Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-03-07
The Humanity" of Protection.

vi UIlc llUcllClClSO SohON' Va
the only cry by which they are able
to make the unreasoning popular ear
prick itself up and listen-ls that
"Protecticn' is the science Of Progress
and Hope, the fttest weapon with
which to combat the 'dismal science
offree trade, the only politicalp hilosophy
has humanitarian basis, and scheme
of human development and moral
advancement for its end. In solid
logic, in immediate practical results,
Protection confesses itself to be deli
Gent. Its most fervent disciples ac-
knowledge that it has tendency to
lose us something of our command
over Nature, by teaching us to disobey
some of her laws; but then, they say,
look at the humanity Of our system,
and the heartless, hopelessness of
yours"
Well, then, let us lo9k at the
humanity of it.
Take coal as an instance of the
humanity of Protection. The In
reference philosophers, and their
shrewd hackers, the monopollsts OF
Pennsylvania, prevailed upon Con,
gress to impose an import duty OF
$1.25 per ton upon coal. The end
sought was not revenue-for such
duty prevents the importation Of
coal-but ;, protection to American
industry" This duty, we were told,
(and Congress was convinced,) would
have the effect to introduce a great
deal of foreign capital and skilled
labor; it would develop the immense
resources of our coal-helds, give EN-
ployment to thousands Of operatives,
make coal cheap, and find such pay for
labor as would enable the laborlng
class to elevate themselves, and de-
velop their higher faculties in an ever
increasing ratio. This was the M
manjty of Protection.
The result has been certainly vast
development of coal-felds, the open
ing of great number of new mines,
the importation of a great many skill
ed laborers, and, doubtless, the H.
coming of some capital from abroad
Coal, however, has not been made
cheaper to the consumer, who, on the
contrary, has to pay largepercent
age of the tariff tax to the owners o.
the mines, and thus all the industries
of the country, and all classes of the
people likewise, are burthened to ado
: to the profits of single industry
Nor has the tariff tax on coal proved
to be an act of humanity to the Goa
MINER but the opposite. The dut.
has had the effect to stimulate the pro
duction of coal to such an extent that
i if the mines were worked to their tuI
D capacity, there would be annual.
produced t'centy per cent, more Goa
than the country is capable of con
suming. Such production would pu
o down prices and destroy the profits o
v the monopolists, who control the Goa
' business; hence, such productlo
must not be tolerated. The ca
e pitalists are united on one side, tn
l. faborers on the other, and the col
l. sequence is a regular annual successlo
If of strikes, by means of which pre-
duction is adjusted to consumption
= and the laborer kept idle long enoug
D. to deprive him of never less than on
If fifth Of the wages he is entitled to.
This deprivation of wages, tn
unsettled, turbulent, and dlsastro'
d condition of labor in the coal trade
a not the peculiar attendant of co
IN mining nor the necessary consequent
- Of the antagonism between labor al
IL capital; it is simply and entirely Il
II result of the "protection" given ii
- coal trade by the tariff Of the unnatur
J. stimulus to the development of tn
It. industry which flows from an und'
,y interference with the laws of natu
and of trade. A more inhuman SO
Of humanity cannot easily be conceive
~ than this which unsettles labor, al
y, T., drives a whole peaceful, industrio
la class of operatives into famine, tt
"a bulence, bloodshed, and general d
&C. order wv ashington Patriot.