New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-07
MR., KASSON ON PROTECTION.
ARINGING SPEECH IN BROOKLYN,
EvL1GHTENIXG THE REVENUE REFORM CLUB VI
THAT CITY.

|
livered an address before the Brooklyn Revenue
C, in Tho hall of tho Long Island Historical society as'
ni,ht The address .sas entitled Free lIau ~" "' "
ternational Law Of the Almighty" MI hhSSo"
trcdueed by Thomas G. Sherman who sald 'u"' o 'O
club was established for the purpose OF s"eolHus TO
forms I'm the present tariff system and most oil 'ho o
bors were free traders,-ho and many OF the meHoeS
hoicviue that all tariffs injurious, that all pr"'ee
ton is wrong and produces no good eondluohs "h"o'
bu in every country and TO every condition OF men ha
and nothing but harm"still one ofits fundamental p
c,nles WAS TO hear both sides. "Mr. kassoh' nc
said as n reasonable and moderate Proieciionist'
consider that class our dangerous foes am not AT
all afraid OF the ultra Proecont Mr. Kssson Is one OF
our most dangerous opponents and one of the most
enlightened eloquent and able opponents of the oher
doctrine
The hall was well filed for an inclement night Mr..
Kasson was listened with the closest attention. ana was
frequently appauded especially where he showed that
from England country blessed with free trade, the
annual immigration to this country has largely increased
since the introduction OF the system which was denounced
by its opponents as one of "rob very and injustice"
Mr.. KASsON's ADDRESS.
Mr. Kasson prefaced his remarks By referring 70 the
famous declaration Of Golden that free trade is the inter-
national law of the Almighty and said that he had chosen
for the title OF his address "Free Trade not the Inter
national Law OF the Almighty" indicating the distinct
issue between the two principles Of free trade ana pro-
lection. Whatever most promotes the welfare
of the people, he said, must be regal led
as being In obedience to the laws
OF Divine Providence. The truth or fasty of tho maxim
mrst depend upon the condition Of each country one
form of It may OF nation and the converse OF
it true OF another It's application must depend upon tho
particular conditions of each country and the OBJECT OF
my address to show that far as the United states are
concerned Mr. Golden wrong, without dsptng that
he may have been right in applying his maxim 10 Ino
people of England.
As understand the principles Of this club its fayore
reasoning Is from theories to laws For myself, favor
reasoning which viii lead from facts to law. The laws
which govern mental philosophy cannot possibly be ap'
piled the practical affairs OF men. These are so Vara
be that n system which is excellent for one quarter OF
century would be utterly opposed to system adapted to
file next oualter The reading of works political econ
omy like those OF Adam Smith. Say. Ricardo, McCul-
Ioch Bastat, and host Of others, viii show that the
effort each succeeding writer IS TO correct the errors
into which predecessor has fallen There Is no theory
of political economy in its application to the
changeabc affairs and interests of man which can be said
TO be permanent in s application. As in the case Of
political institutions, kind OF government is best
adapted to one people, and another to another people
with different traditions and different education so one
theory Of taxation may he well adapted TO nation in
Europe and ri the time be unous to the develop
mcnt Of . nation in America.
APPEALING TO HISTORY.
Tho laws OF 1879 1916 1924 and 1923 al pro-
tec,ive in their character and adopted IN part by the same
men and under the influence OF the authors Of the Con
sution The right to impose duties with reference to
the protection OF American Industries was completely
established During this period the rate OF udties was
steadily advanced, not for only hut for proec
ton also from about six eight to nearly fifty per cent
ad vaor Each successive rate promoted the Industries
Of the country. The became too great for the
wants OF tho Government and the sliding scale OF 1888
was adopted experiment, under The belief that tie
revenue could he reduced without the destruction Of The
industries which had grown M under the uniform foster
of Congress The revenues were reduced ial be-
yond The wishes OF The authors OF the scheme ana rum 81
our domestic industry and OF the public ere t followed
its legitimate result and one Of the greatest monetary
pancs hecountry has ever known became realty ID Is5.
This cxerlence lea 9sIc.y 10 VIC lersOrtSlVh o.
higher tariff in 1Sl2, under the Influence OF which indus
tries revived prosperity returned, and the Treasury was
again amply supplied But the economic views OF the OPP
pOncns of protection again prevailed, and again the
tariff was sSssied and again IN 1897 came bankruptcy
of manufactures Of trade and OF the Federal
Once more the policy OF protection caWe 10 the front in
afed in the l. saton Of the country II has now been
continually tested for period of Twenty-Five years
| INCREASE or IMMIGRATION AND POPULATION.
Under these circumstances understand the theory
OF your association ought not TO consult the facts of
history to ascertain whether free trade or protection Is
the system most advantageous to my country, but /
should go TO the books and writings OF McCullOch OF
Ricardo of Wells and OF Sumner, and learn from them
whether il possible that country should become pros
porous under protection, or whether it Is a system Of
"rohbery and plumber and disaster to the people"
decline to ascertain from books written IN inc past
whether country can be rosperols uhlcf one system
the other My appeal for Information on that subject
Tske for EXAMPLE your declaration that protective
tariff is necessarily rObbng the many for the benefit or
the few is an unjust and burdensOme taxation oppres
sve to the people and especially 10 the poor n that
true Won viii admit that il ought to discourage iumGa
ton Tcard the increase OF population and cln5arass the
material development OF the country IOu must f thcr
admit that tie laborng classes certainly should not leave
a country blessed with free trade and g. to country oi
pressed by this system OF robbery ana Jtsuce when
appeal 70 the facts OF history, md that instead OF
retadng immigration and embarrassing the growIh Of
pOcv You ask us TO follow only 900 1860 after our
system Of robbery and injustice was adopted twice the
number or l3lOOO, came III Is - nom lhe SAM country,
and 10000 In 1850; and WINE there wa. IN 10 Iee
trade in 1860 total Immigration Of only 10000
Il rose In 1870 TO ,5oo,OVV; anu IN i92U ,9Yo
Of Judging for themselves whether there was more
country or in protective coun'ryi Dld they not know
cain were gre9erin the country which they let or In
the country to which they came shall 60 to the
writings of the freerade economists TO find this fact or
am justified in learning It from the men who had ex-
peenced both The blessings and the WRONGS under both
svsems When each 100000 of immigrants wrote back
to persuade another 100000 TO did they do it
blindly and wickedy,o did they DO it because Of the
And how was it with the populaonl Instead OF the
slow growth of European nations, we find that at the
close Of period the entire population of the
United states was 81 100000 1t rose To 3sOOoOOO in
1870 and to 81 100000 IN 1850 Does TINS Indicate IN
creased difficulty IN the means Of subsistence increased
embarrassment IN the acquisition OF wealth or does II
show that tho country has become more and more capa
BILE Of sustaining large population In comfort and
wealth. lApplausol
GROWTH OF AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURES.
Has this system which y0u SO violently condemn i'm
peded the development Of the counryl look III your
hooks on political economy perhaps should answer
Eyes" prefer to look into nav book, which IL the
history of the United disclosed by the census
taken under the law Inquire first to Its effect upon
that class Of population with which have been identified,
and which Won say suffers most OF the burdens and In
iIsf1ce | nnd that the value Of the farms
Of the country in 1860 was s3,2OOOOO,OO0.
using 10 $1,000 100000 I'm 1870 and Ia
Iss1 n $40 az 900 900 The gross value OF their pro-
ducts in 1860 was not returned, bus is estimated at
II 400 COO 600 I'm 1870 II 81 800. 10000, and in
1880 So BOO 100000 And Just here let reinforce my
statement respecting The growth OF agriculture IN this
country by an from the British Agricultural Com
mIs,Ons report Ia 1882 la which this sentence occurs:
is SAFE TO say that for the last two years The ag1tcl