The Portland daily press., 1888-09-03
The Fathers and Protection.

To sustain the Democratic free trade posi-
tion, the Argus it is interesting to no.
tice here that the Argus also at times earn
estly disclaims this position, quotes declar-
atoms made by Patrick Henry, James Madi-
son and Benjamin franklin by which it en-
beavers to show that free trade is sanctioned
by the example of the patriots. We have no
doubt that Patrick Henry said. as the Argus
says he did; "Why should we fetter COM
merce? If a man is in chains, he droops
and bows to the earth, for his spirits are
broken; but let him twist the letters from
his legs and he will stand erect Fetter not
commerce, sir. Let her be as free as air;
she will range the whole creation, and return
on the wings of the winds of heaven, to bless
the land with plenty" But he undoubtedly
referred to something very different from a
protective tariff levied to encourage industry.
He plainly was referring to England's op-
pressive colonial policy, policy which for
babe the colonists to trade with any other
country than England and absolutely pro-
hibited the building up of industries in the
colonies. Patrick Henry and all the other
patriots denounced this system, which was
potent cause of the revolution. Mr.. Madi-
son, too, and Benjamin Franklin may have
uttered some generalities on the subject of
freedom of trade, having in mind very prob
ably these same expressions of England
practiced on American commerce. But does
anyone believe that James Madison was
free trader? Anyone who does knows very
little history. For James Madison intro
duced the first tariff bill even presented in
the American Congress, bill which declared
in its preamble:
Whereas, it is necessary for the support of the
government, for the discharge of the debts OF the
nation, and for the announcement and protection
OF manufacturers that duties be levied on i'm
ported goods, wares and merchandise.
=, a bill which had the approval of King,
Sherman. Trumbull and Lee, and bill
which finally became law through the APP
proval of Washington himself. This tariff
bill was even made before Washington was
inaugurated, so anxious were the old patriots
to put stop to the demoralizing competition
of British goods. And we have never heard
that on account of it Benjamin Franklin
went around bowling about the robber tariff
and the bloated capitalists it would make,
and otherwise tempting the lightning from
heaven or defying sceptres in the hands of
tyrants. We do know, however. that in 177l
Benjamin Franklin, then in England, wrote
to Humphrey Marshall as follows.
Every manufacturer encouraged in our country
makes part of market for provisions within our
selves, and saves so much money to the country
as must otherwise be exported to pay for the
manufactures he supplies. Here in England ii is
well known and understood that wherever a man
ufacture IS established which employs number
OF hands 1t raised the value of land in the neigh
boring country all around it: partly by the greater
demand near at hand for the produce of the land
ana partly from the plenty of money drawn by the
manufacturers to that part of the country. 1t
seems therefore, the interest of all our farmers
and owners of lands to encourage our young man
ufactures IN preference to foreign ones imported
among us from distant countries.