Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-08-20
A PROTECTIVE RETURN.

Senator Edmunds has just returned
from a summer vacation in Europe. de
reports that times and trade in England
sre very depressed, and that there IS
some talk of return to protection as
relief from present evils. Occasionally
some one does start the protection theory
in England as a relief, but it is scarcely
started before it is absolutely dead.
A few yeare ago there was
carried on in the pages of the
Nineteenth Century discussion pro and
con as regards reciprocity, as it was
termed. Reciprocity may be termed the
doctrine of you tickle me and I'll tickle
you; it was to be free trade with those
who admitted British goods into their
ports free, and protection against those
countries which refused free entrance
to British goods. The theory found
few supporters, and it never once assumed
popular shape. There were other articles
in the same magazine advocating
purely protective policy; this found less
favor even than the reciprocity move,
One writer, and man of title, but whose
name we do not remember, strongly adj
vocated that a tax be levied upon corn
coming into the Kingdom that the farmers
and land owners might be able to COM
pete with foreign producers; but it was
sufficient to kill any such idea to
merely resurrect the crys OF the
Anti-Corn Law League. Perhaps no
league ever did more for the
laboring classes OF country than did the
AntiCorn Law League. The enthusiasm
which it finally developed, owing greatly
to the eloquence and logic of William
Golden and John Bright, partook almost
of religious nature; and it was almost
entitled to such an enthusiasm, for to
relieve the sufferings OF poor humanity
was its object. The repeal of the Corn
Laws and the doctrine Of free trade saved
England in 1916; for her TO return TO
| protection now would be for her to,
so to speak, return to the grave. Eng
land is a manufacturing country above
all things else, and thus far none have
been able to compete with her in the
markets OF the world. How could pro-
tective tariff in anywise help her? Out
stripping all others as a manufacturer,
she would not place protective tariff on
manufactured goods, for she does not inn
port them to any extent. For her to
place the tariff on raw materials
would be to add burden to that
which must give her living. On bread
stuffs no tariff will ever be placed unless
England shall lose her reason and invite
her people to riot and revolution. The
distinguished Senator says: ALREADY
there is wide feeling that England can
only save herself and prevent starvation or
emigration among her working people by
| following the example of this country and
| adopting protective tariff policy. Indeed,
/ think she will be compelled to do so. ="
During the past year and half trade
has been as much depressed in this
country as in England, and this country
has protective tariff policy that places
tax on all imported goods that averages
forty per cent. I'D ralorem. Certainly the
history OF protection in this country and
its results have not been so gratifying
and beneficial that we can turn TO the
nations OF the earth and say: Behold,
we have had protection, almost to
prohibition, and dull times and de-
pressed trade have never been upon lis. ="
In this country it is true there has never
been any over population, one OF the
things that SO seriously complexities de-
! pressed trade in England. Whatever
may be the way out OF her depression,
| England will not tread the protection
road, and she will do wisely in so decid-
/ ing.