The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-04-28
and every investment of capital. how.
ever small, brought its proper reward
RI tho invacfn,

| lHc ClVl w Ill DIOtSHO Ill iOo Cioiii
again protection to home industry
and revived the old idea. During the
war both the internal revenue and
the tariff was hastily raised. Many
minor articles which had passed free
until now, were rather thOughtlessly
loaded with an unprOductive duty.
Many other goods were divided into
innumerable grades, to distinguish
which was a delay to the importer
and perplexity to the custOm-oflicer.
The great haste with which Congress
was forced to take action, ought to
suffice for an excuse of these plumbers.
Bnt after the close of the war when
internal duties were again lowered to
a less burdenSome and more satisfac.
tory standard, the manufacturers,
strange to say, were so violent in
their agitations to retain the war
tariff, that nothing whatever was
done in the matter. War is said to
give a temporary stimulus to manu-.
features, just like protection. The
behavior of the men interested in
manufactures seemed to confirm the
belief of the existing analogy.
AS no modification of the tariff was
effected at the close of the war, there
was 10 hope of reform when the
people became neglectful through in
creasing prosperity.
A ridiculOusly farcical movement
took pla in 1870. 1t was solemnly
determined to make the poor man.
breakfast cheaper by reducing the
duty on tea and coffee.
What is the present nature of the
tariff? Why, what it was at the
close of the war. On the so expen.
sively transported article, iron we
have still a duty of 20 per cent. Wool
bears Il prohibitory duty of so per
cent. Salt is excluded by duty OF
30-65 per cent. Sugar bears an un.
productive duty of 81 per cent. AL.
kalies, such necessary elements in the
processes connected with the advance
of civilization, are oppressed by SO
heavy duty that their cost is one
fourth higher than in England. All
this for the benefit of few work.
shops in Pennsylvania.
BY heavy duty on manufactured
machinery and tools or on raw mater
ial, our farmer has to fight with
poverty, our machinist is hand-cuffed,
and our mariner is asked to overlook
the fact, that he has to face tax of
40 per cent on his iron, lumber, cord.
age and fuel, and solely rely on the
sustaining power of patriotism. Our
ships often must return without
cargoeS, for reasons which our cor
pOrate mOnopOlists can themselves
best tell. This makes double freight
on wheat and is so much taken from
the profits of the farmer. Such is
the actual state of affairs according
to free traders. They lament the
weakness of the citizen before organ.
lied corporations and Congress-, their
supple instrument. 1t is stated that
even the protectionists do not like
the present state of the tariff, but
they think that it's principle is as
good as it ever has been. The pro-
tectionists still hold large part of
the people 10y means of the editorials
in the newspapers. There is un.
doubleday also something in human
nature that draws us toward such a
system. AS to the arguments gener.
ally found in the editorials, there are
many that would not stand moments
thought, yet on the popular mind
they have strong hold.
But the theory that has so perfect
ly captivated so large a part of our
more well informed citizens, is the so
called American system of Henry C.
Carey. Carey lived in Pennsylvania,
a country that is we'll adapted for
diversified industries, which vehe-
mently argued for protection in order
that it might, against the competition
of cheap labor, at once and now enjoys
the vast wealth of it's mountains. He
thinks that no country has such a
splendid future as that which by
protection has established diversifid
industries. He thinks that it would
greatly facilitate exchange. His idea
on foreign commerce is characterized
in the following words, his own 1T
were better for America, if the
oceans that roll between the two
continents were converted into sea
of fire, so that, if Dives were in
Europe and Lazarus in America, they
could by no means enter into COM
mercial correspondence" For an
extensive country, not densely popu.
ulated and possessing small means of
transport, Carey's system has some
application. But with increasing
competition and greater power of
transport this system is specious it
confines the theory of unity among
nations small and varying limits, and
leaves out of sight the powerful
factors, competition and natural ad-
vantages.
The theory of free trade is built on
vastly broader foundation. The ar
guments of the opponents of prOtec-
ton are about as follows: They deny
in the very beginning that protection
will at all permanently encourage the
favored industry. They say that the
seeming liveliness in trade is only
temporary. In short time every
body concerned in the consumption
of the protected article. will cOmpen.
safe himself by advancing the price
of his own commodity. Protection,
in the second place, frees the capital
list from the spur of competition.
They say, moreover, that protection
does not tend to give new employ
ment to labor. 1t compels people to
buy dearer in order to create addi-
tional employment. This is equiva-
lent to substituting manual labor for
machine labor. If an article can be
sold cheaper, more Of it will be con-
sumed, and vice versa. If farmer
has to pay two bushels OF wheat for
one barrel of salt with its duty, where
before the duty, one bushel of wheat
would do, he will most probably fore.
90 his former intention to buy also
some shoes, some clothing, or some
machinery. thus the shoemaker,
the tailor, or the manufacturer in
iron, or all three, may lose one Gus.
toner.
Protection (they say) is injurious to
our export trade. Product for pro-
duct is the rule Of exchange. On
this law hangs the success of a great
part of our industries. Whether a
small amount of the farmers surplus
crop can be exported or not, may de.
eide whether he receives a profit or
suffers loss. This may determine
whether he will cultivate additional
portions or leave them uncultivated.
They contradict the theory that a
country must have diversified indus.
tries to make it independent in war,
but say that wealth is all that is