The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-13
PROTECTION AND COMPETITION.

ened and Eastern furnaces cannot make iron
at prices to compete with Southern furnaces.
In order to stimulate purchases prices are re-
duced time and again until they reach
point which makes it necessary for the more
expensive Eastern furnaces to close opera
tons"
The above paragraph, clipped from the
CourierJournal, is innocent looking enough,
but contains an admission very damaging to
arguments in favor of free trade. "The iron in
terests in the East are Frustrated because
y Eastern furnaces cannot make iron at
prices to compete with Southern furnaces
There is, then, competition in America be-
tween the manufacturers of iron. The COM
petition is real, and makes itself felt by
"prostrating' certain furnaces that have
long been charged with monopolizing
the business and reaping enormous profits.
This has been brought about under pro-
lection and by protection. The American
people are now assured that no unnatural
price shall be put on iron. The protection
that placed the furnaces OF Pennsylvania on
their feet has enabled those of Alabama to
grow into rivalry. A healthy competition
means the same everywhere. There can be
no extortion and no unreasonable profits
can accrue The tariff protects the mills
from foreign undertaking while the grow
ing industries, by inevitable competition,
protect the people from imposition.
American industries and those engaged in
them are not protected against each other
because all firms and furnaces stand on an
equal footing; but American industries are
protected against foreign competitors be-
cause, by the nature of things, the former
would be at a disadvantage. This arises
from the fact that the people with whom
we would come most directly into compet-
ton are of necessity compelled to manu-
facture and to sell. There is left to them no
choice in the matter; and to keep
their manufactures going they must under
bid and will underbid all opposition. The
inevitable result ought to be apparent Those
industries in which England is interested
would surely kill off the same lines of man
ufacture in America. In answer 10 this it
has been argued that the men employed in
iron and cotton mills, and all those engaged in
occupations that would be crippled or killed
by foreign undertaking, could leave the
forge and loom and workbench and
become farmers. The country al
ready has over 100000 farmers and
farm hands. BY the recommendation of
free-traders there would be added to these
80, 900 male cotton-mill operatives, 1900
glass-works operatives, 10000 hat and cap
makers, 1000 male knitting-mill operatives
ia, 900 iron and steel operatives, $1,000 male
woolen-mll operatives, and besides this as
many or more women would be cut adrift
with nothing to do. Here then, without
counting numerous other interests that
would suffer so much, we have quarter of
million Of able bodied men to
throw down hammer and tongs
and lay hold of the plow-handle
This does not take into account the tens of
thousands of other artisans whose occupa-
tions largely depend upon those named
But the quarter of million thus easily rele-
all represent families the total number of
people thus sent from one field to another
aggregating probably 100000.
As compensation for this addition to the
ing field produce, farmers would be
privileged to buy abroad those
things formerly manufactured here
An idea OF what this means, and of the mag
be had from the figures representing the
value of such products manufactured in
America in the year 1880, as shown by the
last census. The total value of iron and
goods, 500 167, 227; of felt goods, 3619, 652;
of cotton goods, 1892 090019; of glass;
$21, 154 571, or a total of nearly 5000, 600 900
annually for these five items alone. This
5000 100000 would go to paving English
artisans and to sustain English mills
| This, too, at crisis when the
wheat fields of India threaten to seriously
curtail if not absolutely kill the European
demand Tor American Whe9t ana corn. In
short to strike down the tariff means paraly-
sis to American industries, proposes the adj
dition of $50, 600 to the number of farmers
the sending away of 5000 GOO, 600 annually
for goods now made at home, and all these
unfavorable influences combined in face of
the fact that American farmers cannot hope
to compete with the two-penny laborers in
the fields of India.
What America needs is not more farmers
but home market for what is
now produced. By a wise con-