The Republican journal., 1883-03-01
Protection of American Industry and


agement of the New York Association for the
Protection of American Industry. Addresses
We're delivered on this occasion by Peter
Cooper, William +. Dodge, William NJ. Evarts
Dexter A. Hawkins and Cyrus Hamlin and an
address and resolutions were adopted by the
meeting. Among the resolutions adopted was
the following, to which the attention of all
friends of the cause of Protection of American
Industry is earnestly invited
Resolved. That in view of the activity of the
friends of British policy in forming free trade
organizations, we recommend that organiza-
tons of the character of this for the Protection
of American Industry and Labor be formed in
all the cities and towns of the Union, and that
we protfer to them in advance our warmcst
sympathy and cooperation.
We are glad to know of this organized effort
to counterfeit the teachings of the free traders.
whose doctrines are unAmerican, who are in
spired by the British free trade leagues, and
whose tracts and broadsdes are mainly written
and printed in Great Britain. That there are
misguided Americans who believe in these doe
trnes, and whose opinions are unplIrchasablc
is conceded; but there is unmistakable evidence
that British gold and British influence furnish
the motive of the free trade organizations in this
country. The object of the movement is simply
to aid British manufacturers and destroy our
own. We are asked to believe that England is
exclusively Il free trader and owes her prosper
ity to free trade. But that is not true. Presi-
dent Cyrus IIamln said of England. at the
meeting above mentioned: ''She is IL protec-
ZIONIST when it is for her interests, and free
trader when it is for her interests.f And of
free trade elsewhere he said:
| would like to call your attention 10 another
fact have no doubt there are working men
among you in this audience-to the fact that
there is not an English speaking community on
the face of the earth outside of England that j.
free trade (Applause.) All her colonies have
turned against her. In all her colonies the PEG
pie who have brain enough to learn the Eng
fish tongue have had brain enough to reject free
trade. And there is no other great nation on
the face of the earth that has yet received free
trade except Turkey. England forced il on
China at enc time. and she has not vet heard
the last of that. England owes her pre-eminencc
at the present time to her protective system.
England is still one of the WiScSt protcctOnlStS
in the world.
Another view of the English policy is found
in the following extract from an article by
Leonard Scott in the March number of the
Popular Science Monthly:
Great Britain, assured of her supremacy as
the great manufacturer of the Worlll. did not
fear the competition of other manufacturers,
whether protected or not: and she became at
once the advocate and eXemplar of free trade,
believing that other nations would reciprocate
and thus give great encouragement to the com
merce in which. as a nation, her chief interest
lies Disappointed in her expectations that
other countries would follow her example, she
is now considering the policy of abandoning
free trade" for what she calls fair trade,
self-interest again prompting this change Of at
titude toward other nations,
As one illustration, let us see how England
protects her shipbuilders and owners. For
years she has given heavy subsidies to her
steamship lines; she taxes the net earnings of
her ships only, her consul fees are much light
er than ours. and there is remission of duty
on material and ships stores. And vet there
are those who profess to think that free ships
the buying Of all our ships in Great Britain
is the only panacea for our depressed shipping
interest Does not the policy Of England, ~
above outlined, reveal the only proper remedy:
But we are told that protection is simply for
the benefit of the few hundred manufacturers
and is adverse to he interests Of the people, who
should be allowed to buy where they can buy
cheapest. This is fallacious proposition.
Surely, the hundreds of thousands of working
men and women are quite is much interested
i'll the maintenance of American industries rs
the few hundred manufacturers so suecringly
mentioned. Indeed, the whole people are
vitay Interested. 1t should not be forgotten
that this country has tried free trade. lis well
as protective tariff and that it is easy 10 com
pare the condition of the country under the
two systems Statistics show that under free
trade consumers paid higher prices than under
protection, and that under the latter system
manufactures rapidly increased, thus ensurine
active competition If we destroy American
manufactures and open our ports free TO Brit
ish goods what would be the result? Why.
the English manufacturer would establish
prices, and we should have to pay them. The
benefits of the protective system are not. how
ever, confined simply to the manufacturers.
Let us take the thriving city of Lewiston for an
example. \ Democratic Congress. we will
suppose, abolishes our protective tariff and
substitutes free trade. 1t is not possible fol
or labor of Europe and the mills close All the
operatives are thrown out of employment
What are they to do: The great majority
would go elsewhere to look for work. Would
not the real estate owners. the merchants, the
dealers OF all kinds, the farmers who market
their produce at Lewiston. miss these opera
tiyes, and the many thousand dollars which
hpI .lIS lIIp oil To ,l,,,
although it is not at all probable that such
would be the case-if they could buy English
cotton cloth one cent yard cheaper, would
that be any recompense: The general aspect
of this question is ably presented in the closing
portion of Peter Cooper's address on opening
the mass meeting in New York;
| have noticed in my own business life. cx-
tending over period of nearly seventy wears
that every reduction of the tariff has brought
Wretchedness and ruin. 1t is the natural effect
from such Il curse. Nothing is more certain
than that the advocacy of free trade comes from
foreigners who want to break up olrr indus
tries. They have done it several times already
and they want to do it again; and they will. |
fear, unless action now going on in Congress is
checked. My hope is that such Il demonstra-
ton will be made all over the country as will
stop them in their mad career: for nothing il
unless we protect the laborers of our land
(Applause.) | hope everybody will do what
they can TO thwart so wicked a purpose as the
proposed reduction of the tariff. The laborcr>
of the Old World get barely enough to keep
body and soul together, and that is the con
dit0n in which the advocates of free trade are
trying to place our laborers, and it behooves
every man to do all he can to deter Congress
from the endeavor. loud applause.l
The city of savannah, Ga, recently celebrate
ed her sesqu-centennial with appropriate cere-
monies. These included an excellent address
from Coy. Stephens, and poem by Paul II
Hayne. Addressing the beautiful city of S;t-
vannah as she stands to-day in comparison with
the wild found by Oglethorpe, Mr.. Hayne said
City of populous squares and tranquil close.
Or VIVID action and supreme repose;
City of soft refinement, and all ties
OF winning and ennObling courteses:
City of jocund children, in gay bands
TO fadeless coVerts and green hooks enticed
Fitting beneath the giant tree and vine.
Ger whom the sun kissed shadows wave and
pass,
While delicate feet DER the morning grass
And dewy branches like benignant hands,
Seem stretched as once the gracious hands of
Christ,
Above those fair young heads in Palestine
City of gallant men and maids so rare
Al Ill