San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-06-25
FREE TRADE HERESY.

Congress, it is sincerely to be hoped,
is drawing towards the beginning Of the
end Of the session. There will be no
peace for fearful country until that end
comes, and with it the end of all fears
for the prosperity of the country. So
long, however, as Morrison and his ire
sponsibles are in Washington, and the
chances of destructive legislation left
open to them. 80 long will all our inter-
ests that lie at the mercy of these free
trade impracticables be imperilled, and
the business Of this country kept in
continued state of alarm. Self-protec-
tion is the first law Of nations as of indi-
viduals. The men who are incapable Of
grasping the full meaning of SO plain an
axiom in political science are certainly
not safe men to trust with the formula
tion Of laws for the government Of the
nation whose interests they are sap
posed to consult before all others. The
means all sections of the nation. To
him its interests are one. All places, all
states, all industries, all departments of
government, are parts of that complete
whole whose interests he is to serve,
whose welfare he is to consult, whose
prosperity he is to legislate for and whose
protection he is swoIn to compass. This
term, protection, as applied to our in
dustries, is term of very great signifi-
canoe, and its meanings are cOexistent
and coextensive with all that is created
by the hand or brain of this great ma
ton. The products Of the soil, the cat
tie upon our ranges, the wealth of our
mines, the work Of our manufactures,
the improvements we make in tho arts
OF life, the productions of our printing
presses, the results of all our nation
al enterprise and energy and thrift
and intelligence are, first, for the
service Of our own citizens and those
who expect to become such. A general
philanthropy may demand and require
that after having served ourself we serve
other self, but as nation we are in duty
bound to protect our own people first,
before serving the needs of other people.
This has been the distinctive feature of
our republican policy, the protection Of
our home industries. 1t was at first
more restricted in its operations, oonfin-
ing itself to manufactured articles, prin-
cipally, and a few great staples upon
which the body Of our manufacturing
was laid. A very few years, however,
have changed the whole aspect of our
relations to the foreign market, and in
these changed relations revision of the
law OF industrial protection has become
necessary. This revision, however, is
not to be committed to the hands of
those who are the sworn enemies of all
industrial protection, and who demand
for the traders and producers of all for
eign lands the same privileges accorded
the producers and traders of our own.
You might as properly commit the cor
rection Of your child's habits and the
revision Of his studies to a man who was
the sworn enemy of childhood, as to sub
mit the revision Of the tariff to the men
who have coyenanted to destroy it.
Time was when 1t was q question
whether free trade in America was not
demanded by the consideration OF the
greatest good to the greatest number.
At that time our agricultural products
were sought in all foreign markets and
our farmers were naturally free traders.
That time has passed. Germany ships
cabbage to these shores and uDdersells
our home product; Egypt ships onions
and crowds our own market gardeners
on the Atlantic sea board. The day has
almost passed when we can hope to
compete in the European market with
India wheat, rice, or cotton; with
Australian wool, hides or beef. Canada
Tree lumber would drive our own from
he market, and 1t is struggle with our