National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-06-10
Protection For All, Protection For
Everyone.

Protection For All, Protection For
Everyone.
Besides the sectional line which the free |
traders try TO draw as one Of division and |
defeat for protection, another principal |
line along which they insidiously endeavorto |
foment dissension is that proclaimed In the |
present national Democratic platform, |
which arraigns and dencunces the national |
Republican party for protecting our native |
raw materials from the competition Of like |
foreign raw materials. The assumption |
here is that protection is only intended for |
our manufactures and manufacturers, but |
that all other Of our productions aud pro-
ducers whether Of the necessities OF life
and comfort, or of other raw materially are
to be left wholly exposed to both foreign
competition and home extortion. But the
theory and practice Of protection, as
held and enforced by the Republic
can party, make no such invidious, Illogical,
and unjust determinations. The party Of
equal right, privilege, interest, and op.
portunity for all and everyone, neither by
words nor acts proclaims any such partial
and unfair doctrines as that which would
prefer and foster any one class or occupa-
tion at the expense OF others. No intel
ligent and honest manufacturer asks for
any such tariff, which, while IL would pro-
tect him from the foreign manufacturer,
would also put the American producer Of
agricultural. mineral aud s'ho" 90 called
''raw materials at his mercy and that also
OF the foreign producer of such materials.
Primarily, too, as an absolutely necessary
provision to assure any American produc
tion a profitable existence at ALL protec-
ton is meant to secure our home markets
to our home producers, foreign markets, OF
course, being very properly a secondary, II
not remote consideration, as certainly we
| could have no profitable trade abroad II we
should be crushed down to the soil In the
start, or at any subsequent stage, by foreign
competition at home. Yet protection,
while 1t gives the security needed for that
diversity OF production here which alone
can give us any profitable trade-domestic
or foreign-which alone can assure either
our capital or labor Its "due rewards"-yet
this protection, establishing the foundation
and guarding the base OF all our commerce,
| put no burdens whatever upon, nor restric-
tions around this commerce when II seeks TO
carry any Of our productions to other
lands. The federal constitution itself for
bids all duties on our exports, and our acts
of Congress have provided amply for draw
backs on all foreign materials that enter
into any article which we make and export
In short, our American policy is that we
could and should supply ourselves In all
things We can produce naturally or artl1ci-
ally, and more especially in all things for
which VIC have the abounding raw mate
rials already, or the capacity for producing
them, as iron ores, for instance, or as'wools.
| Ater we have become self-suflicient sup
plier of home demand, then 1t Ia time
enough to endeavor to supply foreign de-
mand, II there be any. II there is any de-
mand abroad, oar self-protection will not
decrease or prevent it (having enabled US
TO meet this demand); and, II there be no
foreign demand, we at least have our home
markets for ourselves. II other nations,
following our example, become selfsufli-
cling, so much the better for them, as 1t
will be also for us.
In new world like ours the policy of
protection finds its best field, both to d.
versifY and multiply the vocatlons Of labor
and capital. Both capital and labor are
benefited by this diyerslfcation and multi
plication, while the common prosperity is
promoted precisely as the common coop
Grafton expands, In fact, the protective
policy is a national American cooperative
policy, whose purpose is TO make us-the
American people-one mighty and happy
mutual benefit association, aud that in the
most direct and practical way. The la
borer, the mechanic, the engineer, Che man
ufacturer, the common carrier, the farmer,
the merchant, the professional man-all are
Immediately concerned In making home
development and home production suill-
Client for all home demands, with profit TO
all IN the community, The free trader,
having foreign interests, or misled by the
fallacious sophistrles OF those who do have
such interests, or foolishly and meanly
thinking that bis interests and those of the
people are not identical, teaches a very diff
ferent doctrine, and seeks In turn to inspire
every class and calling with distrust OF
the other. lie tells the wooden manufac-
turers that they ought to have foreign
woods free Of duty; yet he also tells the
wearers Of clothes that they ought TO wear
cheap foreign wool cloth, unburdened by
any tariff. He urges the iron manufactur-
ers to consider to what disadvantage they
are put by the mpost on foreign ores, scrap
iron, &C.; but he Just as assiduously insists
that all the users Of iron implements, &C.,
should buy the untaxed British products !
And so the double-faced, double-tongued,
aud doubledealIng scheme proceeds. Re-
duced to plain and honest terms, the free
trade propositions amount to this; that we
should all become hewers OF wood and