The Republican journal., 1888-04-05
Protection VS.. Free Trade.

At a recent Republican mass meeting in
Newport. Il. L., Hon. A. w. Beard, State
Treasurer of Massachusetts, male an address
on the tariff question. After discussing the
local situation he spoke substantially as fol-
| lows:
When the Republican party came into power
81 years ago it found an empty treasury. So
much money had been borrowed bv Buchan-
ans Administration that there was no more
left to borrow. This state of affairs was the
elimination of 10 years of Democratic legi>la-
tion on the tariff. | have not been student of
books on political economy. but ! have been il
student OF life and of affairs. and that has given
| me insight into the needs of the country along
this line. We had at the bcginnin" of our
Government 4 protective tariff on ii small
scale. We had a few maritime industries and
some fisheries, but for manufactures we were
dependent upon England. 1t was protection
on a small scale, but not sufficiently protective
to protect home industries. When the war of
1872 came we found ourselves destitute of mu-
htions. but that war gave lis the opportunity
for the starting of new industries When the
war ceased the tariff was taken off, and indus
try was ruined and the country suffered. Then
followed the high tariff of 1874. which contin-
ued 10 1882. Then the low tariff Of 1886. and
the disaster of 1897. Then came the Wing tar
if of 1912. when new industries again started.
In 1916 Democratic Congress began rcdurin"
the tariff The discussions of to-day are almost
repetltionS of the discussion of those days over
the Wing tariff. IN 1876 there was IL sill fur
ther reduction. Meanwhile there had come to
us great advantages as Il natiOn-a famine in
Ireland. which made Il demand for provisions /;
the Crimean war, which created similar de-
mand, and the discovery Of gold in California.
Under the tariff of 1916 we We're importing
more than we Were exporting. In 1857 came Il
crisis. crash. panic. which many of you re-
rrIDnIpU br u Ks
We're suspended. Then, from the enforced
| er )nomy which followed. trade fell OFT. and in
1851 the Treasury was bankrupt. Buchanan's
Administration opened with surplus in the
Treasury. 1t closed with deficit.
That was the result of Democratic free trade
for ID years. W hat had been the results of -
years of the protective policy of the RepubIi-
| cans: This is the richest country in the world.
1t is the largest manufacturing nation in the
world and has the largest market of the world.
The consumption of manufacturing products
of this country is 30 per cent. more than the
entire manufacturing products of Great Brit
ain. This state Of affairs we wish to retain.
The President in his message has denounced
the policy OF the present tariff rs Illogical and
absurd. In 1850 twelve dollars per month was
high wages the year round in farming districts
To-day no labor is paid AS low AS that in this
| country, and food an.l clothing are cheaper
now than then, too. The President makes an
assault on the wool industry. Clothing was
never 50 .'ieap ll III country as now an" II
az o"eap elt a. ~ ans - " "of'''
o",o.' '; VI .ne pno'ce.tc po'i'N : not en-
tliG'! ! W I..se lhe wages ~ tle country ana
lilake ih.hulactuii'S possiD'e, pllt 10 MAKE the
I .,om s.'oaS anu sc'i-.e''a' M anu 10 -'le en-
pio!liie!'t W iapoiers, 10 give t'le,n an o!por-
% %,uhl's ~ nv, t"'n >oInet,ii'S WIN "hleh 10 p"I
pie.'o' MS ,apor'l pttoiie> CONSUMER ana
.il'Nes . iila. Net ioI otnel ptoouet>i Ninety
n.e pet eH,.. VI IL eost u Nv Is
h ,ot ia'oi !" i',.n 80 W so''itoons lhe
i,icl en'ni - not Plo.ettc" nor Ais Sa'esilth
' ~. IL u'saslei co"es tnev ieei II 'lch
Y me '"wHei NJ uepenus oli lle pIo>pein! ol
IN, M e.lcnt' n INC leNeliuc llo, Tue >tia.SeiS
VINO iiahe up .cuf summer NE mere Is allected
S DS the state VI the INDUSTRIES Oh thn country.
=. ne '''lle!enoe petMeeh tie Norm anu SCUM on
this question: - easily seen. IN tne Noflh there
were We're Young !aporers VINO received Sood pay.
lc".c pi otc'tiui' Wa IaNoIeu ~ VIZ NoitL' p1'.
Lol III .ne ooutn: LaDor there was owned. III
Was hol d po'it'ta' !aGtol Or Il 'oh>'iiip'Ne
iaclof. Inc po'lcy vi tnat sectloh was 10 Keep
latnor as cheap as poS>ip,e' ana ciotminS cost
nothihS lor lh,s o"heo-lapor Grass. men the
cotton production began labor became cotton.
ana ihey wanted TO sell IN the highest market
ana puy III the cheapest market. ihis Is me
reason the SCUM favored Tree tra4e ana lne
North favored protection. we produce III this
country nearly ail the wool used l0r ciothlhS,
" per cent OF the consumption ms year, 50
per cent. last year. me protective policy Is
that uutv shai pe lald on the articles Which
we produce. moi ON those whicn we 90 not pro-
duce; that American industries shall be pro-
tecteu. ms Is hatlonai matter. we must