The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-11-24
Protection Versus Free Trade

have read csrefully the different articles
that have appeared in the HERALD from
the TO time on the subject of free trade, and
have waited for some one to take I'd the
suject Ga the other side. have been unable
fter all that has been said, to see how free
trade with Europe could benefit the United
States, but can very well understand how
1t would benefit England. Free trade be-
tween the United States and newer and
poorer government would result in making
us the manufacturers and they the produc-
ers. They would furnish US what raw ma
terial they could, and we woul furnish them
the manufactured goods, and as manu-.
iactured goods are worth more than the raw
material, the balance of trade would natu-
rally be against them, because they would
not get as much from US for their raw mate
RAJ rs they would have to pay us for the
manufactured goods. They would lose the
profits, or the difference between the raw ma.
terial, and we would gam them-then we
would become richer and they poorer. A
ustion without skilled labor or manufactures
Is a nation without resources, and incapable
OF competing with older and richer nations
in peace or war. Now, to illus.
,rate this idea, we havo only TO 90 back
very few years to the civil war between the
north and south. One was manufacturing
Snd Inc other agricultural. When the re-
sources Of the south gave out, she could
ere ate no more, Not so with the north.
We produced the raw mstecial, they manu-
featured it and retained the profits and /
would venture to say that had the circum-
stances been reversed, or had the south been
the manufacturers and the north the agricul-
turlsts tho result of the war would have been
different. So far as England is concerned
she had arrived at her centuries of ciyiliza.
ten before America was known, and is to-
day one vast workshop. Their form of gov
ernment, their deLse population and want of
space, and their necessity for skilled labor to
consume what other nations producl and
what they have not the agricultural space to
produce themselves, places them beyond the
possibility OF injury from opening their ports
TO newer and weaker powers. and although
we are not very weak, England would have
everything to gain and nothing to luss by
free ade with us. When she sells her goods
ID our market lever than we can mRnufac
tnre them, the alternative s either to reduce
the wsges OF our operatives 70 a level with
thos of England or close our factories. This
would Griye rs from thu factories to ths
ields, which would make US, to
cerlsin extent sgriculturists, and to
that extent weaker. The policy of
government should be, not TO send
the raw material, but the manufactured
goods out of the country and retain the profits
at home. Aanufac uring requires large ia
vsslmenta all over the country to develop the
cotton, sugar, wool, coal, iros and ali the
varied resources. From the resources wealth
Is created, mployment is given the people,
an the fsrmel finds the very best market vt
hone. Eaglsnd continues to rule hor prov
meas, because tue people of those countries
have not The genius 10 rise above mere asr-
cultufs aud create wealth and power Of tdeir
own. can't see why the United States show
any Difference to the opinions of Eng,ishmen
on the subject of free trade. 1t seems that
While England is looking after her Interests
we should be locking altar ours She has
wanted free trade with US since the begin
ming ofOur government, and had we adopted
1t from tho beginning we would to-day be a
nation OF sgrtrulturiSts almost exclusively. Ii
TINS should become great manufacturing
nation under protection SYSTEM Snd lew
manufactured goods should be imported, the
revenues from imports might he insufficient
for the purposes of government. In tina. event,
direct taxation might become necessary, to q
Certain eKtont; but in the event Of free trade,
direct taxation is inevitable That the peo-
pie should be contented, should be the desire
of any government. Every citizen owes some
thing to the government that protects him,
and to contribute his part from day 10 day
uncOnsciously will promote greater harmony
than the visits of the tax-gatherer In the
one instance, to bring the government to
the point of direct tsx,tiun, it is Necessary 10
create we sta all over tie cJuulry in the way
of manufactures and the development OF our
resources, while to bring the government to
that point of free trade the absence o! wealth
and power would be more congeniSl. If
manufacturing gives wealth to the Individual
it gives wealth to the nation, for the wealth
of nation is the aggregate wealth of the
people. If England should no longer find a
market hero for her goods, f large profits
were realized here / America, she would
probably experience corresponding dspres-
sion in manufacturing Vt homo, and the re.
suit would be that English capitalists, seeing
the opportunities here for large profits would
add to the permanent wealth of this country
by transferring their capital here and becom-
luB SOllPculOIs VI buOst n GhuN III Lne llelQ.
The result would be lower prices and smaller
profits, which would 90 on until the rates Of
interest on money would govern the profits.
Money here is worth 'om six 10 eighteen per
cent, while in England it is worth three
per cent. Hence the natural tendency would
be to invest where the largest returns could
be had. Then we can conclude that any leg
islation that will transfer the wealth of Eu-
rope to this country is the thing to be most
desired. Free trade between the United
States and England would throw the balance
of trade against US, for the reason | would
repeat that the raw material exported would
be worth less than the manufactured art-
clts imported. In other words, we would
have TO pay out more than we received. 1t
seems IL would noS be very difficult TO deter
mine where protection leaves eff and prohib-
ton begins. The latter / would avoid. If
there ara branches of American industry
that have gained strength enough to defy
foreign competition, the cause can safely be
attributed 10 protection at some stage Of
their existence and the time is not far dis.
tant when the south, with proper encourage.
ment, willexport manufactured goods instead
OF the raw material, and thereby retain the
profits at home. Free intercourse between the
states, as suggested in the HERALD, 1t seems
to me, does not illustrate the IDEA of FREQ
trade with foreign nations. We are a family