Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-11-15
A Belated Reviews

/ ally INSTRUCTIVE, IN the study OF tHs
1 political and social sciences, to note ths
/ changing arguments advanced In be:
half of one side or another of m0otes'
Iquestian. In this field 1t has been said
/ that view ofa question which has th<
arguments brought forward la its sup:
port is the view least likely to be cor.
rect; it is presumed that q safe struct.
ure needs not shifting foandatIaIl
Those who are engaged in original re-
fsearch may object to this: hut 1t seetias
justified in one matter at least. It IL
mot too much to say that the theories
and arguments advanced In favor of q
bigh-protpetive tariff in this c,.unfry
would haye been sufficient, had they
been consistent with each other and
with the facts, to sustain dozen sys-
| TENS of economics instead Of one.
The work before VS. is one of the earl
lest effnrts made by the Pennsylvania
manufacturers to affect the legislation
Iof the country in their own intere ct.
It is an octave volume of 300 pages,
we'll hound in law leather, and 1t cost,
a few days ago, two cents at second
hand. We must admit our surprise at
the price for which this class Of litera-
ture was to be had; but we have dis
covered that the contents of the work
are not such as to induce the present
Pennsylvanians to keep its price from
falling to natural level. The hrgu-
ments upon that side) have SD altered
that these attacks upon Adam Smith,
whose first editions still fetch more
than two cents, are scarcely recognize
able.
And yet one would think that DIR.
Smith should he the unrecogni2able;
he is here treated without gloves, nay,
with brass knuokless AS preIimin-
ary step, we propose to esta blish the
utter fallacy of some maxims, support
ed by the authority Of the name of
Adam Smith, author of the Wealth OF
Nations but pregnant with certain
ruin to any nation by which, they may
be carried into operation There is no
uncertain sound here-no saying, It's
all very well for England, but II won't
do here" On the contrary, Great
Britain affords felicitous instance for
our purpose. Let us examine what eff
feet the adoption of this maxim would
produce on her happiness and prosper
lty. There are above million people,
of both sexes aud all ages, employed in
that country i'm the weolen and cotton
manufactories. BY their Industry in
these branches they make for them
eeives and families u comfortable SUBJ
sistence, They, moreover,
enrich the nation by bringing into it
wealth from nearly all parts Of the
earth. The immense sums OF money
they thus introduce into their native
country afford means of employment
and insure happiness TO other millions
of subjects"
Thus was England under q high tar
if. 1t sounds, indeed, very like Eng
land to-day, under no tariff; but in this
we must be mistaken for this is the
very different picture drawn should
Great Britain adopt the thories OF
Adam Smith:
From this cheering prospect let us
turn the startled eye TO the masses of
misery's VI llich Dr.Smith' system would
produce, and we shall then behold q
hi,Ieous contrast, which, we trust, es-
capped the Doctors attention.; for the
acknowledged goodness and benevo-
.lenca of his character will not allow US
to believe that he would have been the
apostle of such q pernicious doctrine
had lie attended 10, its results.
Who can contemplate the result with
out horror? What widespread scene
of ruin and deso.ation would take place!
The wrath Of the country sc0asd be
saoept aUdy Il, enrich foreign, and
probably hostile nations, which might,
at no distant period, make use of the
riches and strength. thus fatuitous.y
placed in their hands, to e7astave the
people who had destroyed Themselves
by following such Daneful ccunselsn
{pp. 14.15).
One might almost think that this
was peuned by the same hand that
the tariff scare OF 1884;
but the differences are, after all, very
great. No one now ventures III predict
the enslavement OF Connecticut; and
though EngIand las seen fit to adopt
these s'banefui counsels,n we are not
told that her ealth s.has been swept
away TO enrich hostile nations Wei
are only taught to fear that she will
sweep away our own!
The advocates of q high tariff should
avoid predictions. Another that fol-
loWs close on the heels of the one Just
cited is even more amusing:
1T can hardly be doubted
that in q few years the East Intiiesl
will be able, provided Adam Smitil,sl
theory continues to be acted upon
here, to beat our cotton planters out
Of our own markets, after having
driven them from those Of Europe. III
is not, therefore, hazarding much %