The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-06-25
!, we may be Induced to deliberate.

The present presidential campaign
win be fought--not on the question of
which party can furnish the greatest
amount of SANDER against the rival candi-
date, but on the questions Of home inter
ests and American policy.
1t cannot be charged that the question
of the tariff is mere party cry with
which to get into power; certainly not on
the part of the Republicans, at least.
That party has shown by its acts that it
is in favor of protection to home interests.
The Democratic party is so divided ON
the question that it has been able to be
on both sides at the same time. But it is
undoubted that majority Of The Demo-
Gratis favor free trade.
Oceans of words have been used by the
free traders to prove that free trade will
neither injure manufacturers nor the la
borer but rather, will help both. Some
OF these arguments are very plausible,
and are calculated TO catch people who
have not carefully ,honght over the sub
ject.
II will be noticed that free traders are
composed of men whose money interests
as importers Of foreign goods lead them
in that direction, and of Theorists
men who for the most part are unac-
quainted with the practical business of
life and of the effects of tho tariff as seen
by men who give it practical test in their
business experience.
s. These theorists assume in their argu-
ments position that any practical per-
son can see Is false, namely, that every
country can manufacture without any
governmental protection that which she
is naturally best calculated to do. That
is very pretty theory, but any one but
theoretical dreamer knows that one illus
tration will knock tho theory to flinders,
That Illustration is our cotton industry.
If there is anything that this country is
naturally calculated TO produce and man
ufacture, 1t is cotton. But every one
knows that had it not been for our tariff
protection, we should never have been
able to compete with England in the
manufacture ofcotton goods.
Notwithstanding all the free .raae
theories, the whole question boils itself
down to this: If there is no protection to
manufactures In this country, then any
country that can hire labor cheaper than |
we can, other things being equal,
will have the monopoly Of the manu-
facture so far as we are concerned |
and our manufactures must shut down.
or, they must reduce wages to the same
standard as that of the competing country.
The result, in nutshell will be--no
work or much less pay.
AS to tho American policy" of the cam
paign. Our nation has grown beyond its
infancy, aud now reached the point of
vigorous manhood, when 1t should shape |
out policy. Blaines policy as to South
America, sneered at by the free trade
clique, was nothing more or less than the
old Democratic doctrine known as the |
s,Monroe doctrine" which was opposed
TO the interference Of European govern
ments in the affairs of this contnent-it |
was policy that would give to our own
nation the control of the guano trade and
of trade in general with the South Ameri-
can States. 1t was policy that. would
deyelope commerce aud manufactures and
build up our country, now old enough TO
look out for the interests of its citizens
abroad as we'll as at home. That policy
does not seem to suit the free traders, but
1t suits the great mass of the people, and
they mean to approve of it by electing
the man who will fearlessly carry it out.
1t strikes the patriotic sense of the peo-
Pile, and no party that plays into the hands
of foreign governments at the expense of
the interests Of its own can or deserves to
succeed.