The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-10-29
Free Trade and Protection.

The professional free trader has a notion
# policy, without the practical sense to
apply it, lie does not know that condi-
ions regulate the application of theory,
md that however plausible it may be, and
to the imagination, it is use
less in government. unless it works good |
to the people Of the Nation. Free trade |
States is the application of the
theory, where it accomplishes mutual ben
pfits. 1t assures free exchange of diver
sified products, and gives a market in one
section for what another produces. 1t thus
encourages relations Of mutual depen-
dence, giving mutual advantage, and bring
ing development and wealth. The eli
mate and soil of our vast country are so
diversified, that there is scarcely anything
that either State might want that another
does not produce. With this diversified
ton it is the true policy of this country
to produce everything it consumes, or has
use for. And whatever it produces should
be sul'jectto free trade among the States,
and protection from outside competition.
III this way competition at home would
bring each product down to the lowest pos
sible price, consistent with the existence
of the industry that produced it, and thus
give To our people, i'll The course of
time, a cheap article, and as perfec-
ton in machinery is reached, enable
lis to invade the markets of other
countries at a less price for the article
shipped than it could there be made. With
climate and raw material adapted advan-
tageously to almost all industries, it would
be only question of time. when the i'm
provement of methods and the invention
of machinery, supplemented by the push
and energy of our.people, would enable us to
chal lenge the world in all classes of pro-
ducts.
Free trade among the States is all the
free trade this country wants. With in
dustries multiplied population would null
tiply-consumers and producers would
work into each other IS hands and a Nation
of diversified pursuits, each State contrib
uting to the wealth of the other, would
grow up. strengthened and prospered by
it's own resources utilized within ourselves.
Industrial independence is as important as
political independence, and this cannot be
reached by opening our ports to the free
ingress of foreign products. brought out
under system Of labor and physical con-
| ditions that would disgrace our own wage
earners. With industries fully developed
in the localities where the natural advan-
tages to each class of products would be
greatest, the consumption of our own
people would be equal to the products Of
the huBbandman, and the necessity for the
shipment of the percent. of the outcome
of agriculture as now would cease. 1t would
find a market at home, and serve to en-
rich our people as the reciprocal exchanges
would increase.
Protection to home industries against
foreign labor is the sure way to secure
cheap articles through home competition,
give employment to home labor and q
home market for the farmer and free
trade among the States is the sure way to
supply each section with what it does not
produce, at a minimum price. And each
policy thus applied, is the sure way to
bring about true and lasting independence,
both industrial and political.
Free Trade, as it would be applied by
the Democratic party is the baldest fall
lacy and the most ruinous policy that the
stupidity of man could conceive. 1t would
make the United States a dependency
upon the pauper labor of Europe it would
destroy our industries, make yalueless our
vast fields Of raw materials, and force us
to become nation Of consumers, work
ing and toiling to produce. enough to buy
from Europe that which we did not pro-
duce. The theory and its effects were Illus
trated under the slave system of labor in
the South as it existed up to 1860. What
the States of the South produced was
shipped away to purchase things that we
did not produce, and thus each year the re-
suits of our labor were consumed in the
exchange-leaving no surplus to add to
the wealth Of the section, and only eking
out bare living-the political and mate,
rial power Of each Commonwealth remain
ing stationary. or growing weaker-no fur
naces to melt our boundless mineral re-
sources-no factories and spindles to con-
vert our wool and cotton and consequently
no home market for the farmer. Eve.
rything we produced went away to
purchase something we did not produce
while the vast riches of our mountains and
streams remained where nature placed
them-the people continued dependent
and if not growing poorer and poorer eacf
year-distressingly poor in comparison
with the natural advantages they pos
sessed, that could not be ayailed of under
policy that justified no diversity in in
dustrial pursuits.
This vital policy of protection to home
industries and home labor is involved il
this contest. 1t is maintained by the Re
publicans and it is for the people to de
termine by their ballots whether they ia
vor protection against foreign products
and all.that it implies, or free trade will
foreign nations, and all that it implies,