The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-01-18
PROTECTION TO AMERICAN INDUS
TRY. -.-H.... g

.... TRY. --r...
The collection of Judge Kelley's speeches,
recently made by Henry Carey Baird, is
one of the finest contributions ever made to
financial and social science in this country.
From the admirable introduction to that
work, prepared with great care by Mr..
Kelley, we make the following extracts.
They contain truths of the most important
character, both to Virginia and the nation
at large. Mr.. Kelley, as will be seen, was
originally an earnest advocate Of a tariff
for revenue only, but experience and study
induced him to change his position
The theory that labor--the productive
exercise of the skill and muscular power of
men who are responsible for the faithful
and intelligent performance of civic and
other duties-is merely raw material, and
that that nation which pays least for it is
wisest and best governed, is inadmissible
in democracy and when we shall deter
mine to starve the bodies and minds of our
operatives in order that we may successful
1 ly compete in common markets with the
productions of the under-paid and poorly
fed peasants of Europe and the paupers of
England, we shall assail the foundations of
government which rests upon the intelli-
gence and integrity of its people. To de-
!. tend our country against this result, is the
office of a protective tariff, and for this
duty it alone is sufficient.
This was not always my belief. My
youthful judgment was captivated by the
plausible, but sophistical, generalities by
which cosmopolitanism or free trade is adj
vocated, and my faith in them remained UNI
shaken till events involving the prostration
of our domestic industry, and the credit,
not only of cities and States, but of the
nation, demonstrated the insufficiency or
falsity of nv long and dearly cherished
theories. In 1S47, | had seen with graft
fication the protective tariff of 1912 sue
ceeded by the revenue or free trade tariff Of
1916. To promote this change, | had
labored, not only with zeal and industry,
but with undoubting faith that experience
would prove its benefcence.
Going into effect under favorable condi-
tons, it must, believe, procure for our
farmers cheap foreign fabrics and wares,
and secure constantly increasing market
for the productions of their farms and by
enlarging our share in the carrying trade OF
the world compel the rapid construction Of
ships and steamers, whose employment
would increase our receipts of coin and i'm
migrants. Trade being so nearly free, W.
must in few years see the ships of all ma
tons coming to New York for assorted
cargoes, and our commercial metropolis
would then become the financial centre o.
the world, in which international balances
would be settled. That these were but {
small part of the great results my theories
promised will appear to any one who viii
refer to the annual reports of the then Sec
rotary of the Treasury, Robert }. Walker
who was not more sanguine than /, ant
whose statements of the general prosperit.
that would flow from revenue tariff were
as positive and rose-tinted as those witt
which Messrs. Atkinson and Wells now be
guile their followers.
Were we early revenue reformers wor
shippers at false shrines, or did the sequa
approve our faith? History answers thes
questions with emphasis. 1t needed blu
decade to demonstrate the folly of at
tempting to create market for our increas
ing agricultural productions, and to develo]
our mining and manufacturing resources b,
the application of the beautiful abstraction
disseminated by Free Trade Leagues.
was Just ten years after the substitution 0
J the revenue tariff of 1916 for the protectiv
tariff of 1912, that the general bankruptcy
of the American people was announced b,
the almost simultaneous failure of the Obi
Life and Trust company, and the Bank 9
Pennsylvania, and the suspension OF speci
payments by almost every bank in tn
country. @
Eighteen hundred and forty-seven ha
been good year for farmers, mechanics
| | r,;narc and merchants but 1857 was
good year for sheriffs, constables and mar
shals, though few were purchasers at thei
sales except mortgages, Judgment credl
tors, and capitalists who were able to pa,
cash at nominal prices for unproductive es