The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-03-10

way Of enduring this state Of things would be
to resort 10 general reduction of wages IN al
manufacturing establishments to the level OF
foreign countries. Tobacco and spirits. and
aaticles OF luxury produced at home would be
also heavily taxed-intsrnal revenue, suppose
but would be admitted from abroad free OF
of duty, because they are produced to some
extent in this country. How that would EN-
courage business" may readily be seen.
Is this " Revenue REFORM" Does this tend
to general prosperity? Does 1t aim at tho en-
couragement Of business3 That some modif-
cations of the tariff may be desirable l am
ready to admlt-but that it ought to be recon
structed upon such principles deny. Since
we have had protective tariff we have had
more active business, and but for the Losses
and burdens OF war, should have had more
prosperous business than ever before This is
largely due to the development OF our resour-
ces and the increase Of our manufactures, par
ticularly at the West, where raw materials and
means of subsistence are cheap and abundant.
Continue this policy few years longer, and
prices OF all manufactured articles will fall per-
manently as low as they would under absolute
free trade temporarily-and we shall have, in
addition, a homo market not only for our
wool, and wheat but for thousand other pro-
ducts. which are too bulky, too heavy, too
cheap or too pershable to bear transportation
four thousand miles, and VIII Ich, consequent
ly, we only produce IN limited quantities, to
supply slow and uncertain market.
The case of England is CT ed and the man
ner Of raising revenue in that country, is held
up as an example for imitation. But ii should
be remembered that the situation OF Great
Britain is widely different from ours, and that
a protective policy towards her manufacturers
would DO as absurd az IN this country, pro-
tective duty on wheat would be-and for like
reasons. The market in both these cases, is
abroad. not at home-and a protective duty
'ould not effect the prices IN that market, But
in the case o. our own manufactures, the
Chief market rs at home, and home and for
egn producers are struggling for its posses
sion. Free trade proceeds upon the SUPPOSE
ton that it is matter OF indifference 10 US
which succeed in that contest. Protection
assumes that we are all interested III the sue
cess OF our home manufacturing and produc-
ing interests and that they can be promoted
materially by proper adjustment OF the tariff.
Free Trade ID every man for himself and the
ID take the hindmost." Every period Of
Free Trade sscendency III this country has
been followed by great commercial revulsion
with wide spread bankruptcy and ruin. Under
Protective poiicy-Dot perfect, perhaps. but
far better than none-we have gided over the
perlous transition period from war times to
peace. when a financial crash was universally
expected, with no greater depression of bust
ness than frequently occurs in ordinary times.
1t is scarcely possible that we should have ar
rested worse financial crisis than those Of
1887 and 1856 under Free Trade pol cy. i'm
perfechons Of cur financial system, but / do
not see that it is advisable to reverse the prin-
clples that have served us so we'll III ten years
OF difficulty, danger and embarrassment.