National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-06-03
FREE TRADE VS.. PROTECTION.
shall American Industry be BIIghted by
Great britain.

NENhN hENNNAus
To the Editor OF THE REruBLrcAN:
SIR In the ancient days Of Esop, when quad
rupcds were endowed with the over Of speech,
the wolves sent an embassy 70 the sheep, saying:
" Lctus hereafter live In peace as good neighbors
Those watch dogs OF youis make all the trouble.
Send them away, and we shall live in harmony
and union Tho innocent sheep sent away the
Gogs but hardly were they out Of sight when the
coyetous wolves isupcd into the fold and toasted
upon the result ~ their diplomatic success. To
the Amcric6npt epic The history Of the Punic faith
of the wolves toNs'd the sheep has a moal which
should never be lost sight W whom they are called
upon TO choose their upfcV natives IN The coun.
ellis Of the Nation. This tioml may be dCduccd
from the following ficti: When foreign commerce
was free. and governed, ~ 70 formerly wn5, only
by the natural tendency oftnia- the rontcr part
OF the conmctco OF the world was 90, Ircd by one
riority in productive industry, navigation, anu
maritime power Thus Tyre, the cities Of Greece,
Carthage, Venice. Genoa, Holland, anu tho Hause
| Towns successfully cngrssod the greater part of
oil the trade and commerce Of the world, until
the policyof protection to domestic Industry was
introduced by Great Britain, nbout the middle of
the seventeenth century. This policy was soon
ADOPTED ny OTHER NATIONS,
aud has wrought complete change In the indus.
try, MS well MS in the commerce of the world The
adoption oiiariis aud navigation laws gave the
first powerful stimulus to Industry IN Europe lIy
securing the home markets to the domestic pro-
Queer It encouraged new branches of Industry dl.
vcrsned omploymcnls increased the markets, the
productive Industry, aud the consumption Of com.
forts, secured the industrial Independence and
promoted the social l.beiug Of the people OF
nearly all the nations Of Europe. Sihce Grent
britain has acquitted, by centuries of high prDteC-
i've tariffs ana stringent navigation laws, an as
| cendaney over all the nntiO of the earth IN min.
| ing and manufacturing industry by reason of her
superior natural resources, n greater amount Of
MACHINERY. cheap labor md greater number of
| skillml ntti'ans and lalorors, She can reduce
cheaper than any other milton, aud the chcnpness
OF her products secures her own markets to q very
petitors, and enables her TO supply other nations
az prices nominally lower than their own manu-.
incturers can The manufacturers Of Great Britain
fully understand that so far as free trade can be
established they eau secure and monopolize the
ma,ketS OF an spch nations as establish Il, and
| political economy of Great Britain have directed
tlelr efforts to
SPREAD THE DOCTRINE OF FREE TRADE
for more than thirty years past and their efforts
are especially directed to the establishment of the
ilee. trade policy in this country by the gntultous
circulation Of trade literature and by tickling
the vanity of our Democratic statesmen and poll.
iicians by comforting upon them honorary mem.
bershlp IN the nrisoctatic Golden Club. the very
hot. bed of free trade In proof of the foregoing
| me quote from the great English apostle OF free
trade, McCulloch, who admits that the universal
she Is ever aiming to be-the workshop OF the
| world lie says: "Our establishments for spin
Ming weaving printing, bleaching. &C., are iniln
itely more complete and perfect than any that ex.
| list elsewhere. The division of labor hi them Is
carried TO an Incompatible extent. The workmcn
are trained from infancy to industrious habits aud
have attained that peculiar dexteriy and slight.
oi'hand IN the performance of their several tasks
that can only be attained by long and unremitted
| attention to the same employment. Why then
| having all these advantages on our side, should
| we not keep the start we have gained? Every
other people that attempt 10 set up manufactures
must obviously labor under the greatest dinicul.
| ues as compared with us. Their establishments
cannot at hlst be sufficiently large to enable the
division OF cmploymcnts to be carried on to any
considerable extent. At the same time, that ex-
Periine,s IN mnnipnlation and the details of the
grees, 1t appears, therefore,
REASONABLE TO CONCLUDE
| that such new beginners having TO withstand the
competition of those who have already arrived at
very high degree of perfection IN the art must
be Immediately driven out of every market
equally accessible to both parties, and that moth
ing but the aid derived from restrictive regulations
| and prohibitions Will be eilccual to nreVcut the
total destruction of their establishments" The
foregoing naturally suggests few pertinent ques-
| lions. snail we now, when the benefits of prOtec-
ton to home industry are stamped on every page
ofour history, by elevating the Democratic parry
10 power, refuse 10 continue the policy to which
we owe so much Of our wealth and prosperity
and sanction legislation as eiIecually against
American Interests as was British legislation in
| the colonial stage of our existence? Are the in.
| siduous counsels of English writers and statesmen
TO be followed TO the neglect and ruin of our own
| Interests?
SHALL AMERICAN INDUSTRY DE BLTGHTED
that British manufacturers may thrive? Shall this
country, with Its mountains pregnant with u sti.
lerabundance of precious and useful minerals, be
impoverished by our legislation that England
may grow richer at our eXpense? five are true
to ourselves, and inspired by true love of coun-
try, we VIII keep in view American interests aud
legslNte Tor ourselves alone but TO do so 1t Is ul.
doubtedly nee essary that we should keep Demo.
cratic BourbOnism in n harmless minority, fDr
whether through an nOrdinate greed for political
power, the influence OF foreign gold, or through
chronic Democratic folly, the leaders of that party
seem to be iiretrievably committed to that policy
OF free trade which cannot fail TO act will bIiphf
ing effect upon not only our national progress and
prosperity but upon the well being comforts, and
w T.