The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-10-28
The Policy of Protection.
Prof. Summers Vigorous Indictment OF
TIA Burden and Hinderance.

An able and interesting letter has been
written by Prof w G. Sumner Of Mas
sachusetts. to the Io,ca State Leader, a
vigorous advocate of revenue reform, pub
lished at Des Moines. Prof. Sumner says:
II have watched your paper with very
great interest and have noted the opening
of the campaign, the platform and Prof.
Derry's speech, and [ am very glad, indeed,
to see that there is to be square fight for
free-trade.
"My interest in the cause of free-trade
is two-fold: s..,.. .,... rf...-....,
n. In the first place, as student OF
political economy, | find that protective
tariff as theory of wealth, is a tissue OF
absurdities. Any one who believes In a
protective tariff must believe that new
colony could not prosper by simply putting
labor on hand to get out of it the neces-
saries of life. He must believe that it is
necessary first to tax the people properly
before they can prosper, even though they
may be intelligent and Industrious, and al
though the land beneath their feet may be
fertile and we'll situated. 1t is plain that
the protectionist arguments do assume just
this position. They start from the as
sumption that some system OF taxation Is
necessary to national prosperity If you
ask them what system, they give no an
swer, but you are forced to infer from what
they do say that the main thing to look out
for is to make the taxes high enough.
They then set to work to lay taxes, carry
ing out their system, and the result is
tangle of restrictions laid on industry and
commerce such that the advocates of the
system themselves, while declaring that it
is unsatisfactory adjusted, stand helpless
before the task of remodeling it.
''To me, then, say, as student OF
economic science, the whole theory and doc
trine of national advantage from protec-
tive tariff is absurd from its first principle.
1t sets every principle Of scientific thought
at defiance, contradicts itself at every step,
and is hopelessly entangled in its own alb
surdities If, therefore, student OF eco
nomic science reaches any results at all
which are useful to society, he must say to
his fellow-citizens, in regard to protective
tariff: 1t is mistake and delusion. 1t
lowers the national wealth. 1t makes us
all poorer. 1t wastes our efforts and ener-
gies. The arguments in favor of it are all
silly fallacies. =.
''In its political aspect the case for the
tariff is no better. A free man cannot pro-
tect or be protected by free man, because
all free men are equal. A superior can
protect an inferior Men protect women,
children, infrm persons, animals, &c. The
reason is because men produce and dispose
of the strength of society, and they can di-
rect it to the protection OF the weak.
Wherever there is any relation of protec-
ton, there must be surplus power on one
side as there is deficiency on the other
Now, where is the power greater than our
selves to which we can look to disburse
something to us? The free citizens of the
country, who are its only source of strength
and wealth? AS free men we must stand
side by side, each working for himself and
each contributing his share to the whole
Let as perceive distinctly that any theory
of protection or dependence on each othel
is sure to be either folly or fraud folly il
we waste our energy in pursuing innocently
what is impossible; fraud if those who pro
pose it and profit by it know what they arr
about
cit is because the protective theory il
absurd, economically, that my antagonism
in so far as am a scientific economist, i
aroused against it.
"2. But my moral indignation agains
protectionism rests upon another basis
Protective legislation gives one man hcens
to levy taxes on another. do not car,
what arguments are advanced in favor o
that Legislation. IF every one of the argu
ments were sound it would not at all chang
the abominable character of that Legislation
in my view of the matter IF my neighbo
is authorized by law to take my earning
from me, it is immaterial to me whether h
is going to support his aged parents o
build beautiful house or give grand en-
tertainments with the money, or contribut
it to a school, hospital or church. Al
history is full Of these projects by whicl
some men have aimed to spend other pee
pies earnings better than other peopl
could spend their earnings themselves, 10
course always for grand public and socia
ends,9 but investigation has always show
that some people were managing to liy
gloriously without work by means Of tn
aforesaid noble projects
"a man would not be fit to live in thes
days if he would not help to fight the form
of old social vice which affiict us. For, i
spite of the notions of progress which ar
in fashion, the truth is that the old gree