The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-06-30
PROTECTION IS sOPHIsTRY

Protection to home industries means that
only those natural resources required for
home use shall be utilized. But is this the
best disposition we can make of them2 We
have an unbounded store of natural wealth.
also a store OF labor far more than we can
utilize. The enormous increase OF wealth
and the comparative industrial prosperity OF
America have been due solely to the energy
that labor and these raw and prolific resources
haYe been combined. But the protection
list says we shall not utilize these two
sources OF wealth, but leave them on the
plane of necessity required Tor mere exist
ence. This position is not one Of necessity
that might inhere, were there no people
who would utilize them If they were al
forded opportunity; the fact is VIGOROUSLY
otherwise. Yet because these people can not
pay cash for our surplus, but demand an ex-
change OF commodities in trade for them, our
protectionists refuse to permit an
American from exchanging his surplus
-four, shoes or prints for tea, coffee,
or works of art, or for certain articles OF
clothing or furniture that the American
might fancy, even when the American would
exchange what to him is a surplus, useless,
valueless product. If we did not notorious
ly possess great quantities of their surplus,
useless stock, but rather had difficulty to
produce what was actually wasted, there
might be the excuse of expediency in refusing
to permit an American to part with them,
but even then it would be wise expediency
only in cases of national danger or distress
as principle, it would be better to allow
him to buy elsewhere to supply his deficiency
if he could or chose. Divested of side issues
the tariff and protection ideas are reduceable
10 just this.
This country never can utilize either her
labor or raw materials anywhere to their
capacity by restricting their use to the mere
requirements of our population. Our popu-
lation, aided as no other people are with
railroads and machinery of every descrip.
ton, with our rich soil, prolific mines and
forests, are enabled to meet the requirements
Of the earth's highest, most diffused civiliza-
ton, in two-thirds Of the time that any other
nation requires to fill the requirements of a
lower civilization. Yet the protectionist
lells US WeCdn not compete Will THESE lower
civilizations, in spite of the fact that were we
to dispose of our surplus at any price, we
would be by that much ahead of what we are
when we refuse to sell them at all, and yet
can not use. II is the silliest of twaddle to
say that we can not compete with the prices
of Europe or elsewhere, when the surplus
we have to sell is alone worthless and repre-.
sents no price at all. II stands as ridiculous
upon its face that our economies, because by
their very prolixity, they represent higher
degree Of comfort TO labor, and hence higher
wages that these comforts. and wages, would
decrease by more extensive use OF the pro-
life natural wealth OF this plethoric coun.
try. and by an exchange OF our worthless
product for some luxuries we do not, or can
not produce. The comforts OF labor would
equal the mass of the product, whether a
partof II came from Asia or South America,
or were produced at home, and would in
crease directly as we could exchange products
we do not want for luxuries we do.