Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-26

The attempt to change the tariff, now in
progress at Washington, revives the old dis
cushion Of the question of protection for
American industry. As Of yore, the CHIEF
argument against protection is that it creates
monopolies. A friend calls our attention to
the views, on this subject, of the famous
French statesman, Theirs, as expressed in a
great speech delivered by him in January,
1870. NJ. Theirs was a great statesman,
and, Of course, man Of clear head and
great cOmm0n-scnse and nothing cap
be clearer than his demonstration that the
natural effect Of judicious protection is to
destroy foreign monopolies. and to benefit
CONSUMERS by lowering prices. In the
speech alluded to he said
1T is urged that all the projections accorded
to industry constitute monopolies, and that,
to enrich a few monopolies, We burden the
whole country. 1t is true there is monop-
olv but it is not in France 1T is abroad.
desire to say that this little monopoly,
which you accord to French industry, de-
stroys the monopoly Of foreign industry.
when England and France alone worked
up cotton, as you know, what was the price
Of kilogram Of cotton yarn which is now
worth three francs? 1t was worth twenty
seven francs. 1t is true that this was at the
period of our wars, and when the raw mate
rial bore high price: but after the peace
the price was still as high as fourteen
francs.
at has gone down now to three francs.
And here is the reason why: In proportion
as the French production was developed,
there was, in spite Of prohibition, sort of
penetration between the two markets. We
created competition with England, and
thus the cotton fell to three francs.
"W hat purpose, then, has the monopoly
served? IL has compelled the foreigner to
lower his prices. Every time that you give
u protection to a national product. you cause
the price Of the foreign product to be lower
ed, and You prevent monopoly.
"Another example, more recent: When
the linen Industry was destroyed in France
by the English production by power, kilo-
gram Of thread was worth seven francs. We
protected the linen industry in France This
protection permitted competition, and the
French product compelled the English manu-
facturers to lower their prices to three franc,
fifty confines,
g II then, there is anything evident, it is
that this pretended monopoly, this sacrifice
of few confines, produces general lower
ing of price, which is for the benefit Of the
whole country. If you are not willing
that the French manufacturers should fabric.
ate, because you have to pay 20 per cent
r,nre than in Enuland - xv,II 81 ..
English making you pay 100 per cent more.
- ii Engldn were the only country to pro-
duce certain objects, could YOU have them at
the same price2 Certainly not. 1t is com
petition, sustained by II just protection which
destroys foreign monopoly. Those who speak
oil universal, unrestricted competition, do
not comprehend it, Do you know what true
competition is? 1t is that no nation should
suHer itself to make any surrender of its
native industries. 1t is that no one should
say that 1t will no longer manufacture cot
ton, because 1t cannot produce as cheaply as
another; that no one shall say that it will
no longer fabricate cloths. because it cannot
fabricate at 50 good an account as its neigh
Dor that no one should say that it will not
raise grain, under the pretext that grain Is
produced more dearly than in other coun-
tries. The nation which should reason thus
would exhibit the reasoning Of an idiot. Do
you know what is the true competition of
nation with nation, the universal competi-
ton Is it noble ambition on the part of
each people, the noble emulation Of pro-
duong everything, and even that which 1t
produces with less advantage than other
people. This competition has, as its result,
the reduction of prices to the lowest attain
able standard, throughout the entire world"