Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-10-26
One ofthe Lame Arguments
Of Protection,
Daily Oregonian, January II, 1881

MI Thos. 5. Lang, OF The Dalles, is al
occasional contributor to several journal.
OF the State in defense OF the policy O
protection" His latest essay is an at.
tempt to disprove what the Oreqonian
recently said concerning the high prices
as an effect OF the protective system. II
IS argued that protection does not make
il9h prices, but gives US low prices; that
IN consequence OF this policy we are en-
| abled to get manufactured goods cheaper
than we should obtain them under free
'raue and that we make goods so cheap
I under protection that We are able to I'M
dersell England even in her own market.
And MIR. George b. Loring, of Massa-
| chtsets is produced as authority for the
| which he is said to sustain
| Dy giving trade prices at Manchester and
Blriningham-that consumers in the
United States are enabled to buy, under
our protective system, "almost every
thlng" IN the many lines of manufac-
tured goods OF home production, at lower
rates than they would have to pay for
the English product. Here it is that ex-
cess OF zeal for the protected monopo-
lists OF the United States, OF whom of
course Mr.. Loring is one, leads that gem
tlenan to prove too much. For of course
II we manufacture and sell "almost
everything at lower prices than Great
Brian can, We want no protection"
We are not in danger, then, from the
'pauper labor" of Europe Our home
manufactures would not be "destroyed'
by those whom we even now undersell.
And thus the main argument for "pro-
lection is overthrown by the too zeal
GUS advocates OF that system.
As a matter of fact, however, the state
ment is not well founded. 1t is part of
the scheme OF sophistry, cozenage and
deception by which the monopoly sys-
tenn sustains itself. OF course our manu-
facturers are not offering cheaper goods
than Great Britain. Ii they were, the
natural law OF prices would keep out
British goods, and there would be no
clamor from our protected monopolists
for tariff to prohibit foreign importa-
tons. These protected monopolists
know well the purpose of protective
tariff. Such tariff is schedule OF taxes
levied on imported goods with design to
raise the price of home commodities. 1t
forbids the consumer to buy cheap for
eign goods that may be offered to him,
and forces him to buy the home product
at advanced prices. This is the whole
scheme OF protective tariff. Except
for this, no manufacturer would demand
protection. Men like Mr.. Loring of
Massachusetts want the duties so high
as to exclude foreign goods altogether,
and thus give them the complete monop-
oily of the home market, which is the per-
lection OF protection, or at least so high
as to raise the price of foreign goods
little above the point at which they are
DESTROYS of selling their own. Our riff
legislation is wholly controlled in sup
port of this system. The manufacture
ing Interest has become powerful enough
to control legislation absolutely for its
own profit and against the interest of
consumers. Government is made an
instrument through which one class OF
citizens is given legal authority to plum |
der another. This is protection" OF
course those who are so favored by the |
power of the Government will not will |
lingly give up their advantage. They
even .deign to argue to the victims OF
the policv-and all communities situated
like ours are victims OF it-that it is |
immensely to their advantage that the |
pDicy be continued and sustained.
LUX CAC AiOWt ddN hOI tuC DCGlOI16tiC
party with its characteristic pig headed
ness. persisted in its attacks on the set
Elements of the VIZ, there would Lave |
been a reckoning on the subject OF tariff |
plumber, the navigation laws, dishonest
money and the entire scheme OF quack-
cries sustained by greed, ignorance and |
depog6gery in committeeman now,
il the Democratic party has made its
final effort to rehabilitate Bourbonism
and is done with its fOllies, the reckon
ing will not be very much longer de-
layed, Division OF parties On these issues,
which viii take place when the Demo
cratic party gets done mourning for the
hopeless past and trying to restore it,
will cut right through the lines of parties
as now constituted. What is demanded
is honest money, free ships, revision Of
the tariff in the interest OF the people
rather than in that Of monopolies, and
the general policy OF favoring trade or
allowing 1t freedom rather than OBJ
structing it. Proper adjustment would
have been forced on these questions long
ago had not the Democratic party per-
sisted so strenuously in unfolding the
exploded theories of the state sovereign
ty rebellion, thus compelling all who be-
lieved in the nationality of the United
States to combine fr the defense Of it
and for preservation Of the results Of the
great war.