New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-09
MR. MORRLLL on TIE TlRLFE

! Senator Morrill,, of Vermont, delivered 4
thoughtful and vigorous speech yesterday in
| defence of the protective system, "A few ex-
tracts from which we print in another column
We regret that we have not room to give his
arguments in full. The speech deserves to be
widely read, as a fair presentation Of the Pro-
tectionist side of the Tariff controversy, made
by one of its oldest and most eminent
advocates Mr. Morrill, has served twenty-six
years in Congress, twelve in the House and
fourteen in the Senate. During all this long
period he has been close student of economic
science as affected by National legislation.
Living in a State whose interests are mainly
agricultural, he has escaped the charge
of being biased by the special concern
of his constituents in Tariff schedules,
and his opinions have always been re-
spected as those of a conscientious and
patriotic statesman seeking the prosperity of
the whole country. The present system of
customs dues IL known as the Morrill, Tariff.
He was the author of the law of 1861, which
swept away all vcstigcs of the old Demo
cratic revenue Tariff, and put in its place q
new fabric based on the principle Of defend
ing American manufactures against ruinOus
foreign competition. That law, much simpli-
fed and shOrn of features that were devised to
meet the abnormal condition of the country
! during the war, is still upon the statute book.
1t is therefore, the Morrill, Tariff under
which the United States has made the marvel
| lOus industrial progress of the last twenty
years. No wonder its author witnessing the
stir and challenge Of new forces ralying to
assail it, feels called upon to sharpen his old
weapons Of argument, gather fresh ammuni-
ton of facts and take the field in defence
of his work Much that he says is familiar to
those who made with him the old fights
in behalf of Protection under the lead
of Henry Clay and Horace Greeley, but
it is time to say it again for the instruction
of a new generation that has come into pub
lie life in these later days, when the ques-
tons growing out of the civil war have OBJ
scured the normal economic problems with
which nations have to deal in times of peace
A large portion of the speech, however, is
new material, gathered from the census re-
ports, and showing in striking way the great
development and spread of our man ufacturing
industries since the adoption of the Protective
system and the progress Of agriculture on par
allel lines of growth.
Mr. Morrill, rightly says that Protection
could not now be stricken down without in
Turing the interests Of every State in the Union.
Manufacturing is no longer a sectional interest
of the lstern and Middle States. There is
scarcely city or town in fhe entire West
that is not engaged to some extent in the con-
version of raw material into finished fabrics,
and the South is bestirring herself TO join in
the race to secure the beneficial results of di-
versifed industry. Ohio, once a purely agri-
cultural State, is now dotted with mines, fur
naces and factories. Indiana is following in
her footsteps and is q Protectionist community,
as the Democrats found to their cost when they
tried to carry it last year with Free Trade
platform. Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and the
Trans Mississippi States are eagerly extend
ing their manufacturing enterprises. In the
South, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee,
Georgia and Alabama are proud of their
growing iron interests and all the States that
lie in the Cotton Belt are cherishing their in
FAINT factories and seeking to establish new
ones. Even far-distant Texas, but lately de-
voted almost exclusively to cotton growing
and stock-raising, finds it has stores of
iron and copper, and begins to build
mills and FORCES. Thus the conditions
of the Tariff controversy are greatly
changed since Mr.. Morrill, entered the
lists of the champions of Protection to Ameri-
can industry. In raising the Protective stand
ard anew he can count upon adherents from
every section and every State. That there is
need of alterations in the present law to rem
edy incongruities and defects which time and