The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-11-26
WHOM DOES PROTECTION PROTECT,

Inc New Ork W 0rL0 mas the following 10
say in reference to the sophistries of the re
cent tariff convention at Chicago:
The convention reiterated the arguments
and reaffirmed the doctrines which have done
duty IN the protectlonlst cause from time i'm
memorial. Thus, they have persuaded them
selves that they are public beneiactors because
they carry on protected industries. But what
Is protected industry! 1t is business which
when conducted on business principles does
not pay, but which is shored up by a law com
polling the general public to pay 1.-THE and
tribute for its maintenance. The conductor of
such q concern Is no more public benetactor
than was the feudal lord OF the manor who
forced his nelghbors to bring their grist to his
mill and their bread TO his oven, and took toll
ia FURNACE and emolument. The tariff gen.
tlemen also labor under the impression that
the protective duties which have been in force
since the breaking out of the war have kept
the United States solvent by filling the treas
ury with customs revenue. But the reason of
being of q nigh tariff is to stop imports on
which customs revenue IS collected and to
force the consumer to contribute, not to the
Golfers of the state by paying duties on cheap
foreign goods, but to the Golfers of the home
manufacturer by purchasing his high priced
products. 1t Is evident also that every dollar
facturer reduces by one dollar their power to
liquidate the obligations of the state. The
protectionists also insist that they are entitled
to the eternal gratitude Of American labor.
But a high tariff does not give the labOrer in
creased comforts or higher wages. The Amerl-
can workman Is better off than the workman
of Europe, simply because he is enjoying with
every other class in the community the advan-
tages of living in new country of vast natur.
al wealth which IS undergoing the process of
development and where labor of all kinds is
required for that process. That protection
does not benefit him is amply shown by the
experience of other countries. Wages are
higher IN England than in France, Germany
or Belgium, yet these three are high.taritt
countries, while the British artisan is unpro.
tected The British workman is infinitely bet.
ter off today than he was forty years ago when
every article entering into human subsistence
WAS taxed and protected by tariff almost as
elaborate as Our own. But the American la
borer Is not so well off now as IN low tariff
days, for if protected industry has benefited
him in one direction it has injured him in
others, being as it is in the nature of general
levy. Does any intelligent workman suppose
that the employers at the Chicago convention
have met for the purpose of advocating higher
wages or increased comforts for him? 1t the
protectonist employers where sincere in de-
string to benefit home labor, would they not
rather advocate a prohibltory tax on Immi-
grants The American artisan would then
command high wages year in and year out,
and would be in position to hold conventions
at Chicago for the purpose OF forming rings
and combinations against the rest OF the com
munity, and could afford to subscribe freely
to republican campaign funds to secure the
election of champions Of native industry
rJg ha all If