Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-14
PROTECTION nroUrKEsE TENDING

PROTECTION REQUIRES EN TENDING
England last year imported American
cheese to the value of S25,O00,000, and ba-
con 10 the amount OF $40, 100000 She also
takes American wheat that, one year with
helped, the other year, TO roll gold 10 our
shores in millions. II Eugland should fall
in love with our "protection" system, and
adopt it so far az to impose a prohibitive
duty upon American grain, and cheese, and
bacon, would it be good or bad thing? If
protection is good thing in itself, it is a
good thing everywhere, and one we should
desire to see extended. Such action, there
fore, if adopted by Eogland, ought to be
welcomed by us. Tue British farmer, who
is understood to be in great straits,
"outu De protected against the indus
try of the American farmer and
against the fertility OF our Western
soil. The EDglish think that such protection
would be bad for us, as if what is good in
itself could be bad for anybody; they have
a conviction that anything that is bad for us
makes US a less profitable customer, which
would be bad for them. Looking on both
sides, is protection a good thing or a bad
one? If protection is benefit to society
its blessings ought TO be spread abroad; no
narrow bounds should con6ne it; no ocean,
no mountain chain should obstruct it, If
protection brings higher wages and increased
profits, and benefits not only individuals but
communities, no community ought to be de-
prived Of its blessings. Ii it adds to human
welfare when imposed upon seaports, its adj
yantages should be SO extended as to give
each State, county and city protection against
other States, counties and cities. Why
should not Southern cotton-spinners be pro-
tected against Eastern cotton-spinners?
Why should not the ironworks of
Chattanooga be protected against those
of .Pittsburg? Why should not the
shoemakers in Tennessee be protected
against the shoemakers of Massachusetts,?
We now and then come upon incidents men
toned in our exchange papers which show
that the people are not altogether lost to the
important considerations we here present
the Clarendon (Ark.) Sun Of last week gave
an account, in paragraph, of the butchers
shop in that town, and the excellence OF It's
meat and the splendid management of the
proprietor. In another paragraph it said:
"We would ask the council at its next meet
log to pass an ordinance imposing a license
upon parties who bring beef TO town for
sale, because it prevents Messrs. Jones &
Rodgers, the butchers, from keeping fresh
beef all the time" The Clarendon butcher
shop requires protection sgsinst the county
sending in its unlicensed beef, and Of course
the county stores ought, in the same way,
to have protection sgainst city stores, and
the county magistrates and the city councils
ought TO have power U grant the required
protection. and escb State Ieziziasuye ought
u have power 10 protect the products II liz
state sgainst the other States. The War
trace, Tenn, regular correspondent Of The
Nashville ASaeriean shows that in that town
The same need Of protection IL felt. Il finds
that If there was proper protection, that
Community would be wealihier 10 the value
Of the money which is sent North for the Inn
proved machinery, which rarely ever makes
its way back. Just "a long as We, as peo-
pie, continue 10 send cur surplus money 10
other markets for their improved farming
implements, just so long will we be poor
and hard-ruu people. But why not manu-
facture them in our midst? We have the
wood and iron in strict abundance, the raw
material from which they are manufactured
In fact, we have all the natural advantages
for their manufacture" Exactly-the whole
protection argument is summed up BY this
Wartrace protectionist. 1t is time that Con-
gress was denuded of the sole power Of pro-
tecting our county, city and State products;
its action is confined TO legislating upon
foreign commerce alone. Now let US have
protection for our domestic commerce, and
put the power to protect into the hands of
local authorities that will best know win at
requires protection and how to protect it.