The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-08-09
What Protection Has Done.

condition. In it's last issue il opens long
article with the following paragraph:
The tariff under which the country is work
mo TO dav is a high tariff; it Is, with the few
est notifications, War tariff 1t has been III ~
oneration Tor over twenty years. Who has IL
henefitted In that time? This is fair question
tax of any kind should be a matter OF neces-
sitv nd for the benefit of the people who pay
it. twenty years is long enough to ind out
whether certain rate of taxation Is beneficial.
Who has this tax benefited in that time?
Twelve months ago the Viadicator would
have found no difficulty in answering It's
own question pretty much as we propose
to answer it. All policies must be judged
by results to test their merits, and it is to
results we will direct its attention. A few
comparisons, which we find conveniently
arranged by the Washington Gazette, will
furnish general idea as to who has been
benefited. The whole country has reaped |
the advantages of the protective pollcy,
and every class of citizens shared In the
wealth and prosperity which are It's fruits.
1.-THE wealth in the United States in 1860
was sixteen thousand million dollars, one
half of which was DESTROYED during the
civil war. In June, 1857, our wealth
touched the immediate figures OF sixty
thousand millions, earning seven millions
each day. In 1860 the wealth or Inc
United States was $4l5 per capita; in
1887. 81. 900 per capita. In these years OF
protection the United States has earned
over one half of the sum added to the
world wealth during that time. We near
" equal Great Britain in that of lion and
excel i4er.in the production of steel. In
1866 manufactures in the United States
amounted to 81 SOC, 900 900; in 1887 to
SIS. 900 OOO, 900. Our total industrlep now
amount to $l1 900 900 600. The Western
States manufactured nearly as much in
! 1887 as the whole country in 1860. The
Southern States alone now Eake ~ per
cent. more pig iron than was made IN the
United States in 1860. The annual pro-
duct of the United States exceeds that OF
E"glapd by more than one half. and our
trade is double that of England. England
has increased Ter commerce less than SIX
ti,nt since 1866. the United States has
iuvrrass d her Commerce more than SIX
tnnes While England has increased her
export trade four times, the exports OF the
IJuitt d States have increased eight times.
In these yebrs, from the thild producing
power, VT have risen TO the FIRST. p To
1860 the entire exports OF the United
States were S., 900 900 coo: since then they
have amounted TO $l4,u0O, 900 OO0.'
AS pertinent 10 the Inquiry OF the Vim
dicator. we give brief summar. from the
very a lie speech OF Hon. Wui. Mckinly
on the Mills tariff bill IN vindica ion of the
vast anu ben, tic. III res ul!s Of iii. protective
policy rs they are PIE. elied III the cohdl
ton of the Nation. He said
rWhat country can show such trade al
| ours, such commerce such immense trans
portatlun lines, such Il volume OF exchanges
4 and such marvellous production from tn,
raw material TO the finished product. 1t
balance. sheet is without a parallel in TIN
world s history-richest IN agriculture
greatest in its domestic trade aud traffic
q and leading i'll manufacture any nation II
Europe why abandon policy which ca
L point to such achievements and WI ose tro
l phies are to be seen on every lanc! IL
Holland. Beg f q and Dc d dssi q = -
Why, siugle railroad system Ia thi
Z country THAT of The Pennsy lvaiDia Raj
read COMPANY carries more tonnage an
traffic III d single year than all the iner
chant ships of Great Britain. The y ho.
IS OF Europe has not built as many mil, O
V railroad as this country has dnrlbg .om
n | recent wears, and in 1880 the Whole kfowi
world did not lay as many miles OF tract
as were laid across this country. Grea
n Britlan's foreign comupre equals about
I | One-SiAth of orr domestic com merge. Car
We do better under any other fiscal policy
We say not. Wise craftsmanship com
mands us. therefore, To let well enough
t alone
These results answer the inquiry IF the
Vaidicdt0r in a very compi extensive way
: They tell the marvellous story of the pro
gress of the Nation for the past quarter OF
century under the protective policy
They bring to mind the vast enterprises
/ which have united tie extremes of the
, continent in close and reciprocal relations.
. They speak for the market of $4,000 900 of
people ar the reciprocal trade between
the States under Interstate free trade and
protection against foreign products. 1T is
this rich field of demand that England
seeks to capture through the operation of
free-trade policy. and it is for this reason
that every English journal and eAery En-
glsh statesman approves the President s
message and urges the adoption of the Mills
Tariff BILL 1t is the policy that dismar-
tied the factories and workshops of Ire
land and Scotland and made waste the
busy scenes of industry which prevailed in
those countries under protective laws
British free trade impoverished Dublin
and Edinburg, as it would every industrial
district in tie United States. should it
once get command Of our markets through
the free trade policy, such as Cleveland
advocates and the Mills bill opens the
way to.
The INDICATOR however, does lot seem
disposed to look upon the MAJ Vicious
strides of the Nation, under the slim.
ulating influence of home industries en-
)nraged ard established under our Or,
tective laws. 1t brings it's thoughts down
t. the woIkingman and asks ii he has
been benefited. To show that he has not
it enumerates the strikes that have oc-
Cured within the past six years as evl-
d ence that there has not been remunpra
tive employment, and that the Coz dition
of the wage Garner is not as good under
the protective policy as it was under Dem.
ocraiic revenue only or free trade legis
lation. A little reflection would have
settled this point even in the perturbed
mind Of our contemporary. The fact that
organized labor is in condition to as
sert its rights and defend its interests, is
sufficient to demonstrate that il is not
Frustrated. 1t has surplus from its accu-
mutations to support its members in
emergencies, when protests against the
exactions of capital are deemed exptdient |
1t IS simply organized labor confrontii g
organized capital and vice vefsa-the one
determined that the other shall rot take |
advantage of it. IL is one of the rps,,ll G |