The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1883-07-12
CALHOUN ON PROTECTION.

tfuc LledInuS VI PAoVOoeion % s@|A
vocated by the high-tariff men of
! this country, we give an explana-
ton in the clear, terse language of
the great Free-trader. After show
ing that revenue and protection are
as opposite as light and darkness,
he said, discussing the tariff bill of
1S42,
Il am, senators, now brought to
the important question, Why should
such bill pass? Who asks for it.,
and on what ground? 1t comes os-
tensibly from the manufacturers. l
say ostensibly; for 1 shall show, in
the sequel, that there are other and
more powerful interests among its
advocates and supporters. And on
what grounds do they ask it? It is
on that of protection. Protection
against what2 Against violence, op-
preston, or fraud? If so, govern
ment is bound to afford it, if it
comes within the sphere of its pow
ers, cost what it may. 1t is the OBJ
ject for which government is insti-
tuted; and if it fails in that, it fails
in the highest point of duty. No:
it is against neither violence, op-
preston, nor fraud. There is no
complaint of being disturbed in
property or pursuits, or Of being
defrauded out of the proceeds Of
industry. Against what, then, is
protection asked? 1t is against low
prices. The manufacturers COM
plain that they cannot afford to
carry on their pursuits at prices as
low as at present; and that. unless
they can get higher, they must give
up manufacturing. The evil, then,
is low prices; and what they ask Of
government is to give them higher.
But how do they ask it to be done?
Do they ask government to COM
pei those who want to purchase to
give them higher? No: that would
be a hard task, and not a little
odious; difficult to be defended on
the principles Of equity. justice, or
the Constitution, or to be enforced,
if it could be. Do they ask that a
tax should be laid on the rest of
the community, and the proceeds
divided among them, to make up
for low prices? or, in other words,
do they ask for a bounty? No:
that would be rather two open, op-
pressive and indefensible. How,
then, do they ask it to be done?
By putting down competition, by
the imposition of taxes on the pro-
ducts of others, so as to give them
the exclusion Of the market, or at
least a decided advantage over
others, and thereby enable them to
sell at higher prices. Stripped Of
all disguise, this is their request; :;
and this they call protection. Call
it tribute, levy, exaction, monop-
oily, plumber; or, if these be too
harsh, call it charity, assistance,
aid-anything rather than protec-
ton, with which it has not a
feature in common.
Are you prepared to adopt prin-
ciple that, whenever any branch Of
industry is suffering from depress-
ed prices, it is your duty to call on
all others to assist it? Such is the
broad principle that lies at the bot
tom of what is asked; and what
would it be, if carried out, but
equalization of income? But, if you
are ready to carry out the princi-
pie in its full extent, are you pre-
pared to restrict it to single class,
the manufacturers? Will you give
them the great and exclusive ad-
vantage of having the right of de-
manding assistance from the rest
of the community whenever their
profits are depressed below the
point of remuneration by vicissi-
tudes to which all others are ex-
posed?
/ can add, from my own expe-
rienee, that the great cotton-grow-
ing interest cannot afford to give
higher prices for its supplies. AS
much as the manufacturing interest
is embarrassed. it is not more so
than the cotton-growing interest;
ana as moderate as may be the
profit Of the one, it cannot be more
moderate than that Of the other"
The Freetraders of our country
have greatly increased in number
since 1912; but the relation which
then existed between the manufac-
turing and agricultural interests of
the country remain the same. The
one still demands protection; the
other still advocates a tariff for rev.
nue.. to raise an amount sufficient to
meet the necessary expenditures of
the government. The present protec-
tive duties annually bring into the
public treasury millions of money
that is not needed to support the
government; they do this at the
expense of our commercial and
agricultural interests; and the pro-
tectite tariff is, therefore, both bur.
densome and iniquitous. No won.
der, then, that our agricultural pop.
ulation still bears aloft the banner
on which Calhoun inscribed the
words, Free trade; l02c duties; no