The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-05-13
The Protective System.

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| people must be divided into two classes, one
/ whose duty it is to protect, and another who
have the right to demand and receive protec-
ton. 1t must also prescribe the instrument
tality and the mode and manner of its use, by
which the desired result is to be secured. In
/ government where the rights of all are,
under the Constitution, equal, before 1t can
decree that one class shall protect the other,
1t must find, in the organic law, provision
authorizing it TO do so. 1t must also find au-
thority for selecting and forming these classes,
and for defining the agents that are to be used
! in carving out the work. 1t would also seem
| to be necessary to provide against changes
! from one class to another, or the abandonment
of the specified agencies to he used in securing
the intended results. If the protection in
4 tended should be for the producers of wheat
and corn, if no provision is made against it,
/ the producers of rye, oats, potatoes and hay
may leave their unprotected business and en-
gage in raising wheat and corn, and. by in
creasing the supply beyond the demand, eff
| fectually defeat the intended protection. II
/ the object should be to protect the owners OF
cotton and wooden mills. if not prevented by
/ law, other manufacturers might come in and
defeat the protection by orcTsioCKIng iiiC
market with cotton and wooden goods. There
/ can be no lasting protection where the favored
( class is free TO select and pursue employments.
II protection raises prices, competition is as
certain. as the laws OF business, to step IN and
reduce prices to the cost of production. II
there were but hundred hatters and boot
makers in the Union, and foreign competition
legislated out. they could fix the price of hats
and boots at pleasure. Rutwhen the business
is thrown open. competitors will rush in and
increase the supply, until hating and boot
making woHld cease 10 be specially profitable.
This will be found true of every kind of bust
ness. High duties on like productions from
foreign countries will, for a time. keep up
prices on our productions to the cost of ehe
foreign article, its duty, and cost, and charges.
For "A time high prices naturally prevail. bat
time is sure 60 lower those of our own produc-
tions tn cost, including fair business profit.
Those who say. Put on duties, aud give
protection tn all u,ir productions, seem not TO
understand that this would be merely raising
the price Of those productions without bene-
fling anybody. A law giving fifty per csnf-
protection TO every article would be no more
useful than TO mark up prices without IT, H.
before the law, halter got two bushels of
wheat Of farmer for a hat. he would gei no
morn, and the farmer would pay exactly the
+ old pTice for y hat. Amcng producers amt
consumers neither woHld he benefited. II a
class Is to 55e selected To- profit hy protective
legislation, il would BE- necessary to define who
should compose IT, Should il be those per
sonally most meritorious? II -. who shall
adiucate and determine who they are II Il
Is TO be composed ol those without whose toll
we cannot eXist--the farmers-wili the me
chauics and seamon be satisfied The farm
ers have never vet been selected. Shall II be
the seamen? Then the farmers and mechan-
ies will complain and oveFfhrow the law, a.
their combined numbers will enable them To
do. Shall il be the farmers Then the sea-
mea and mechanics will BE- dissatisfied and
seek a change. Ii il shall he mechanics. then
the farmers and scamen viii complain. AID
seek to alter the law. Among the farmers are
there degrees Of merit Are not the wheat,
corn. wool and potato growers. and the Eya-
xiers. all on a par 10 not al toll work the
soil, and receive about equally low profits
We rely upou them in war; shall - overlook
them in peace Among mechanics, what
class shall be preferred. i he who uses ma
chinery 10 BE- preferred % hifn who uses his
hands, T. the maker ~ tarshingales more
worthy If favor than the pan maker Mae
shall select. aud where does 10 obtain his aa-
thority 10 Discriminate amour citizens apaa
whom God and the Consultations have confer
red equal F1xhtsg We are not speaking con
cerning raisiag revenue. hes II class adEan-
sagcs conferred by legislation. inaptly called
protection, which has less Fepulsivc aspect.
bat words Cnhn0i disguise the intention, Il
is 10 seirct among mankind class Who shall
receive worldly tayur 20 b. derived ffum the
earnings IT another class Eoihosc shn cara
ard weld these advantage, ana a. the class
vha receive them, Il IS precisely the same
thing IN pFiaeifsie. whether the receiveF cod
ieets, a. aow Tor himself, oF the Goveremeat
should do Il and pay over tothc favored class.
The luss on oae ssde aBd sbs gaia on che other
znaid h. the sane iiag & the GoverntRsht
shsnld hrcums the organ 81 an agwrwsssan
utou the rights Of rr{gslity, those crsartsae and
executing the law would - instantly kusicd
from power When the Disguise Is stripped
Of from such a system, the votcr IL The WoFld
Is against H. When the injustice Is indirectly
peFpctratsd. - A. uot 80 be shown up E5sF-
ingiy IN RA is proportions, g Is Boi cleaFis
seen. is exteni kaown OF appreciated. Whsa
the law, BY Is operations, adds ANY per crns-
10 the pFscs 81 cssssnas and soolieus, not tssiss
collected by itself bat "a zsi8ed g. fair pgpsss.
Il is little thoaghs 81. bee3asc covered aP and
concealed. II lhe h5lls seFv made car In tao
items, one shoNlng ihs real cssi, an1 the other
the legislative pu6tccts0a, few ~puid pay The
latter. aud fcEer ssiil approve 81 thc izS ga
ghori1inx the exaetiap- l. j. BY Disgusting the
ingredients ESfh = sugar rssaflrlz that disa-
..res.ahle piil - easily swallowed liWuald b.
Jasl a. fair aaa homes; for Government Ia ap-
poiat officers to ~ 90 iee paying class and r.
quirc them to pay a. The favored clAss sIsegshe
amounts a. 70 ailow Is % t,e indirectly doae.
There Is no nore poNeF ia The Constitution 10
DO the enc than there Is IA do the other
There Is No, q particle ia IL esstbprEing either.
nurine the twesty eight yeaFs Of the hrss fong
PErsidenfs tila idea Of such favoTlsasEa IN beg
islati0n vas not proposed OF thc1ghg ct.
There vas no class controlling sufficiently
larye unmber Of the press and politicians Ia
dars attempt any such object. Then the com
try vas new. sud asen struggled 10 secure
livelihood. aud wegc willing - earn Il. u was
not until years 81 prosperity had accumulated
capital, aud the Ouiied States Bank, and
small limitations had brsn chartered, that msn
began to think Of living BY their wits and
without labor This oceasion,-d the Necessity
u prutitiag hy the warnings Of others, aI'd
prompted meH to seek the aid Of legislation 10
accomplish their purposes. Men seek the
fruits q industry. but wish 10 he protected
from the labor necessary 10 obtain them
Class legislation secures this. The smaller
the class. the more certain Is thriving result
The favored class is made iast largy enough to
secure the passage Of the law, aud no larger,
The larger the number LET, IN the contributing
class. the more profitable the discrimination.
II restricted to iuconsderahle numbers. the
system would fail TO be productive. The con
stifnsi0ual poseF authorizing this kind Of leg
islaiion has never been pointed out. Il .
never visible. cxcep, to those whose eyes are
50 peculiar that they can see around hill.
The system finds tslkers aud writers, but never
furnished q logical constitutional argument.
because impossibilities are never accom-
plished.
The protective system rests upon extreme
anti democratic principles-the principle that
the Government is y machine created "a make
one class rich. and To control the industry al
the other. so as TO secure that object. 4 share.
often a large one, Of the earnings Of one class
Is taken from them by Law aud diverted to the
use OF the favored one. Instead Of each per
son working out bis own happiness, according
10 Democratic principles, the unprotected
class are required, by Government. to work
out the prosperity and happiness of the pro-
tected class, By contributing toward the means
necessary to enable them to live. There is,
in reality, slavery in this principle, because
the class contributing to the support OF the
protected class do so, not OF their own free
will, but by compulsion aud without eompen
sation. The difference Is in the form and
dress, and not in the principle.
We have shown that, in the progress of
time, this class legislation defeats itself. But
not until large mischief is done. Ii weakens
the bonds Of Government, and alienates one
section from another, according to the locality
of the contributing and receiving classes,
while it occasions n perpetual scramble for
these Legislative advantages. All such things
II L al l.