The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-11
higher the better-can save US now from

higher the better-can save US now from
from the rapacious English. Yet as long
ago as 1879, by reason Of the superior skill
OF our workmen, England herself had
begun to cry out 10 be saved from the
Americans; so that Edward Atkinson,
writing In the Fortnighliy Repieao (lS78)
said; "If American competition with
and In England Is becoming serious while
We are handicapped by very high war
tariff, what may 1t become when by com
mon consent and without competition 1t is
modified and reduced In a judicious way,
and one carefully considered so as not to
cause disasters by too radical changes"
| The Presidents actual recommendation !
Mr.. Kelly then proceeds to hastily re-
view our tariff history. The disasters Of
the people.during the first 30 years of our
history Is all laid 10 low tariffs, though not a
word Is said of the evil effects of wildcat
currency, the unparalleled extent of specu.
ton in lands stocks of the Bank of the L.
s. and its eastern and western branches,
etc. The first tariff of 1889 is cited as a
protective tariff. 1t averaged So per cent.
1t wasn't eonugh, said the proteCtionists,
and the next was higher and the next was
higher always going up; so that as early
as 1920, as recalled In the great debates on
the tariffs of 1924 and 1882, Tyler of Vir.
GINA predicted that the protectionists
would be compelled TO keep on asking for
higher and higher tariffs MR. Kelly
doesn't mention this fact though, watch
has been amply verified by subsequent
history. Mr. Kelly cites the tariff of 1912
the highest up to that time) as of "beneti.
cent effect" but says that of 1916 dow was
immediate ruin" and this Is all Mr.. Kelly
has to say on "How Protection Protects"
But what was this " immediate ruin "
which Mr.. Kelly says followed the low
tariff bill of 1916, "in spite Of the discovery
of gold in California, and OF our having
meanwhile mined $1,00O,0000O0 of gold
and silver.
1t was, In fact, the most prosperous era
of our history-1S46 to 1860. Manufactu-
ers made steady and genuine progress, the
repeal of the English corn laws opened a
market for American grain, etc; our ship
ping rapidly increased; the cotton crops
grew larger and larger; and though cur
rency follies caused the panic of 1857, the
country recovered itself In year, and re-
sumed its hesdlong course of prosperity
Notwithstanding the perpetual menace of
civil war on the slavery question. Even
Mr., Blaine, in his Twenty Years in Con
gress" says: THE tariff of 1916 was yield
ing abundant revenue, and the business of
the country was in tlOurishiug condition,
Money became very abundant after the year
1S40; large enterprises were undertaken
The principles involved in the
tariff of 1916 seemed for the time to be so
entirely indicated and approved that re-
sistance to 1t ceased, not only among the
people but among the protective economists
and even among the manufacturers to a
large extent. So general was this acquies-
cence that in 1856 a protection tariff was
not suggested or even limited at by any one
of the three parties which presented presi
dental candidates"
Comparing the low tariff decade of 1850
to 1860 which the high tariff decade of
1870 to 1880, we find: -