Bent County register., 1888-09-29

D
the United States contains within its
own borders all the resources of a
great manufacturing nation. She
need import nothing, and to build up
her industries and diversity them,
and gave employment to all her peo-
pie, she has only to utilize the raw
materials of every kind that her own
soil and climate afford. She has
food in abundance; iron and coal in
every quarter; wool and cotton and
flax unlimited. She needs no foreign
markets, for her own population in
creases so rapidly that her growing
manufactures are not able to supply
their wants, and only demands more
thorough protection to enlarge their
prod and enable them to sup
ply these wants fully and more
cheaply than they could be supplied
IN any other way. All the conditions
of this country point to the protect
i've policy as the one best fitted to
give universal prosperity, and indi-
cate clearly that we should avoid all
measures tending to embarrass our
industries or hinder the development
of our resources. This is particular
ly true of what are called necessaries
of life, and things for which there is
large demand, and, therefore,
large production. Among these
may be mentioned nails and common
clothing, which are as cheap in this
country as they are anywhere.
3d.-It enables us to have In COM
mon use aud at low prices a great
variety of manufactured products
which otherwise we should have to
go without, because the farm pro-
ducts of the country are not wanted
abroad in sufficient quantities to pay
for the foreign goods we should need
if our own manufactures were mater
tally diminished. If we should pay
for them In gold, our stock of this
metal would soon be exhausted, and
the country be bankrupt.
4th.-Finally, protection increases
home wealth, and makes a home
market for everything produced,
whether from the farm, the mine,
the mill, ar the workshop. Every
thing produced here is an addition
to. our national wealth, in which
everybody shares, and which makes
our country the best in the world for
all classes of persons. IF anything
is imported, we have the article, but
we have paid Its value to foreigners
in some way, and therefore no better
off than before.
W.-What, then, is free trade?
Ans.-Free trade, taken literally.
means trade free from taxation or
limitation of any kind No such
condition of things exists among civ
ilized nations. England, generally
called free trade country, derives
one-fourth of its revenue from duties
upon imports. In this country, when
intelligent men speak of free trade,
they mean tariff for revenue only,
after the English fashion.
W.-Wbat are the objections to
this kind of tariff for the United
States?
Ahs.-1hey are numerous. In the
irst place, its effects upon our pros.
perity would be the opposite of those
of protective tariff. 1t would check
and diminish our industries, reduce
wages, impoverish the nation, and in
the end fail 10 yield adequate reve-
nue. for the government. 1t would
soon require large exports of pre-
cious metals, and bring about nation
al bankruptcy. TIE nearest approach
to such tariff in this country was
the Walker tariff, which prevailed
from 1916 to 1861. Its effects were
delayed for while by various re.
markable circumstanoes-the discov-
cry of gold in California, the Mexi-
can war, the failure of European
crops, and extensive European wars
but as soon as the influence of
these ceased, the people were plung-
cd into universal distress, and the
government was unable to raise even
trifiipg sum of money, except at
rulnous rates of interest.
| W.-How does IL hanran H..