Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-29

Editor Morning NelrS. No matter how
illogical or how worthless may be the
ory or a cause, there can be found people
and people alleged to be sensible, too
to furnish their support; And it is one of
| the most surprising Of the very many sur
prising things we meet with in this para
| doxical world how often we find an alb
| surd and even pernicious doctrine ear
nestly, vigorously, Extensively upheld by
hosts of devoted and siRcere adherents.
] fOrbear giving instances-they will
readily occur to every reader; besides,
| the very one | am specially writing about
| is one of the most striking. How any
sane, disinterested man can believe in the
| shallow sOphistries of the apostles of a
| system of a protective tariff is TO me one
/ of the 1--WE great mysteries.
| have never vet seen areputable writer
/ on political economy who did not admit
| the advantages accruing to land where
| free. open trade prevailed. Not only the
| economists, but those yet more advanced
/ thinkers-the pioneers in thought, the
| great modern, social and philosophical
| writers-all unmstakably and indisputa-
| bly, point to absolute free trade as the per-
! feet system, system not to be attained in
| its perfection, yet for long time, if ever
| at all; but still system upon which our
| eyes and our hopes should be fixed as the
ultimate goal towards which we are
| striving.
The ProtectiOnists say that of course
| the arguments of free trade are good. and
that it works out all right on paper; but
| that when it comes to practical results
| the free trade system viii not answer
How wretchedly shallow! There never
was anything and there never will be,
which correctly worked out on paper
would fail to bring about the calculated
result in practice. / say correctly
| worked out. for of course if any facts and
circumstances bearing upon the question
he omitted i'm the calculation then the re-
suit will be liable to come short of eX-
pectatiOn.
1t is as if one would dispute the geome-
trio truth that straight line is the short
est distance between two points. and say
| that the proposition was true enough in
| theory but that in practice it wouldn't do
| at all to pin your faith to it,
As read a day or two ago, in the New
York journal of Commerce, think, ''the
position Of the opponent of free trade is not
born of reason and cannot be OyerthrOwn
by logic" The most direct and incontro-
yertible arguments are employed in vain.
Advancing toward some approximation
of the Utopian idea of free trade absolute!
And for the first steps the removal of
the duty wherever such removal is most
important!
A tariff for revenue only, and not for
prOtectIonl
Foreign manufactures for all Of our
people who need them, at low prices, in
stead of compelling the use of high priced
and inferior articles of our protected
import INDUSTRIES.
That is the war cry of the new Demo-
cratic party-that is the standard which
will be carried upon tidal wave of
victory whenever raised-save, perhaps,
in a few sections which have been fatten-
ing at the consumers expense!
To refuse to adopt such watchwOrd
would probably be death-blow to the
now glorious prospects of the Democratic
party-further temporiZing will not do.
A protective tariff is an immense stum-
bling block in the way of country's adj
vance; blot ON the scroll of this era of
advance; a blow at one of the plainest
conclusions of the noblest modern litera-
ture. DEMOCRITUs.