Daily Republican., 1881-12-28
Average circulation Ofthe X lPUl
LICAN 5000 Daily.
Protection vs.. Free Trade.

NOTWITHSTANDING Tue competition AIN
cutting of rates carried on between the
main trunk lines. The Financia
Chronicle gives list of the gross earn
ings of thirty-four important railroads
in various parts of the country for the
first two weeks in December, com par
ing them with the earnings of the same
roads fer the corresponding period OF
last year, These roads include a mile.
age of 50, 497, and while the mileage
had increased less than fifteen per cent,
the gross earnings show an increase of
about twenty tour per cent. These
earnings were S., 326, l25 this year
against S6,639,IjO last year, the increase
being 81, $50, ,37;l. The earnings per mile
were S253 for the first half of the pres
ent month, against $245 year ago.
This result is shown in spite OF the fact
that crop returns are not nearly as
favorable as last year. A large proper
tlOu VI IlCSV lp'tto alN III 'h' w SH' "h'
North West, and much of their business
consists in carrying grain and flour.
The New York Times in referring to
this unexampled growth in railroad
prosperity, pays a glowing tribnte to
our internal industries. 1t attributes
this great increase TO constant devel-
opment of manufacturing industries,
which more and more use up raw ma
terials and promote a growing demand
for the supplies which agriculture fur
nishcs. Our internal commerce 1t says
is out of all proportion to our foreign
trade, and by far the larger part of what
railroads carry back and forth consist,
of commodities which are interchanged
amongst our own people. The com
plete freedom of our internal traffic and
the great variety of wants and require,
ments in different parts Of the country
are the real source Of our growing
wealth. Continuing in this glowing
strain. the Times says, it seems plain
enough to the most perverse of econo
mists that there is advantage and profit
in unrestricted intercourse between
New England and the West and be
tween the Middle States and the South,
in fact between any part OF the country
which produces a surplus of one class
of commodities and ary other part
which produces surplus of another
class. Nobody believes that there
would be gain in trying to protect one
State or section from the competition
of another. Freedom, if finterchangcd,
is a stimulus to activity and source
ofprotit to all.
Thus far the Times does well, and if
it stopped just at this point, its work
would not have invited adverse crit.
cism. The last of the article is so i'm.
p1rtant that we give it in full;
"And yet when foreign boundary is
reached, it appears 10 be assumed that
tue same principle will not work. Why
barrier of taxation upon trade be-
tween New England and Canada should
be supposed 10 operate prOiitably III
both directions when one between
Massachusetts, and Vermont would not
be tolerated. it is hard 10 see # Cali
fornia San find profit in free inter
change Of commodities with Texas it is
reasonable TO suppose that the whole
Pacific Cgast and the entire Southwest
would lind similar advantage i'll IN
restricted trade with Mexico. Aud the
width Of the boundary can make Lo
difference except so far "a it affects the
cost of transportation. 1t does not mat
ter whether it is an imaginary line laid |
down by commission or an ocean in
..erposed by nature. A Kind ct trade
tha, is profitable aud wealth producing !
baS. = SECTIONS of %,rr'',v ,,a,-i-, i J
in climate, natural resources, and the
industries that spring from these won d |
be correSpondingiy profitable between
independent nations which have sur
plus productions to dispose Of.
OF course all protectioniSts in the
country of whatever political shade Oh
other questions, w,ll take exceptions to
this concluding aragraph, because /;
strikes at the very foundation of all
that makes our country great and pros
porous. If the Canadas and Mexico
Were a part Of this.5nation, then the
theory Of the Times would be CORE #
Thay would then become ASST ...lated
gradually with the lGtnci p!as If free
government aid be fury prepared to
share the pro'eot!cn the States.
Though there ar. sorlreign States
in this contedera IN, they constitute
one nation moved by a general impulse
and governed by n" same principles OF
justice AMI equali'y. Canada and Mex
leo are entirely different uations, witt
different tastes, d ferrnc IDEAS of g0t'
ernment and enga I'D in different pur
suits and there ore the, sane rule ap
piled to the Unired States will not ap
ply to them and the same may De sale
of other nations separated by oceans
The Times rejo!ces in the ct at pros
perity OF the west, but what makes III,
West prosperous? What coustitut th'
great source of wealth which increase
the gross earnings Of these trunk lin
railroads referred to in the commenve
ment of our article? Agriculture al,
mining the first more than the latter
Who are our thrifty agtiCulturalists
Emigrants from the free trade coun
tries of Europe. With the great tide O
emigration pouring into our country
we have no need for exporting any larg
amount of our agricultural products
Our markets are brought to our doors
Instead of feeding and clothing tn
A. 4