The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-10-27
Logic OF Protection.

lrse trade and protection will not be
selied by clap-trap phrases, like
Nuyihg 10 the cheapest and selling
lathe dearest marset.;n nor will it
" advanced by the cheap coat argu-
ment, because cheapness is only a
relative quality. aud as such is not
essential. The essential point is the
possibility of living, of earning a
ilvIng; that includes the coat, be that
coat dear or cheap, The problem re-
cailsthe phenomena Of evolution in
the organic kingdoms-Sfhe struggle
Tor existence and the t'suryival of
the tittest," as Herbert Spencer calls
Il. or Of "natural selection" as Oar
win has styled it, Nothing" says
az win, ''is easier than to admit in
sv1s re ruth of the universal
\ SEAgle for life, or more difficult
thal constantly to bear this cnnclu-
sionin mind" And it Is just this
conchSip which he who wishes to
decide Rtween free trade and pro-
teelionleeds 70 keep constantly in
mind;9r these are the oppusites IN
the struggle for life, 1t is ITO be or
not to b" to the vanquished it is
extinctiO, to the successful, progress
and adYace in civilization.
In thertifcial state in which man
is placedy civilization, his success
depends bon his ability, or rather
fitness, toarn his living. The gem
eral inf1utce Of the laws which man
enacts, Ofhe kind of artificial state
he createsor himself, may ne easily
traced Though history. The iron
laws Of Sarta made that petty
kingdom Dr. centuries the arbiter OF
Greece, jst as the strict military
laws of Pussia raised her from a
kingdom o moderate size to the first
power in hrope. The Roman law
of debt, mixing the debtor in de
fault the slse of his creditor, chang.
ed in a feWcenturies the social as
pect of Rom and Italy, and the en-
actments Of he Koran haye proven
ted progress for centuries among
Eastern nations. Judging thus from
the effect which laws AMI institution
have had in the past on the destinie!
OF nations, we may we'll conclude
That the enactment of economic law!
which effect the possibility Of livins
Rnd of obtaining the necessaries o
iffe w ali the members of a nation
IS OF paramount importance to tn
destiny of that nation, to its progress
in civilization and to the life ant
happiness of its members.
In this artificial state of man tn
struggle for life goes on between
members of the same nation Whel
under protection. Under free trade
on the contrary, the struggle is en-
larged competition with individual
of other nations is added. If tn
competition within a nation is in
tense, the added competition from
without must crowd down many in
dividuaIs. This happens constant.
in free trade counties. Whateve
be the manufacturing superiority q
country, there will always be fount
some other country which eXcels
in some special line. Free trade Eng
land is learning that lesson. Indial
and American wheat, American
-four, South American beef, Austria
liam wool, Belgian rails and arms
German sugar and chemicals, Frencl
woolens and silks and Swiss watche
make heavy inroadS upon Englisl
products of these kinds and depriV
many an Englishman of the chanc
of earning his living.
In our present state of civilization
the question INVOLVED in the struggl
for existence is not one Of mere foo
supply. There is a supply of foo,
and fuel and clothing in all civilize,
countries beyond the immediat
wants of their inhabitants. Yet Their
are constantly cases of death iron
starvation, from cold or from want
The hungry and shivering wretc
who stands in front of the baker
shop with its display Of bread 70
hundreds Of people, derives but littl
consideration from the sight of S
much food if he has not none
enough to buy a single roll. TIL
question is how to give each man
chance to learn a living" and ther
is the difficulty. Population il
creases from day to day. Steam
engines, water-w heels, windmill
are built, replacing manual labor i
many occupations. There is no en-
of :inyentions in labor-saving mi
chinery. Everything tends to il
crease production without the nece
sity IF employing more labor, {
without materially increasing COZ