Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1884-10-23
An Influential Convert.
Wisconsin State Journal

Wisconsin State Journal
Colonel W. NJ Grosyener, who was for many
years a conspicuous free-trade advocate, has,
by the unanswerable logic OF our country $ phe.
nominal progress for tho past twenty years,
been finally converted TO the doctrine Of Ameri-
can protection TO home industries. He was the
writer, some years since, Of a work entitled,
Docs Protection Protect? in which he substan,
tally upheld the theories now maintained by the
free trade doetrinalres of the east As a Jour
n~alistic, he was engaged some years in writing
free trade articles for The ST Louis Demo-
erat The absurd campaign OF lS12, IN which
the free-trade democracy were supporting
for the presidency one OF the most notable ard
aggressive protectionists then living, and dis.
cussions which that campaign sngendered seem
To have put Col Grosyener upon a new train Of
thought, which, aided by the beneficient work
ings of our protective system since, has in.
duced him 70 openly proclaim his change Of
opinions. In an address before The Union
League club, of Philadelphia, he declared that
the political assaults Of his old free-trade as
soclateS upon the protective system ''are not
intelligent; they are ignorant, laundering and
Incapable. In the hand OF such men, with what
ever theories, the nation wouil y wrecked
unlike she ~bourbuns,s saws he ~ hone L am
able to learn something in fifteen yoara Many
things which / have doubted or disbe-
llevod have been demonstrated before my
eyes. lt Is not the part Of manhood 20
shut the eyes 70 the truth / have never hcen
one of those WHO believe that by much think
ing they can SPIN out Of themselves en- infalH-
Ole theory. That sort OF political economy
has ever had my profound contempt I have
tried TO be an honest student of facts, and
Wen the facts call for new conclusions / am
not afraid TO form them. | pity the man that
can learn no new thing from this miracle-work-
ing nineteenth century. Ipity the man who can
Inn ra haI4ttsw.. - ~ ACQ IaI. 49,
as they work new wonders every day. Nv
own opinions have in many respects been
changed by the results realized during the
past ten yeare, and especially by the in
creasing rewards OF industry here II may
be that after the asperities OF the present
lection and campaisa are over, the %geniuses
which preside over tho editorial columns OF
The New York Times, The Evening Post, not
to mention The Louisville Courier-JoumaG, will
revise their economic creeds, will study anew
the tariff question in the light of later develop
mants, and like their wlilom fellow disciple.
Ucsonel Grosycner, b. regenera,-i into a
newer and better faith Many others OF the
free traders are halfing between two opinions.
and after mature doiberstion at the demo
cratic national Convention, q committee
composed OF some OF the most radical
Of the alleged revenue reformers did
not dare to insert a plank in their plat
form distinctly committing the party 10 free
trade but BY decentralization aud unmean M. il
not contradictory sentences, constructed for
mula which rs q specimen of ambiguity il not
surpassed In the English or any other language.
adverse ideas in IL are so ingeniousiy
balsnced that IL il still q matter OF dispute
even among its authors as to which has the
preponderance, and the color OF the chameleon
could not be more indeterminste. II IL hardly
among the possibilities that the good sense Of
the American people will lead them 10 side
with a party whose position upon 50 important
an issue lie so equiyocai and uncertain.