Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-04-07

d CTS they may derive support and COM
fort for themselves and those dependent
upon them. The result therefore does
not depend upon the amount Of labor
done, but upon the value OF the product.
That country therefore is the most pros
Porous which enables the labor to obtain
the greatest possible value for the pro
duct Of his toll, not that which imposes
the greatest labor upon him. II this
were not the case, linen were better of bs
fore the appliances of steam as motive
power were discovered, or railroads were
built, or the telegraph was invented. The
man who constructs labor saving ma
chine is public enemy; and he would
be public benefactor who would restore
the good old times when the farmer new
er had leisure day and the sun never
set on the toll of the mechanic. No, Mr..
Chairman, it is the desire of every labOrer
to get the maximum of result from the
minimum of effort. That system there
fore can be of no advantage to him which,
while it gives him employment, robs him
of its fruits. This it will be seen, protec-
tiOn does. while free trade, giving him
unrestrained control of the product OF
his labor, enables him to get the fullest
value for it in markets of his own selec-
ton.
The protectionist, relying upon the
propositions l have thus hurriedly dis
cussed, urges many specious reasons for
his system, to few of which only do
intend to call attention to-day.
1st. In the first place it is urged that
protection will develop the resources of a
country, which without it would remain
undeveloped. Ofcourse this to be of ad
vantage to a country must be general
aggregate increase of development, for if
it he an increase of some resources as a
result of diminutlon in others, the peo-
pie as a whole can be no better off after
protection than before. But the general
resources cannot be increased bS tariff.
There can only be such an increase by an
addition to the disposable capital of the
country to be applied to the development
of resources. But legislation cannot
make this. If it could it would only be
necessary to enact laws indefinitely to in
crease capital indefinitely. But if any
legislation could accomplish this, it
would not be protective legislation. AS
already shown the theory of protection
is to make prices higher in order to make
business profitable. This necessarily in
creases the expense of production, which
keeps foreign capital away because it can
be employed in the protected industries
more profitable elsewhere. The domes-
tic capital therefore must be relied upon
for the proposed development. AS legis-
lation cannot increase that capital, if it be
tempted by the higher prices to the bust
ness protected it must be taken from some
other business or investment. If there
are more workers in factories there will
be fewer artisans. If there are more
workers in shops there will be fewer far
mers. If there are more in the towns
there will be fewer in the country. The
only effect of protection, therefore, in
this point of view, can be to take capital
from some employment to put into an.
other, SO that the aggregate disposable
capital cannot be increased, nor the ag-
gregate development of the resources OF
the country be greater with tariff than
without.
Cd. But, secondly, it is said that pro-
lection increases the number of indus.
tries, thereby diversifying labor and
making variety in the occupations of a
} people who otherwise might be confined
to single branch of employment. This
argument proceeds upon the assumption
that there would be no diversifcation of
the labor without protection. In other
: words, it is assumed that but for protec.
ton our people would devote themselves
to agriculture. This, however, is not
true. Even if community were purely
agricultural, the necessities of the situa-
ton would make diversification of indus
try. There must be blacksmiths. and
shoemakers and millers, and merchants,
and carpenters, and other artisans. To
each one of these enployments, as popu-
lation increases, more and more will
devote themselves, and with each year
new demands will spring up, which will
create new industries to supply them. |
was born in the midst of splendid farm.
! ing country. The business of nine-tenths
of the people in my native country was
farming. My intelligent boyhood was
spent there from 1850 to 1860, when there
was no tariff for protection. There were
thriving towns for the general trading.
} There were wooden mills and operatives.
There We're Touring mills and millers.
There were iron founders and their EN-.
ployees. There were artisans of every
description. There were grocers and
merchants, with every variety of goods
al hor he. ri