National Republican., 1885-10-28


--''o tariff for revenue only''-''a tariff only
for reyenue''-is the British free trade
policy. 1t means industrial suicide. 1t
means greater calamities than have ever be-
fallen this country, not excepting war or
the ravages of pestilence. 1t means the
deliberate abandonment Of policy whose
wisdom has been magnifcently demon
strated by experience-a policy vndicated
by more rapid development of material
resources, greater &c cumulation OF ma
tional wealth, Il more general diffusion of
beneficial results, a larger measure of ma
tional and individual prosperity than any
other policy or system has ever produced
In any country in any age. We know that
1t Is not possible for legislation to guaran-
tee uninterrupted and uniform prosperity.
Neither fundamental laws nor statutory
enactmen,s can SO regulate consumption
and production that they will always keep
pace with each other. There will be periods
when particular class of products will be
In great demand. Then large amounts of
capital and labor will be directed TO the
supply of that demand. BY and by the
necessity or call for that line Of products
will fall of or die out and then there will be
loss in the shape Of useless or idle plant, and
workingmen will suffer while passing
through the transition from one employment
to another. The country has seen striking
illustration of this in the steel rail in
dustry and 1t has seen, too, the benefits of
protection in such improvement and In
crease OF facilities as have cheapened the
cost of steel rails to phenomenal extent.
No system Of human laws can repeal or
suspend the laws Of nature, and 1t is the
operation Of natural laws, Of causes beyond
the control of man, which makes industries
thrive better at some times than at other
times. But the friends Of the protective
policy invite fair comparison OF the results
Of that policy with the results Of the oppo-
site system, and they know, of absolute
certainty, that such a comparison will con-
demn free trade and vindicate protection.
The logic Of figures, the evidence OF ascer-
tanned facts, the testimony of results
achieved is all on the side OF protection, all
opposed, In deadly hostility, to the wild
schemes of the visionnries who are making
war on every material interest of American
Colder Club as applicable TO this country.
lie who knows what advantages we pos
sess, who knows our vast range of climate,
soils, and productions, who is acquainted
with our capacities for absolute indcpend-
ence, must understand that we have such
advantages as are not possessed by any
other nation. The free traders will say, IN
reply to this, "Why, then, do we want pro-
tectionS Why should we fear TO compete
with the worldSn The answer is, we do
not "fear" competition, but we propose to
protect ourselves against It In order that we
may live better than any other people. We
mean TO keep our special advantages fol
ourselves We are so selfish that we are
not willing to amalgamate ourselves with Q
trade federation OF nations or a CONNER
cial brotherhood of man. The good thing;
we have are ours, and we will not go into
a universal partnership in which we must
supply most Of the capital,
There Is just one kind OF free trade
! GIostle who is worthy of respect for his sin
ccIity, however little he may deserve credit
| for business sense. We refer TO the Chris
tian philanthropist who inyeighs against
protection because 1t is selfish policy
lie admits that we, as people, have much
to gain by keeping up the protective bars,
lut he insists that all men are children OF
the same Father, all are brothers, and that
1t is wrong for us to feast while Others
fast. 1--WE should be willing TO sacrifice
cur own interests he says, "for the good
Of humanity in general" lie points to the
suffering poor, the wronged and wretched
worknemcn OF Europe, and calls on the
wolkingmen Of the United States to remem-
| her that Eye all are brethren.n
When the American people become con
vCrts to this beautiful doctrine of universal