Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-02-11
PROTECTION MUST BE DEMANDED AS A
RIGHT

fhoIECIIUE MUST BE DEMANDED As A
RIGHT.
From an article of Henry Carey Baird,
OH the Rights of American Producer"
we extract the following admirable re-
marks on the necessity of demanding pro-
| lection:
| Too long in their contest with their enc
mics have American producers stood upon
the defensive All history goes to prove
that where a combatant is placed in such a
| position he is ipso facto half defeated, and
his complete and final overthrow then only
becomes question of time. The hour has,
we believe, arrived when American pro-
ducers should assume vigorous offensive
movement; and that they possess ample
means for effectively and successfully so
| doing we have not the shadow of a doubt.
In assuming position of attack and car
rylng the war into the enemy's country,
they should first, last, and always, demand
as right that which has hitherto been re-
garded by that enemy as privilege, as
concession, or as bounty extended to, if
not a robbery committed by, American
producers. The great cause of protection
can and should be placed upon the high
moral ground of right and justice, and its
advocates should then wrest from the ene-
mics the rights and liberties so long and so
persistently withheld from them. The
grounds for these demands are as obvious
as they are unassailable
American production, furnishing all Ma
tlonal power, is to the country, its COM
merce, and trade, on a large scale, what
the water-wheel and the steam engine are
to mills and machinery Oh small one
the prime moves In the absence of this
great National prime mover, as it may be
called, all motion, nay, even the life of the
body polite itself, must cease. AS all of
the people of the country must ultimately,
directly or indirectly, live off or from this
production, so must all taxes, National,
state, and local, be finally drawn from
American producers, unless some portion
OF our taxation can be levied upon foreign
ers who seek our markets, and enjoy the
advantages and profits thereof.
Such being the case, it follows that the
American producer has right to demand
that his Government shall levy duties on
foreign imports, and in doing so shall levy
them, first and foremost, upon those COM
modities the like of which arc produced
in this country, for the following reasons:
First. Because such commodities come
In direct competition with the productions
OF American producers who are obliged to
pay National, State and local taxes and
to grant privileges to foreigners which are |
and must be withheld from ourselves |
would be manifest and gross injustice ON |
the part Of the Government TO its own |
people.
Second. Inasmuch as these comlmodi-
ties are such as are produced in this coun-
try, foreigners may be made to pay the |
duties thereon, as, having American COM
petitors with whom they must compete. |
these duties must first be paid before they
can place themselves in position for such
competition. If not made to pay these
particular duties, there are no other taxes
which they can, by any possibility, be
made to pay i'll selling ia our markets: and
the heavily taxed American has AN abso-
lutte right to demand that, enjoying the
advantages and profits of these markets,
foreigners shall take with them some of
the many drawbacks and disadvants ges
which he himself is obliged to bear.
Third. Because if these duties are in
whole OF in part levied upon productions
he like Of which we do not ourselves pro-
luce, and must or will have, they must III
and inevitably fall upon the
shoulders of American producers thus
causing them to be again taxed, indeed al
most encompassing them by network of
axation, escape from which is impossible.
According TO the census of 1860 the produc-
ions of manufactures, mining and the arts in
he United States for that year were of the value
# 81, o85, So, 67e. Those of agriculture, though
lot given in full, may be approximately stated
t u, COO co., 600 at that date, notwithstanding
ne fact that they have been estimated much be-
ow this. In 1869, the total production of the ]
ountry was estimated at ST, 825 100000
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