The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-02-23
PROTECTION AND FREE TRADE.
Facts and Figures for the Consideration of
Honest People.

Facts and Figures for the Consideration of
Honest People.
SO-called prOteetiOnists are fond of
claiming great things for their iniqui-
tOus system, They try to make people
believe that under a protective tariff
everybody gets rich; and under tariff
for revenue that does not hamper nor
interfere with the freedom of business
and trade, everybody and the whole
country goes to ruin.
Facts, however, prove just the con
trary, both in this country and in Great
Britain where the two systems have
been tried. We have been anxious to
see the census returns of the wealth of
the country in 1880, that we might
compare with former census returns.
A comparison of the last decade with the
revenue tariff decade period from 1850
to 1860 would be fair. The intervening
decade includes the war and hence
should not be compared.
The whole financial and protective
schemes of the Republican party is on
the old legalized rObber plan of "Take
care of the rich and the rich will take
care of the poor" If the rich do not
take care of the poor, the devil, or some
one else, may. These Republican
schemes build up mOnOpolies make
millionaires; and thus impOyerish the
people.
We find in an exchange the following
comparison of the two decades referred
to, and present them for the cOnsidera-
tiOn of all thoughtful and honest peO-
pie. Trade and business should be un-
trammelled. There is no justice in
Government fayOring certain industries
and opposing and crushing others. But
read the comparison and preserve it for
reference:
During the free trade decade the
wealth of the nation grew from 81, 135.-
$50, ,22S in 1850 to $16, 159, ,616, 063 in 1860,
an increase of 1876 per cent. In 1870 the
total wealth of the United States was
given at $30,068, ,51S,507. The assessed
valuation of the real and personal prop
erty of the United States in 1880 as
given us by the Superintendent of CEN
sus, is $16,9O2, 755, 1893, and we believe it
is usual to add One-thiTd to the assessed
valuation to find the true valuation.
But we will accept the figures given by
NJ. G. Mulhall in the Balance Sheet of
the World" standard work on statis-
tics. According to his figures the total
wealth of the United States in 1880 was
S39, ,4OO,OOO,OOO. This sum includes the
amount paid on our national debt, and
is as near accurate as such figures can
well be made.
These figures show that during the 10
years of free trade the wealth of the ma
tiOn increased 1876 per cent and that
during the ten years of protection,
with greatly increased facilities for
our wealth only increased
81 per cent.
Free traders have always claimed
that protective tariffs Tetard the accu-
mutation of wealth and interfere with
It's equitable distribution, and these
facts prove cOnclusively that the pro-
.ectiYe system IS Injurious to the ma
ion.
In 1850 the population of the United
states was 23,l91,SI6, and the wealth
vas S7,136, 7SO,22S; in 1860 the pOpula-
ion was 81, ,429,S9l and the wealth was
s16, 159, 9,616,O6S. This gave one inhab-
tant 1907 in 1850 and S533 in 1860.
These figures show that under free
trade the wealth of the country in
creased much faster than the pOpula-
ton; while the figures as given by NIul-
hall show that for the ten years of tar
Iif, 1870 to 1880, the increase of wealth
has not kept pace with the population.
During the free trade decade we
gained $22S for each inhabitant, and
during the protection decade we lost
$50 for each inhabitant.
This difference is not owing to a more
rapid increase of population during the
protection decade; as during the free
5rade decade, 1850 to 1860, our pOpula-
lion increased 30 per cent, while for
-he protection decade, 1870 to 1880, the
Increase was only 2919 per cent.
Our protective system has produced
It's natural and inevitable results. Pro-
,ectlye tariffs are intended to make
things dear; things are dear when
scarce, and cheap when abundant.
DEAFNESS always means scarcity, cOnse-
luently protective tariffs produce
scarcity.
As riches consist of abundance, and
poverty of scarcity, protective tariffs
must naturally produce poverty.
If protective tariffs, by fostering mo-
nOpOlies, enable few persons to amass
great fortunes, it is only at the eX-
Dense of the mass of the people, espe-
tally of farmers and all who work for
wages.
The natural results of protection are
learn ess, scarcity, poverty and crime;
he natural results of liberty are cheap
less, abundance, wealth and virtue.