New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-18

Briefly, and in general terms, We have shown
in another place what protection has done
for Germany, enabling her to sustain success.
fully an expensive and destructive war from
her own resources, created by her protective
policy. We will try to show as clearly though
perhaps less briefly what it has done and is now
doing for us.
When the rebellion broke out we were living
it is true, under a free trade regime but at
various periods during our national existence
protection to American industry had been the
policy of the Government, and under its en-
couraging influence various branches of manu-
features had sprung into life, so that when the
Democracy plunged US into a civil war we had
reached degree of prosperity and wealth, and
our resources as q nation had become so largely
developed, and were so wonderfully stimulated
and augmented by the policy of protection,
that, like Germany, we were able to prosecute
successfully with our own means that terrible
Democratic war.
What would have been our condition at its
commencement, and what would have been the
result of that struggle, had our Government
acted upon the theory of the free trade vision
aries until that time, keeping our workshops
in Europe, and depending upon our agri-
cultural products to pay Europeans for the
cannon, rifles, and other implements of war
we might require, as well as for every needed
manufactured article? We leave the question
for free-traders to answer.
But let US see what this policy of protec
tive tariff is still doing for US. In reply to a
recent free trade speech by the hipocondrical
Mr.. DAVID A. WELLS in Cincinnati, Hon. F. D.
MANSFIELD presented some facts upon this sub
ject that the ee-traders will find it trouble
clamor of the revenue reformers" for revenue
tariff, Mr.. MANSFIELD shows that we have the
most successful "revenue" measures ever
adopted by any country. The proof is, that
under its operations, revenue from the tariff
increased from $4,000. 900 in 1860, under
free trade, to $lO2, OOO, 900 in 1864 +; and from
$l94 600, 900 in ls69-7O, to $2lO, 100000 in
1901, being two-thirds enough to carry on
the Government, public debt, and interest.
And not q dollar of this vast sum is levied
upon American products. Foreign imports
pay every cent Of it, and in gold. Is not
this revenue tariff? The effects of this wise
financial policy of protection upon the com
merce of the country is not less beneh.
cial, for it increased our imports from $780,
600, 900 in 1864 free trade year-to $780,
coo, 900 in 1871, showing an aggregate increase
In eleven years under protection of $3.50 0O0, oOO
During the same period the manufacturing
industry of the country has nearly or quite
doubled, and the wages of labor have Increased
thirty-three per cent, while gold lie only ten
and half per cent. premium. Shipbuilding,
the talk about its decline, has !
increased sixty per cent The exports Of the
claimed TO be . test of its prosperity,
has largely increased, and for the current year
amounts to $500, 600, 900. Our agricultural e.
ports especially have increased during the past
two years.
Such are shown to be the effect Of the pres
ent protective tariff, taken as whole, on the
revenue, industry, commerce, labor, and weaith