Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-11-23
New Series-Vol. %. No. 40
The Benefits of Protection.

A pamphlet, containing the report of
an interview with Judge William Law
renee, First Comptroller of the Treas
ury. on the subject of Protective Tariff,
has been published by the National
Chamber of Industry and Trade. The
purpolt of Judge Lawrences remarks is
that Protection is beneficial to all class
es of American industry, to the farmer
as we'll as the manufacturer, the me-
chanie and labOrer as well as the en-
ployer. AS judge Lawrence is an Ohio
man, the contrasted effects of Protection
and Free Trade on Ohio interests are
uppermost in his mind.
No State in the Union has more diver
sifed industries than Ohio. Nowhere
are the agricultural, mining, and manu-
featuring interests more evenly bal
anced. Here, if anywhere, the three
classes of labor are intimately associated
and mterdependeHG upon each other.
When one prospers the others share in
prosperity. When one industry is pros
trated the others cannot but suffer-
Forty years ago" says Judge Law
renee, farmers had to go to Cincinnati
and other points on the Ohio River, or
to distant markets on Lake Erie obtain
ing but low price for their produce
and paying high rates for hardware, salt,
farm implements, groceries and dry
goods, but since the introduction of fac
tories these conditions have all changed,
and now all over Ohio and the great
West a ready market is found at every
farmers door for every article he has to
sell, and all command cash and good
prices" This is largely owing to pro-
tective tariff, which has enabled manu-
factories to be established all over the
State, peopled Ohio with consumers of
he farmers products, and given to the
State prosperity in which all classes of
is population have a share.
The statistics of production and ex-
'ort show that, exclusive of tobacco aad
cotton, We consume in this country 90
'er cent. of all that our farmers pre-
luce, and we only export about per
ent. In 1880 not more than five per
ent. of our crop of Indian corn was ex-
'orted. Judge Lawrence shows that if
he tariff-made home market should be
estroyed by the efforts of Free Trader,
he farmers would get but little pay for
heir 'rn crop. "Cornis bulky, and cost
f shipping abroad is so great as to leave
title to pay the farmer for porducing
!. A home-market places the producer
nd consumer near together and saves
he cost of shipping food to foreign
and the cost of shipping
heir manufactures here. The cost
f transportation both ways GENES off
he farmer, to large extent"
A few suggestive figures will indicate
be value of Protection to farmers and
During the last twenty
ears Protection has been the
olicy of this country. During the
wenty years from 1860 to 1880 the pop
lation has increased nearly go per cent.
,uring the same period the quantity of
;heat produced has increased 1SS per.
ont; of corn, los per cent; of wool, 2S6
er cent; of oats, 1876 per cent; and of
ogs packed 1876 per cent. At the same
me the product of pig iron has been
lcreased 367 ser cent, and of iron rails
l3 per cent. So far from Protection
aving increased the cost of mauufac-
lres to the consumer, many staple arti
es produced by the American mills
'hich owe their existence to protee-
We tariff are sold at lower rates to-day
nan under Free Trade rule in 1860.
hen all industries were prostrated as
result of continued Free Trade.