Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-18

1.-THE principle OF proteclioh 10 nv
established, and every industry when
encounters any foreign competition
will demand and can not be denied
share in IL. The iron men OF every
grade must be protected, ana every
dine of protection which Is granted 10
them ipcreas, the price OF machinery
for the manufacture of woolens, ana
Tins damages the WOODEN interest. the
cotton men. d, %, must be heard. They
have to pay higher wages to tbeir
Iaborers because the cost of living mas
been increased. Workmen In this
climate must have wooden cloth. the
cost of machinery Is increased, ana
therefore il costs more to manufacture
G. ton goods. They, too, must be pro-
tected. Soon the wooden interest has
lost more by monopolies granted 10
other industries than II gained by the
originally granted to itself, ana IL De-
siepes the government more clamor-
ously than ever for more protection,
and with much more powerful argu-
ment. II now wants to be protected,
not so much against foreign competl-
ton as against the monopoiies granted
to ether industries.
"These, one and all, are soon again
thropginy the Hobbies of congress de-
manding more protection. Inc PRIV
lege granted to one industry is destruc-
tive of that granted to every other, ana
no man can tell to-day whether his
particular industry is on the whole
benefited or injured by the protection
which actually exists, or whether II
the whole were at once swept away his
interest would not be actually relieved
of an oppressive burden. But all still
worship with untalt, ring fai'h at the
shrine of exclusiven. 81, aud clamor for
more protection n the panacea for all
tn ir ills. The coal interest must have
protection, however much that may
iniure the iron interest and the
iron interest must have pro-
lection, however that may affect
the wooden and cotton interests
If protectionists could demonstrate
some great law of nature by which it
might be determined with accuracy
when and to what amount protection
should be granted, the whole thing
might he reduced to order and law and
reason; but till that cap be done (and
it never can be done, ii will present u
scene of wild confusion, self'contradic'
ton and self-destruction
So that protection, in its final analy-
sis, is but a fierce war of monopolies
over antagonistic special privileges,
and when once inaugurated is illimita.
BILE in its possible scope. 1t permeates
all the arteries and veins of commerce
and infects the whole economic system
with vicious motives and conditions
. 49,,
aid rather than rely on the capabilities
and advantages which nature ha,
given them. 1t converts congress int
a theater of unseemly strife between
pampered interests, each voraciousl.
grabbing for the biggest share in tn,
wicked monopoly Of robbing the PEG
pie.
Monopolies, Mr.. Chairman, of al
sorts and degrees infringe the right o
exchange, are unjust in nature, ant
odious in practice.n The highest In
genuity of man would be baffivd in al
attempt to devise one which combine
all these lniquitits to u greater eXten
than protection. 1t is utterly at wa
with the genius of our institutions
which proclaims, wherever its voice /
heard, Equal protection Of the law
to all, unjust privileges to none"
In the second place, protection Is a
illegitimate and peruicious use of tn
right of taxation. 1t Is no answer I
this charge to say that the courts of tn
country have never yet held tart
schedule unconstitutional because of il
protective features. 1t Is true that Tia
courts have not, and untortunatel
there are reasons why they probabl
never can review the precise poin
Congress has the unquestionable powt
10 lay and collect duties for revenue
II a schedule OF duties In any measul
effects this end, the motives which il
huenced the lawmakers in the a
rangement OF the schedule are beyon
the reach of judicial scrutiny.
L A tariff, therefore, might be col
structed mainly with view to prole
ton, and yet the courts of the countl
he powerless before the gigantic wron
Tor the simple reason that the syste
produces some revenue. This unavoi
able impotency, however, of the judi
larry to restrain legislative discretion
the selection of means to a lawful ell
In no way affects the true constit
tional principles md methods Of tax
! ton; nor does 1t bring in confUrmi
to them the purposes and devices
protection. 1t has ta.ght the latt,
) however, to intrench itself behind 4
former; and hence we hear of "prot,
: ton" as an incident" TO revenue
The employment OF these words,
the light OF existing practices, is {
u ceptive characterization of u systt
whose methods. avowedly adopted
!; lawful ends, are in reality destined
u Interior and wrongful uses. The all,
9 ed incident has VIGOROUSLY become I
u chief object, and revenue serves ma
Is ~ as a pretext for accomplishing p
!, lection.
:, Against this fraud In the use of Il
y gnage protest. II protection Is 90
!. II protection Is right, If protection
constitutional, let it stand on its o,
merits, and not seek, AS has been 81
gested, to lean on something SO resp
= table as revenue. If huge system
:. monopolies is to be perpetuated, a
! iatten on the substance of the land,
II not escape the odium and exec,
m lions an appropriate appellation
;" vites.
he Incidental protection sir. as
y. designation of our present tariff Is h
j, ocritical phraseology, and practi
n. illustration of that treacherous dey
r. which. Pollock aptly portrays in
I'd Idea OF service rendered to the devil
n the stolen livery Of the court of heav
III IL seizes upon high constitutio
~ right, that of taxation, designed for
Of oeneficent purpose of enabling COVE
I'd ment TO live, and prostitutes it to
err accountable office OF extorting from