National Republican., 1883-09-27
The American system.

The United States should not legislate for
tho benefit of other nations, but only for its
own people. The republican party splcdged
to that idea. 1t is for tho promotion Of
American interests Tho pretended phi
lanthropy of most Of the active modern free
traders is nothing but . merccnary service
in the interest Of foreign manufacturers. Tho
pretended dootrinaires arc chiefly hired
lobbyists, and their employers pay for
tho grand dinners they give in Washing
ton TO admiring congressman. An alliance
between the manufacturing capitalists abroad
and the anti.American. party ut home, will
rule this country to its ruin if allowed TO do
so. When cotton was jealous of anti-slavcry
New England IL sought free trade in order to
feed the looms Of old England to tho detri-
ment of tho north, For no other object was
there ever the least excuse for q free trade
policy. Tho democratic traditions were all
against it until 1928. Why should hatred of
the north dictate a government policy now
when there is no slavery to foster, and when
tho south needs an American system If she
would join the procession of material
progress? The American system is that Of
jefferson. Madison, and Jackson, as we'll as Of
Webster and Clay. Only the frenzy Of the
cotton lords from 1880 to 1860 fomontod the
closer alliance between English manufact-
urers and southern cotton planters. All the
arguments then made for free trade are re-
pcated now dd n0uscUm, while tho causes of
them have long since expired in the ashes
of civil war.
Tho American congress should discourage
materials and all manufactured articles which
can be produced or made by our own country
men under as favorable circumstances as they
can be abroad. We have ample power under
the constitution TO discriminate against all
such articles and raw materials, in the
laying of duties on imports. or we
may legislate directly against the i'm.
portation of any given article or list
of articles under the power to regulate
commerce. If our statesmen can agree with
Madison, jackson, Webster, and Clay that our
people ought to be able to maintain them
selves without any foreign intercourse what
ever in case of war; then we ought to grow by
free trade between ourselves, and throw our
markets open to foreigners for those things
only which for natural reasons cannot be as
advantageously produced here.
Free trade between the Americas. C., bo
tween all the nations of this western homis-
phere-would be wise policy if all would
adopt a similar tariff system, so that Euro
pean products could not enter our ports
through free trade with our neghbors. This
would be extending the Monroe doctrine to
commercial relations. But free trade with
all the world, or low duties for revenue only,
would within n generation restore the colo
nisl system, under which we were COM
PEELED by our English mother to forego
American enterprise and work in the field
for raw materials and food for our transatlan-
tic masters so far from trimming over this
question of protection, let us invoke the power
to regulate commerce if the revenue-raisng
power is questioned and let the old world
know that we have sense enough not to re-
lapse into pastoral condition even at the in-
stance of British journals like the New York
Times or British lobbyists who write for our
magazines and sometimes break into con.
gress from democratic districts. We want tc
import what we do not proftably produce or
manufacture. All else we want to dscour-
age the importation of. The American far
mers want q homo market for their produce
instead of having it eaten up by long ocear
carriage, and such market can only be made
great and profitable by the impetus which
protection gives to all other industries. This
is the American system.