The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-03-21
Thc nrnrncrat
Circulation 2,7OO.
DOWN WITH MONOPOLY,
LET GOVERNMENT CEASE INTER-
FERENCE WITH BUSINESS.
All Citizens Equal Before the Law-'PrOtec'
tlon" Often Another. Name for RObbery-HOW
the Evil Has GrOwn-Thc Rich Richer and
the Poor Poorer,

line OOuulblt6 VI ways anu HASo'iiP
of the House of Congress, of which Fer
nando Wood is chairman, are at work
preparing bill to remodel the tariff sys-
tenn that has prevailed since the present
Republican party came into power. The
change contemplated is with view to
Justice, not to establish "free trade" as
is claimed by the monopoly protection
journals,
These papers are busy trying to raise
a howl against Mr.. Wood, and against
free trade and against the Democratic
party, and as usual, are careful not to tell
the truth. The Democratic party is COM
mitted to a tariff for revenue-not a
tariff to give to the favored few monop-
DIV that is, a privileged field to rob and
plumber the people, called by its friends
"ProteCtion."
Let these protection" monopoly, jour-
malls explain the present situation to the
suffering and destitute laboring men of
the country. For years they have had
all the "proteCtion" they demanded and
here we are in state of the worst bank"
ruptcy this country has ever experience
ed. It behooves these clamorers to ex-
plain this. If this is the result of their
beautiful system-had we not better try
some other for a time? Workingmen
should consider this.
In the Cincinnati Trade List, a PRO
tectionist" or monopoly paper, we find
an article from which we extract:
The old cry is raised that "free trade
ia the best trade" There is no doubt Of
the reasonableness of this claim as agen-
eral rule,-that is, that freedom of inter-
course with foreign nations, for the ex,
change Of products, will be the natural
condition of a nation carried by internal
industry and suitable protection to the
height Of fortune
To bring an industrious people to that
height of prosperity that shall permit
them to open a free and unrestricted
trade with other nations, it is necessary
to give an early and efficient protection
10 their first industrial endeavors. They
REQUIRE to be protected against capital,
and the mature and experienced eCono-
my of those whom they wish to rival
and who have already enjoyed the same
advantage of protection.
This journal, after admitting the "rea'
sonableness" and utility of free trade
and "free intercourse" offers the old and
usual claim for "protection" or monop-
oily; that is, to give to manufacturing in-
dustries in their infancy an advantage
over foreign competitors in."an early and
efficient protection" According to this,
the older and better established our
manufacturing industries, the less they
REQUIRE the advantage of protection"
or a monopoly. Seventy, fifty or thirty
years ago, then, more protection" was
needed so that our protective or restriC-
tive duties should have been getting low
er rather than higher. The fact is, how
ever, these duties have been on the in
crease, showing that avarice grows with
what it feeds on. Toprove this, let usgive
BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR TARIFF SYSTEM.
It shows the greedy growth Of proteC-
tion-the selfish grasp of avariCe.
In 1889 Congress took its first taste of
this stimulant, which, like alcohol, grows
with use. The tariff of that year recites
in the preamble:
WHEREAS, 1t is necessary for the sup.
port of the Government, for the dis
charge of the debts Of the United States,
and the encouragement and protection Of
manufactures, that duties be laid, etc.
Eight and half per cent was the ad vaI-
orem rate imposed by this tariff, and no
doubt its advocates persuaded themselves
that it was ample to permanently satisfy
the manufacturers. But in three years the
rate was raised to 134 per cent. In 1912
came the war, and after that came the
clamor for more protection" and the
rate was put at 80 per cent. In 1924 that
was found insufficient for manufacturers
stomachs, and heavier draughts were
called for Accordingly, the tariff was
raised to 81 per cent-so that, as the
country grew older, manufactures better
established and more extensive, they
need and get .f0e or ten times more prOtec-
ton than in "their first industrial en-.
deavors," when "early and efficient pro.
lection is necessary"
But let us 60 on. In 1928 the appetite
had grown, and more was demanded,
and Al per cent was the tariff levy. In
1882 another raise, but here a commo-
ton was the result, and as the Govern
ment was about out of debt, tapering
off tariff arrangement was entered into.
In 1S42, however, new tariff bill was
enacted that returned to the outrageous
ly high.fgures of 1882.
In the Presidential campaign of 1874,
between Clay and Polk, the tariff was
the question of discussion, and the pro-
tective principle got a back set. The
Polk administration and the Democratic
party Of. that day deserve honorable men.
ton for the establishment of fair and
judiCious revenue policy. They aban-
doned the paralyzing incubus of protec.
tion, and from that day, as an American
author says, is to be dated the golden
age of the Republic. The government,
then too, abandoned the use of paper
money, and collected tariff duties on the
ad valOrem or value, rather than the spe-
ci6c principle.
In 1861 the Republican party, under
the lead of the old Whig protection lead
ers, came into power, and soon all was
changed back to the dark days of privi- |
lege and monopoly at the expense Of Ia