Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-01-03
Incidental Protection.

certainly an honest man. He scat
tered circulars proving McCormick's
Advance was o sham, and added as
q postscript that although he was in
favor of free trade, he was likewise
in favor Of a tariff on foreign lead,
because many Of his constituents
were engaged in mining, and scout.
ed at the competitor of foreign "pau-
per labor" Well, John was honest.
Coal, iron, wool, sugar, &c, should
be imported on the principle Of free
trade, and the benefits Of the nation
al tariff were to be monopolized by
Johns constituents. John intended
to talk free trade to Massachusetts
and Pennsylvania, but protection to
Highland and New Diggings. If
John Strachan has not laid down an
universal platform for both parties,
certainly he has laid down rule
---Lo. &c Con0rnss of
either party, must practice, when
called on to make laws-that is, he
must insist on protecting what his
own constituents manufacture and
produce, and endeavor TO remove the
tariff from what they have to buy.
John would not patronze an imprac-
ticable party theory at the expense
of votes.
Though the Tribune in New York,
and its revolutionary namesake in
Chicago, have endeavored to rend
the Republican party in twain on
this issue, yet they have failed to do
so, because partisans when they are
clothed with the responsibility of
law-making, whether Republicans or
Democrats, are compelled to adopt
the rule which woald have governed
the prince Of pork-packers, had he
been elected to Congress.
We imagine that it will be very
difficult now to invest this issue with
the Importance attached to it before
the war. Then there was o bona tide
free trade party in the South, pos
sessed Of more than one thousand
millions Of slave property engaged
in growing cotton light material,
capable Of transportation abroad at
little cost. The owners Of the cot
ton wished to exchange it for foreign
goods, and bring these goods home,
of course, free of duty. These COT
ton-growing States never thought Of
homo manufactures. Slave labor
was unfit for such purposes. But
this gigantic free trade organization
and slavery which supported it, have
been abolished by the war, The
South plunged into war without
manufacturing skill or capabilities,
. wiser people. The Southern States
are now encouraging manufactures.
1t will be as difficult to resuscitate
free trade party, party which will
not only talk free trade, but actually
enforce it by national legislation, as
il would be to re-establish slavery,
and crown cotton as King, The ag-
ricultural productions Of tho West
are heavy and bulky, and will hardly
bear transportation to the sea board.
The bulk Of them must find mar
let on this side the Atlantic. We
cannot afford to rely on foreign man
ulactures unless our own products
can be sent in exchange to foreign
ports, NJ a reasonable profit.
We cannot afford TO become as de-
pendent on England as the Dominion
of Canada is. The Canadian can
buy English goods so cheap that he
is rs destitute Of manufactures as
tho Southern States before the war
but he produces nothing that will
pay transportation to the mother
country and leave him a. fair profit.
We want 90 such system of depend
cnce. The recent war has taught us
tho value OF manufacturing skill in
saving the national life. Iffree trade
will make us manufacturing people,
we are its advocate. If tariff has
that tendency, then we will support
q revenue tariff protecting as far as
need be, our home manufactures.