The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-04-26


genius and industry. How great that
progress would have been had they
been free and unshackeled no man
can say lit exceeds imagination. The
verdict of history will be that they
fiourished in spite of protective tariffs.
The real cause of our prosperity is
not far to seek. 1t is found in the
surface and soil of our vast and fer
tile country, and the free institutions
which govern it. These afford great
er scope to the genius and industry of
our people than any other land upon
earth. 4 n The heavy restric-
tions of protection have been down
dragging weight upon their energies
from the moment of their applica-
ton.
These restrictions on foreign COM
merce would long since have produc-
ed their natural results but for the
room and attractions of our great
country. By the undue stimulation
of the manufacturing interests ruin
GUS over-supply of their products
would have glutted the home market
for them as we'll as the farmers pro-
ducts, and prices of goods and labor
would have come down to zero but
for the constant increase of our pop
ulation, which enlarged the market.
This increase, however, does not
equal the increase of production, and
the proportion between supply and
demand is daily widening. Feeling
this, many mills and factories run on
ly half time. There is no help for it
there is no chance to relieve the
plethora by trading with foreign ma
tions. The hands are locked out.
Fortunately, they can turn to some
thing else in country so broad and
fruitful as ours, and we are saved
from bread riots, and the unwisdom
of protective tariffs is covered yet a
little longer.
But another cause, and perhaps the
greatest one of our prosperity, is free
trade between the States. Without
this all of our advantages, all of our
energy would have utterly failed to
produce so great results. 1t does not
perhaps, occur to those protectionists
who use the words "free trader" as a
term of reproach that America is the
greatest free trade country in the civ
ilized world, and that free trade is q
peculiarly American idea. Long
before England ever conceived such
a thing our fathers established it be-
tween the States of this Union by a
special provision in Our fundamental
law. Mr.. Webster said in the Senate
that it was an American idea, and
that protection was European. II
was half century later than our con
stitutional establishment of it before
British craftsmanship adopted it. 1t
is now absolute in this country among
sixty millions of people, between thir
ty-eight States. It operates in Great
Britain only over about thirty mil
lions of people, for her dependencies
levy their own tariff duties. So fal
from this absolute freedom of trade
existing between the States being
looked upon as injurious and spokeI
of with opprobiGm, the most greedy
protectionist alive acknowledges it
manifold blessings and would go t.
war before North Carolina and Geor
gia should be given the power to pro
tect their infant manufacturers agains
the "pauper labor" of Massachusett
and Pennsylvania. A protective tar
iff against the latter would no doub
enable a few men in the former State
to get rich, just as it has don
everywhere else but every one con
fesses it would be highly det
rimental to the public welfare. No
body desires it, and yet, if State
forbidden to buy where she can bu
cheapest, no man could say it woul'
be unjust in that State to forbid it
citizens from buying of those VIII
thus restrain them. As any restrain
whatever upon inter r-State commerc
is readily admitted to be undesirabl
and injurious, SO it is equally tru
that restrictions upon internationa
trade are harmful. 1t cannot be 9th
erwise than true in one case if it b
| in the other, for the principle is pre-
cisely the same. That principle ha
been established as eternal truth b
the people of our race-that all Law
are impolitic and injurious that forbi
| or hinder absolute freedom in th
| alienation and transfer of propert,
1t tookscenturies of bitter strugglin
with ignorance and prejudice to az
cent this great truth and, seeing ho
splendidly it has approved its ow
| variety in the vast internal trade {
sixty million people, the wonder Is
me how any man who is either wise {
patriotic can consent to see his coul
try's commerce weighted with sing
dollar of taxation beyond the abs
lutte necessities of the Government.
foreign commerce is indeed not desil
able if distant lands contain nothin
that we want, and our ambition is
make nothing which they want, b,
only TO supply ourselves, then Il
forbidding or hampering of that trae
may be right. But the merest tyl
in economy knows that people 6
rich by their surplus products
by supplying their own immedia
wants-and If they cannot sell or e
change that surplus they will n
make it. Therefore free trade b
tween the States up to the point
the home supply is indispensable, al
therefore, again, for the disposal
| the aggregate surplus, freedom