The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-02-23
Hon. w. P. Frye on the Tariff.


On the 10th inst, Hon. W. P Frye, Senator
from Maine, speaking to the Morrill, Tariff
Commission bill, delivered an able argument
in support of the protective tariff policy.
Referring to the familiar aspect of the sub
iect and the well-settled conviction of his
hearers upon it, he said he could not hope to
enlighten the Senate either as to the benefits
OF protection or the dangers OF free trade and
its twin sister tariff for revenue only" but
that he spoke to the American people, who
were intensely interested in the question. An
nouncing himself q protectionist from princi-
pie, he argued from the natural timidity and
inertness of capital that special inducements
TO encourage its employment and incite its ac-
tivity in the mines, torges, ioundries, and fac
tories of the country were Indispensable. In
our manufactures capital was entitled to pro-
lection against the competition OF cheaper
goods produced by the half-paid workmen OF
Europe. Upon the question OF wages. he urg
ed the disparity between the European and
American Werkmen, the latter having respon-
sibilities as citizen which did not pertain to
the former and his comforts being such that
his very necessities were TO his foreign compe-
titor as luxurles. To cut down the wages
Of the American to the European level would
be 70 impair the foundation of our Govern
not intelligently perform the duties OF Citizen
ship. Free trade, he said, would open our markets
70 foreign products and manufactures which cost
for the labor in their production from onequarter
to twot thirds of the cost of producing own man
ufacturee. After showing the extent 10 which En-
gland protected her manufactures under what
might be called tariff for revenue only, he said
the proposed tariff policy OF the Democrats, In or
der to induce large tmportations and create great
revenues, would necessarily make the duties On
manuta csures SO low that our foreign competitors
would undersell In our own market. He knew from
his experience on the Ways and Means Committee
OF the House what his Democratic friends meant by
. "tarin for revenue only. such tariff would be
disastrous to our people than free trade, as it
would subject US to the competition of all other
countries In everything We raise or manufacture
and increase to us the cost of foreign products.
Asserting that the Democratic Party and England
were to-day the only champions OF free trade, MIR.
Frye reviewed the policy of England in sacrificing
every growing industry of her colonies and repress
ing their interests crafty her selfish purpose
of building up and protecting her own home indus
tries, while she strengthened and extended her
commerce at the expense Of every nation she could
frighten delude. Finding herself "InIstress OF
the sess' and manufacturer Of the world" she
adopted free trade, In the belief that with her ad
vsntages she could successfully compete with the
world, hold her own markets. and gain others. With
an overlooking population, product one-Q uar-
ter of which sne could not consume at home, with
one-thlrd Of her spindles idle, and protection
against her manufacturers In almost every country
she now cunningly Joined the Democratic Party in
crusade against our industries. Character1zing
what ne called the luminosity of the Democratic
Party to protection outgrowth of Its devotion
slavery and Its determination TO make the North
one great farm for supplying the South with cheap
food, and illustrating this by reference to book
published In Georgia In 1860 entitled ''Cotton is
King" Mr.. Frye argued that the Democracy had
in former tariff debates invariably opposed pro-
sective policy the ground that cotton was king,
and ought OF right to that we must have market
forit: tnat We protected against British manufac-
England would reIaliate, and that cheap food
for the southern slaves was necessary. These old
fashioned Democratic TRADES were now occasional
Iy repeated. Slavery died 20 years ago and, al
though the predictions of the Democratic statesmen
OF ruin and disaster to follow from protective pol
10y had been disastrously falsihed, there no
change in their sentiment The wealth, Intelligence
and political head Of that party still remained in
she South. The Southern Democrat still raved
about national banks, SHE'D at shool-house, and
talked of .'white mans government" and the
Northern Democrat was only his echo. Referring
70 the unparalleled prosperity Of the protection
eras, and claiming that but for our tariff our mar
kets would have been deluged ia the panic of 1878
with the over-production of unsold merchandise
abroad, he contrasted the period of a Democratic
revenue tariff from 1S47 to 1861 with the kepubli-
protective tariff since 1850. The former left
the country In debt and its Treasury bankrupt,
while in the latter successful war waged, bill
Hons Of money raised, q national debt paid at the
OF 900 per year, the interest reduced to
az per cent. and the country made prosperous.