New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-08
THE LOGIC or PROTECTION.
FREE TRADE IS INDIVIDUAL SELFrSIINESS
pTISUED TO TIE EXTREME
By EMIL SCHALK.

| FREE TRADE ID SILT lolicEcJ
PUSHED TO THE EXTREME.
| Remembering DarwIn's words, the universal
struggle for Iifcs we naturally inquire when con.
fronted with two theories. one increasing and the
other lessening the intensity of this struggle, which
is the wiser Of the two. Free Trade. by encourag.
ing the struggle for existence between all the
races of man. may after thousands Of years, 10
consequence Of the survival Of the ittest, evolve
a new and improved species Of man. but whs
cares for that? We might say with Faust:
Hero on this earth my pleasures have their sources
Yon beholds my sorrows In It's courses,
And when from there my life Itself diyorcea
Let happen all that can or VIII
Here in our country our pleasures have tnci
sources but after thousands OF years let happen
all that can or will, We care not II the human
species Is improved after thousands Of years, but
we do care for the happiness Of our own people
The love we bear our country makes us passion
ately wish to see its success in the general CON-
petition with other countries. In the van Oh
civilization (of which our wants are the result,
with climate severe in winter, we are necessarily
heavy consumers of the necessaries VI Life. We
have to eirn much. because to insure heaitn ana
life we need much. Is it fair, is 1t wise, 10 cN'
pose our people without protection to competition
with other people In warmer climates WHO i've
On piece of bread favored with an onion or
garlic, enabled by their climate TO live an out
door life during oil seasons, needing no home
omforts, having none of the many wants pc
culiar to Northern climates, and being therefoc
able to live on much smaller earnlngs'
The climate is a constant factor or force In the
struggle for life The Southern competitor ever
threatens to drive his Northern rival from the
market for such articles as can bear transportation
But the competition will not stop there. Is 10
fair. is it wise, to accept without protection the
connection of countries like China and India, with
their crowded populatlCn furnishing an mex
hausible supply of cheap labor, marshaued, as II
will be- by the skill Of European capitalists and
engineers? These Eastern nations are living In
a state of standardization, having none OF on
wants. and they can satisfy such as they have
with small earnings. Yet the Chinese are skilled
workers, and rapidly adapt themselves to improved
methods Though the competition OF all thess
nations is only in its incipiency, It's elect on ina
British farmer is already apparent in the slow
conversion of fertile fields In England and large
estates in Scotland into shooting grounds, thOuga
both were once titled for the support OF the popd'
latOn. Having sown the wind treat Dfltaih :
likely to reap the whrlwlnd. BY her steam cngiha
and power loom she has destroyed the industries OF
India. and q looks like m lis when cheap Hin 100
labor in turn reduces British toilers TO starvation.
l.
with that of countries like France, Germany,
Belgium Switzerland, and others, all manuiactur'
ing countries with surplus of labor for winch
they are anxiously seeking new markets
Again. We may ask whether 1t Is wise TO eX'
pose our people without protection TO the COM
petition of those nations when the intensity Vi
the struggle among them is already excessive, as
is shown by the war Of tariffs TO which they arg
forced in order to protect their own people frore
undue competition; or when. as In tie case Oh
free-trade England, the competition by those very
nations in the English market with English manu-
facturers has become such that the English Cow
eminent is driven to the enactment Of laws
like the Merchandise Marks Act" which In the
case of many manufactured articles is not merely
an act of protection, but simply one OF proholtionf
1t may be argued that the working people arc
not the entire nation; that others are entitled to
consideration, and that the struggle Tor all Is
lightened by cheapenlng all commodities ana
necessaries Of life through free conf etit on Noth'
ing appears more plausible The theory OF cheap
ening everything goes to the heart and the pocket
of every person, for every man, though producer
of some things, is a consumer Of many others. Men
of great intellect have been carried away by TINS
theory The argument that as all men are con-
sumers and only part producers, the larger number
ought to be benefited" seems at first sight all
most unanswerable.
Yet the argument is at fault. Civilization is
built OIL manual labor. Property is the result OF
labor wealth is its accumulation ana no wealth Is
produced in any nation except that which is the
result of the labor of its own people nations
wealth is reduced just in proportion as the work
of IFS people is replaced by the work Of foreigners
A nation is a living organism. the roots OF when
are its laboring classes They prepare the 1000
for the entire body. They the only producers
of wealth, and Just the roots OF the tree are
necessary to its iife just as the tree Is Injured
when its ioots are injured just as It's growth Is I'LL
peded or its life Slapped when Its roots are ca
posed to undue competition with other plants, 50
n nation is ruined when its working capacity OK
its working population is injured or impaired
All the rest depend on them. from the small
trader to the large wholesale dealer or banker, from
the owner Of the small machineshop to the largest
manufacturer. from the Office boy to the soo'OVo
railroad presidential are dependent for their
earnings on the wealth producing part OF the
population.
The error in the policy Of chcapening CON-
modities by foreign competition Is found IN the
fact that the income Of every person, III not
estroycd entirely, will in the end be. reduced
more than the cost Of living VIII be chcapened.
Protection tends to increase every income by ex-
Guiding competition with worse-pad nations. By
admitting such competition, free trade tends TO
lower incomes. Ii protection is the policy OF tho
nation for its preservation and the good OF all
its people, free trade, the contrary, is the policy
of the individual in its utmost seltishnrss IL Is
the policy of living better by making Others 1.-Two
worse. IL is the policy of personal gain at the
expense Of the nations wealth. the general good
and the welfare and progress of the race.
MORE THAN \ MATCH FOR MR.. WALLER.
Washington dis atch TO The Hartford Courant.
senators Plat and Hawley both lutend to return
TO Connect cut the latter part OF next week ana do
cote themselves TO the campaign