New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-16
BUSHNELL ON POLITICAL ECONOMY.

The Rev. Dr. Bushnell contributes to Serb
ner's Monthly for July an essay on Free Trade
and Protection which evinces thought and ca
pacity for understanding the problems involved
that is very rare among those who have
dabbled in Mill and Bastiat. Though his essay
is obnoxious to the criticism of the wit who
commended the impartiality of the bred Scott
decision. in that it "gave the law to the North
"and the niger to the South" we believe
few can read it attentvely without gaining
some light on theme which much sophistry
has darkened. DR.. Bushnell inclines to side
with the Free-Traders on purely Economic
grounds, but forcibly argues that the problem
has other important elements which equally
demand consideration and which ought to
modify the general conclusion. For instance,
he iustifies Protection in these contingencies
among others:
"a. When the munitions Of war and equipments for
II require to be thus provided. The great mind
Of Washington was not too slow to make this dis
covery. And what did also discover in our war
of 1912, but that we had nothing 70 equip the
war7 Having no wooden manufacture, we could
not clothe soldiers; we could not even make
blanket. We had been Free-Traders buying all such
things could buy them cheaper; but we now
discovered how that might better have been
The true of saltpeter for gunpowder of gums
and cannon and swords and iron and steel out Of which
to make them. nation that is to be power must have
OF least sufficient supply Of iron made at home no mat
ter what the cost itself for war. We began also
TO make the discovery shortly that the very insgnh-
cant article Of salt. coming In short supply was nearly
dead necesstyone of the munitions of war-and that
manufacturing 1t for ourselves at double the cost would
| have been a true advantage.
as When the saving of investments already made de-
mands 1t. Thus we had large Investments of capital
made in NewEngland during the war of 1872 into which
drawn to supply the urgent demand Of the tme
the faith of the being naturally assumed to
repay service rendered by such adequate Protection
afterward as might be necessary From being trading
people we converted thus to being partly manu-
featuring peoples 30 that, when the war was over we
found ourselves converted also from being FreeTade
into Protectionst people; FOR the change was made
necessary to save investments Whereupon we met
on all sides the taunt Of inconsistency asking what had
become Of FreeTrade argumens had not set our
selves against Protection and what has turned US now
TO this advocacy but the maintenance argument OF
selshness that Is always first with usi AS If IL were
possible wise nation to let large properties perish
for any small percentage of Projections above all for
Just nation in its dark day by volunteer advances
of capital to refuse the of It, and make answer
only by taunt upon the consistency that asks that
carel Or, taking q different example, we are sup
posed to Just about aboshng the present small duty
OF nine cents a bushel on salt. Assuming that the
current price Of salt will be reduced by only one
half the duty that is four and ahalf cents bushe
then, for that very small advantage we consent
TO Let our many millions OF investment In salt manufac
ture take their chance, and 1t may be- totally perish
Perhaps they will mott only chance to know that they
are running q very small margin OF profit. But IL
they should, should find ourselves at war with
England five years hence, and our supplies at sea
cut off, what could do but make all our investments
over again for salt Is much necessity Of war as gun
powder Our petty saving turns out thus possibly to be
very absurd way Of economy. We had better pay ten
cents more bushel salt to the end Of the world than
to encounter any such risk.
60 Protection, though 1t be losing bargain, as in
trade generally necessary In States that are young In
order to their full organized development. We were
young nation in the of 1872 and we very soon dis
covered IN facts already referred to- the owness Of our
organization and the very incomplete scope OF our In
dustria equipments. Our products were not various
enough to make complete nation. 1t often urged
as the special advantage Of young nations that they can
have the benefits of Freerade without trouble from the
shock that must be given TO old, artificial Investments
but we had another kind OF shock to bear that was far
more perous from the scant equipment in which our
previous FreeTrade practice had left us Perhaps we
were gaining wealth by such trade but we were mis-
eraby unprepared for the stress OF our great public
trial.
"Tlere must also be large variety in products and
enough for allowing the full Of society. people
must have manifold relationships TO feel each other as
parts In a common unity. If they have only q few
trades and occupations, as most young peoples have
they cannot have public consciousness enough TO give
them history-any more than body can DO fully
conscious that Is only, all, leg. They like the
wholly pastoral race Of Tartars roaming over their
wastes living every by what feeds every Others
life organized therefore, II ut all In but the fantest
manner and scarcely conscious of being st all national
colony beginning to be state or nation, may have
been living almost wholly by single article OF produc
on because has brought ths reades and the largest
proft-be 1t cattle, or cotton They ought OF
course on FreeTrade principles to continue Which,
they do they will inevitably make sure OF their insignia
canoe Such people are only doubles OF repetuons OF
each other-too much alike too little Complementary one
10 another TO have any real Misrepresentation such as
makes a conscious whole. They can have no puolc wii
or sentiment OF cause, counsel Their interest 10 700
completely identical make their agreement sig
uihcant Instead OF being body kept in force Dy an
immense almost infinite, interplay OF nerves, duets M
Sues secretions excretons, yielding new muscle ana
bone oils lubrcatiOns, sanitary sefmedicatOhs -
every organ necessary somehow TO every other ana
all necessary alinsead OF being thus BODY, they
are one that has only the bone-madng function,
or that has huge 0yergrown liver organ. packing