The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-08-13
Free Trade and Protection.


An apparently honest enquirer asks the
Herald TO tell him and his fellow-working-
men why free trade is better than protection
for them.
It should be remembered that there is ne
issue this year between free trade and pro-
lection. The tariff question this year is
whether $l00 5000 a year more than the
Government needs shall be taken from the
pockets of the people, and so much force
unnecessarily distracted from the motive
power of industry.
There is no possibility for free trade for
years to come we regret to say. The tariff
revision proposed by the Ways and Means
Committee last winter was reduction aver
aging about II per cent. or one-sixth of the
present duties, leaving five-sixths, and in no
case the duty to be lower than il was under
the protective Morrill, tariff of 1861. Only
two-thiTds of the Democrats in the House
voted for that modest reduction. aud the
number of Republicans who voted for it
could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
The question to-day, therefore, is whether
the prosperity OF the country can be in
creased by unnecessarily taxing our own
pe0ple-and not any other people.
That is TO say, if the government had an
income from ordinary sources just enough
to meet its expenses, somebody makes this
proposition: Lay new taxes on the people
of this country, amounting to 800 09D,O OD a
year-it VIII increase their prosperity.
The advantages enjoyed By workingman
IN this country are not dependent on protec-
ton. They come from the great resources OF
the country, the abundance and eheapness OF
land, and free institutions. A man is wsrth
more to himself here than in any other coun-
try-nOt at all because OF protection. but to
some extent because OF free trade with his
felIow-citizeDs over the whole extent of our
national domain. Free trade is the rule TO-
day with niDe tsnths of all our transactions.
Is it protection l.. one-tenth that makes Us
prosperous?
Free trade is better than protection, be-
cause freedom is better than slavery in all
things. The law of free trade is to turn in
dustry in the most profitable channels. Tue
law of protection is to encourage industry
into channels where il labors under disad-
vantsges. For illustration: Protection builds
up the manufacture Of silk in this country
by taxation which exceeds the aggregate
wages of operatives employed in that indus.
try, and drives the American flag from the
ocean, notwithstanding our great sdvan.
tages tor maritime business so that the bal
ance OF freights against us is 1928, 900. 900 a
year. Better save the carrying trade and
give up the exotic silk industry.
Free trade would be better than protec-
ton for wo-kin2men, because the working
men are the largest consumers in proportion
to their income. Protection can not increase
wages, which are fixed by competition, but
it does in many cases increase the cost of
living. On the theory that all taxation ulti-
mately comes out of labor, protection is
simply burden on werkiHgmen, and ex-
clusively on them.
There is no protection for labor in the
protective" tariff. The idea that there is is
a device of politicians If workingmen
strike, manufacturers send to Europe for
others who will work cheaper. There is no
tariff on labor 1t is fact which can not
be disputed that the lowest wages paid in
this country are in so-called protected" in
dustries.