated by
an incident occurring in New York
last fall. A merchant meeting a
friend, condemned as foolish and sui
cidal the tariff on copper sheathing
stating that he had owned a ship which
needed to be coppered, but he should
not copper in this country, because he
could get the whole work done in
England for less than the copper
would cost him IN this country. Sim
liar results are visible in the manu-
faotures of leather and wooden pro-
duets. The makers of these are re-
moving from our side of the st. Law
renee and the Lakes and erecting their
works on the Canadian shore, be-
cause of the greater cheapness of
material and freedom from the re-
straints Of cur protective system.
And yet this syA 'em is said to protect
American industry, The industrial
classes of this country may undoubt-
edly say, From such protection,
good Lord deliver US"
A similar effect is visible In the
operations of the tariff on wool and
wooden goods. There are four nota-
BILE circumstances visible In this con-
nection. We have the highest tariff
on wool and wooden goods which has
ever been imposed in the history of
this country. More wooden mnaufac-
turers are embarrassed, and more
wooden mills are under the hammer,
than, perhaps, in any one period
of our history. Many styles of
woelen goods are selling for
less in gola than they were sold for in
1860, and an incalculable number of
sheep have been sacrificed simply for
their pelts, in Western States especial
| ly. In eome parts of Wisconsin they
are selling as low as 40c. each. How
can these results be accounted for un-
der the operation Of so high a pro-
teotive tariff as We now enjoy? These
| facts seem to contradict and overthrow
the great design of the protection, and
are certainly disastrous to the manu-
featuring interests Of the country.
We have our own method of account
| ing for this phenomenon. Protection
! is a restriction upon trade and in
dustry. In 1864 our importation
| of wool amounted to 81, 100000
pounds. This had declined in 1866 to
81 ,000,000 pounds. The importation
of 1867 was 100000 pounds, and
this had declined in 1868 to q, ,700,-
600 pounds. The aggregate defcien-
cy In these importations for the three
years, as compared with 1864 amounts
to 133, 100000 pounds. By our high
protective tariff our people refused to
receive the wool product of South
America, South Africa and Australia
in exchange for our -four. wooden
ware, furniture, coarse cotton goods
and other products Of our mechanical
and industrial skill. Our declining
to receive this wool did not destroy it.,
but simply diverted it to other marts
of trade. As we declined to receive
it, it was sent to Mark Lane, Ham
burg, Brussels and other European
markets, there sold at a deprecia-
ted price. The European manufac-
turers saw IN this cheap wool an Op-
portunlty to extend their sales, and
were induced to add largely to their
products OF wooden goods, and
through the greater cheapness of
their material, were enabled to bring
their manufactured products to this
country, and undersell our manufac-
turers, Notwithstanding the high
price. at the same time our own
manufacturers, under the stimulus oil
high duties, manufactured increased
quantities, and thus there was an
oVer-produetion both at home and
abroad, and consequent reduction in
price. Here we see how protection
defeats itself. Had we received this
wool IN exchange for the products OF
our own industry, we should have
availed ourselves of large outlet for