Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-04-20

lection THE COUNTRY IS Fol
THE LATTER.
| From the Washington Sunday Gazette.
The chief division of political sen
timent IN this country to day is OF
the problem of the tariff, and thu
question whether we shalt protect
our home industries from the ruin
Gus blight of foreign competition i,
now occupying the thoughts of the
people to the exclusion Of almost
every other political consideration
The race question in the South and
prohibition all over the country
though of vast and mOmentous i'm
portance, are nevertheless quite
subsidiary to this overshadowine
one OF free trade or protection.
remember very well, though it be.
longs to a past and dead genera.
ton, the terrific eight that was
waged between 1880 and 1910 on
the self same subject. The excite
ment then, however, was not as
great as 1t is now, as the subject
matter of contention was not so
deeply rooted into the very exist.
ence of the country. Protection
won then, and free trade had to
take back seat. Other matters
then were complicated with the
primary one. To-day it is a straight
issue between protection and Tree
trade, and the side which goes down
in the conflict will stay down for at
least a century to come.
In discussing the present stua-
ton and claiming to show that the
country is
OVERWHELMINGLY ON THE SIDE
OF PROTECTION,
| want to strictly define what
mean by the terms prOtectiOnists
and free traders. This Is the more
pertinent as shall probably con-
tribute a series of articles on this
subject to the Sunday Gazette.
have been assailed very bitterly in
the last few weeks by various .journ-
ais, and have received many com.
municatiOns protesting against
what they term nv sweeping clas.
sificatiOn of the whole country in
two divisions. | mean by protec.
ton that National legislation which
would prevent, as far as may be,
the competition of any foreign pro-
ducer, no matter what may be the
character Of the article produced,
provided only 1t is or can be pro.
duced on our soil, and within our
territorial boundaries. The only
way in which this protection can be
afforded is by high tariff duties on
foreign importations. Of course a
prohibitOry tariff
is THE VERY FLOWER
of this policy, the height OF this
wisdom, the logical sequence Of
this reasoning. | am free to say
that look in the end to a prohibi.
tory tariff. Any reasoning that
stops short OF such a goal is not
logical. | mean, on the other hand,
by free trade, either the absence OF
tariff altogether, or a tariff for rev.
enue only, or a tariff which does
not effectually shield our home In
dustries (of whatever kind from
foreign competition. Free trade is
the converse of protection. AS the
logical result of protection to home
industries is a prOhbitory tariff, so
the logical result of low tariff, a
tariff for revenue only,
IS FREE TRADE.
The two doctrines are irrecOnclla.
BILE. They will not cOalesce. They
are the oil and water that Obsti.
nately defy all attempts at secur-
ing a mixture. Political chemistry
utterly fails IN its efforts to dlscOv-
er a reconclatory agent. which
shall overcome their mutual antag-
Onism and from the two secure
harmonious combination. OfcOurse,
a great many men who oppose a
high tariff object to my definition
and claim that they are protection
lists to a limited extent-that they
are not free traders. This is sim
ply begging the question. 1t is a !
timid evasion of consequences
From the very nature of things the |
question resolves itself into prohib.
tory tariffs on one hand, or absO.
lutte protection, and an utter aboli-
ton Of all tariffs, or free trade, on
the other. There is no middle
ground. The tendency of a low
tarifi is toward free trade. Before
his fight is thoroughly settled, my
definition will everywhere be &C.
,epted as the true one,
A protectionist, therefore, Is one
who favOrs
GOVERNMENTAL PROTECTION
o home industries against foreign
to the extent, if neces.
'ary, of complete prohibition of all
oreign competition. A free trader,
s one who, whatever may be his
IDEAS about this branch OF indus
ry or that branoh, fayOrs cOmpeti.
ion of foreign trade with home pro.
Incts, to the extent. if necessary,
# securing absolute free and unre.
tricted foreign competition. |
lOpe have made my meaning sui.
Iclently clear.
One paragraph further on this
nblect. This IL question OF pc.
ltiOal economy about which men
nay and do honestly differ. | sin
erely regard protection as absO
ntely necessary, for not merely the
prosperity, but the very existence
f the country as a great and pow
rial nation. The tree trader, IN.
oubtedly, is as honest in HIS con-
lotions as am. If he be intelli. |
ent he has formulated his conclu-
ions through process OF reason |
Ig from the same premises from ,
Inch have reached a diametri. {
ally opposite conclusion. | must
elieve-and | do this without any
eprOach to his intelligence or to
is hOnesty-that he has been de.
eived by a false presentation of I.
is premises, by accepting as fact !
hat has been demonstrated to be !;
OF a fact-in short that he has
luneed into quagmire OF error, !