The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-02-07
AN AMERICAN STATESMAN ON
PROTEC1I0M


AN AMERICAN STATESMAN ON
PROTECTION
From the London, Ontario, Advertiser, Jan 18th !
In the face of the most discouraging
facts the ProteCtionist organs of Canada
persist in telling their readers of the
great things Protection has done for the
United States, and consequently what
great things it would do for us if made
the principle of our tariff. Why they
allow their crazy idolatry OF Sir John
Macdonald to blind their eyes to the true
state of things in the States is scarcely
comprehensive. Newspaper men are
not fools, and when newspaper man
tells his readers that Protection is sue
cess in the States, deserving our imlta-
ton, he tells them an untruth, and a de-
liberate one at that, for he reads the con-
trary every day of his life in his Ameri-
can exchanges, The best intellects in
the States confess that Protectionism is
a mighty delusion, and that it is sapping
the foundations OF the country. 1t is re-
tained for two reasons, The first is that
legislation at Washington is in the hands
of corrupt men who are actually and lit
erally in the pay of the rings ofmanutac-
turers organized to control tariff matters
through the agency of the lobby. In
the next place there is a weak hesi-
tation about throwing off such an i'm
mense incubus. 1t has got such hold
on the nation that it has paraly lyzed ac'
ton to a great extent, and almost numb
ed and deadened all clear and correct
thought on the tariff question. The peo-
ple are somewhat in the position of the
drunkard of intelligence. He feels pros
'trated, bloated, bunged up, and that the
only true remedy is to renounce his
drinking ways and live soberly. But
feeling this, he oftener than not browns
his reproving conscience in the glass Of
LIQUOR, knowing though he does that still
greater prostration must be the result.
The States in a measure are like the
neryeless drunkard. They lack The cour-
age, they have been too long victims to
the seductions of ProteCtionism to shake
off the wretcbed habit. And when they
feel more than usually prostrated and
correspondingly penitent, they generally
pour down more liquor in the form OF
higher duties, in the wild hope that it
will brace and set them up. The only
true setter up is to swear of, and live on
revenue tariff principles.
But it may be objected that this mis-
representation of the true state Of things
commercial among our neighbOrs. Re.
peated evidences to the contrary might
be daily quoted from their press, but we
will, lust now, call witness of high char
acter and commanding position, In his
recent message to the Legislature ofNew
York, Governor Robinson called atten'
ton to the widespread misery that pre-
walls in trade and commerce matters in
the States, the cause of it and its cure.
His words are sad commentary on the
veracity of the Macdonaldite organs that
are continually bawling the beauties of
Protection in America:
individuals and corporations engaged
in the various branches of manufacture,
taking advantage of the necessities of the
Government, rushed to Congress, ard,
by every means in their power, procured
each for its own benefit, the levy of what
were called protective duties under the
false pretenCe Of raising revenue for the
Government, but really TO compel consul
naers to pay erhorbitant prices for the articles
thus protected. Under the wing and slim
ulus of this so.called protection, new en-
terprises were undertaken; pew and ex-
tensive factories built; new and needless
railways projected and undertaken; new
mines and foundries opened; and armies
oflaborers allured by high wages to these
enterprises from fields of agriculture and
other sober and rational employments Of
life. The few notes of warning raised
against the certain consequences OF this
wild overaction were unheeded. Ex-
travagance of expenditure, the absence
of every economic virtue obtained in all
directions. The empty and delusive
bubble thus raised could not endure, and
although kept afoat by the whole power
of the Government so long as it was pos
sible, it met at last the inevitable day Of
doom. Imaginary fortunes vanished in
a moment, ill.advised railway schemes,
mines, mills, factories were suspended,
tens of thousands of innocent and unfortunate
Iaborers Uere left tVithOla employment or the
means of s.sbsiStence. Instead of the high
wages by which they had been enticed
from other occupations to these enterpri-
ses, they received no wages at all"
Governor Robinson goes on, sensibly,
| to recommend the true measure and way
of relief. He says: "There can be but
zone permanent and effectual remedy.
"That is to return as speedily as possible
ito the condition of things that existed
"before the road to ruin was entered
upon; by means of return to specie
payments, a sound and stable currency
"and the reduction of the tariff to a
"strictly revenue standard,
And further on Governor Robinson
says, what Mr.. Cartwright was greatly
blamed by the Opposition for saying
that there is a dangerous tendency toI
labor to crowd the cities, instead of re-
manning in the country. "One Of the
greatest evils resulting to the laboring
"man," writes the Governor, "from the
"false and delusive appearances which
"have been displayed before them, il
that they have been induced TO leave
''the safe, peaceful and independent life