The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-09-06
FOR Revenue ANDPROTECTIoN

| In the present discussion of the Tar
itf Question" there is seen a revival oil
the old time hostility to the principle oi
protection, and this is based upon the
same old and ofttimes exploded falacy
that "the consumer must eventually pay
just SO much moIe for his goods" 1t il
not difficult for even the most ignorant
to understand the necessity for raising a
revenue for the support of government
or the propriety of raising the same by a
tax on imported articles, but when the
subject of protection is broached, even
very well informed men are heard to
cry out against it, as an abuse of power
which tends to foster and establish an
arstOcracy of manufacturer, and these
point with emphasis to the fact that
manufacturers all over the country arc
worth their Millions" But the fact
that there are millionaire manufacturer 6
proves nothing for there are mel chants,
and bankers, and brokers, and farmers
and professional men by the scores and
hundreds who are millonaires. The
question is not whether under the pro
tPctlve system men have amassed for
tunes, but whether under that system
the resources Of the country have been
developed and the skilled and common
labor utilized to the mutual benefit OF
capital and labor. That the course OF
our national life in all it's phases has
been one of progress, none can deny.
The very fact of a surplus in the treas
ury during time of no more than an
ordinary condition of supply and de.
mand is sufficiently demonetrative of
this. Nor need this overplus of money
in the treasury drive one foolish on the
subject of protection. For, il it be a
fact that IN spite of import duties foreign
productions food this market to the ex-
tent of burdening the United States
treasury with money, it is equally clear
that there can be no demand in the ma.
ture of things for a reduction OF import
duties even on articles not produced or
manufactured in this country. We do
not deny any man the right to purchase
his wares in the cheapest market, but
we do deny him the right Of bringing
them to this country for sale OF private
use IN competition with home products,
for the reason that in the then undevel-
oped state or our vast country and illim-
table resources the, is need for protec.
tion against every influence hostile or
adverse to the same. The pride of the
American is his country and govern
ment, The first the largest, the second
the strongest among civilized nations,
and each yet in their infancy in devel-
opment. To voluntarily throw down
the barriers which in the past have
proved so eminen,ly serviceable in pro-
tecting against the trespassing of hos
tile and destructive marauders upon our
fair harvest fields Of production and
manufactures would be suicidal indeed.
no man or parry in the possession of or
dinary intelligence will submit to such a
proposition even for a moment. Pro-
lection means prosperity to each and
every intelligent and industrious citizen
of these United states. Free trade under
whatever guise it may appear, means
stagnation of home industries and finau-
cia embarrassment; and when capital
is burdened, labor suffers heavily.
Thinking men should not be led astray
by any such nonsense as the representa-
tion that protection means oppression !;
or, that the cheapest market is the best
one for Americans to patronize, A wise
and carefully discriminative tariff for
revenue and protection is the nations
strongest bulwark against oppression
from abroad and anarchy at home.
Voters should seek out that party which
most carefully promotes American
principles and fosters American indus
tries and join 1t in the righteous endeav-
OF to maintain and perpetuate these in
stitutiOns and laws which have made
this nation grcwIngly prosperous during
its entire history.