West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-03-17
ADrANrAGEs or PROTECTION.


OF Yale College. on "Proteotion YER
sus Free Trade" and now, in order
that the other side may be heard, we
give the following from the lecture
Of Prof. Robert Ellis Thompson, of
the University of Pennsylvania, de-
livered few evenings ago before the
Revenue Reform Club, OF Brooklyn,
New York, on "The Advantages OF
Protection"
Nothing, said he, is more admira-
bls in the public life OF England than
the large area on which opponents
may meet as friends. 1t should be
our endesvor to establish such an
area in our American public life. Ia
accordance with that idea, let me
enumerate few of the points on
which Protectionist end Free Trader
are alike agreed. We both desire
the welfare of our common country.
We are Americans first Of ALL and
our first responsibility is for this good
land which the Lord has given us.
We are both agreed that wise pol
icy may often demand many sacrif
ces to attain some ultimate good.
The Government may have to give
away much valuable land to the rail
road companies in order to induce
them to develop the West. We are
agreed that our country needs diver
s,hed industries; the more the better.
The failure Of these industries would
be national calamity; their posses
sion ia national gain. Adam Smith
was tho fret to point out the great
Importance OF this, and every polit-
ical economist has followed him.
Again, we are all agreed that there is
an economic order in the world which
1t is our duty to learn, and our IN
lerest to observe. You may think
this is strange ground for Pro-
tectionist to take, but it is not in
consistent. The more we observe
this economic order, tho greater will
be our prosperity. This was the
doctrine Of the late Henry @. Carey,
an exponent Of protection whose
writings are an authority not only in
English speaking but foreign lands.
And the general trend of that law is
that you are to go from something
not good to something better. And
where this law obtains, diversified in
dustries result. And lastly we are
all agreed that Governmental inter
reference in industrial matters is
undesirable except to remove actual
hindraDceg.
These FIVE points, not Of Calvan-
ism, but of agreement, are our COM
mon area: now we come to the cross
roads where we separate, and the
point Of separation is reached by that
phrase Governmental hindrances, :"
We Proteotionists say that it is pos
sibIe for n great, rich, and powerful
nation, without using illegal coer-
cion, without drawing the sword
from It's scsbbard, to stiae and stran-
gle and crush to death the infant
industries of young. poor aud weak
nations. Her very strength, her
very intelligence and far-sighteduass
make il possible for her to 90 into
the markets OF the world, and destroy
all the manufacturing industries OF
new lands And not only is this pos
sible, but it is fact. We have
heard much Of the tyrannous power
Of the sword; there is such q thing
as the tyrannous power Of capital.
A great nation, which has developed
abnormal industries, is obliged 10
crush out the same industries in 9th.
er countries, because she must make
them buy her goods, aud because sb q
must buy her food from them, and
therefore would have them develor
their agricultural resources. Tn such
a case AZ this the Prot ectionisfs say
that laws Of restriction on the part
OF these latter nations are right; that
it is, 10 fact, the sacred duty Of these
nations 10 rise in their miobi
and say TO the manufacturer: "Put
your machinery in your mill; we will
have these industries in our own
land, aud to foster them the power
Of the nation will be ezerted if need
be-" Perhaps this is not an estheti,
way OF dealing with the difficulty
such as the doctrinaireo propose; il il
only rough and ready, but it is efec.
tive.
Three instances may be given il
/ illustration The Grst is England
T. tEe tTtlIlo oo. L7.I.a 4 -