The Press., 1888-08-23
(For The Press9 PROTECTION AND FREE TRADE UNDER TRIAL.
No. 5.

Both protection and free trade have been tried in this country, and with what results We will now indicate. The limits of this article will not admit of extended quota ton of authorities but we shall make no statements that cannot be verified by an appeal to history.
 From 1783 to 1789, under the confeder- acy, no restrictions were placed upon im- ports. No tariffs confronted the foreign trader. He had here open ports into which he could, and did, pour his goods of every description. He made his own price and | it was paid.
 The result was skiold disaster. For eign goods glutted the market, our indus tries suspended, prices fell, artisans were unemployed, laborers were reduced to pow erty, merchants became insolvent, and the farmers suffered in the general crash. Our markets were full of goods, but our people had no money. Every state ill the confed- eracy suffered fearfully. Hundreds of farms were sold for arrears of taxes. In 17S4-85 our imports were in excess of our exports 21, ,000, ,000, which shows how we were drained of our gold and silver.
 A change came, new government was formed; and Daniel Webster says that T"protection of American labor end indus try was the leading motive, south as well as north" The constitution was adopted First 10 be discussed was the question of protection. The tariff of 1789 was adopted. Result industries were established, busi- ness revived, commerce increased and the people were more contented and happy. War breaking out with England ln 1872 tariff duties were increased, to the bent fit Uf the country.
 In 1916 the tariff laws were repealed aud very low duties were allowed. Horace Greeley states the result "Great Britain poured her fabrics, far below cost, upon our markets in perfect deluge. Our manu. factures went down like grass before the , mower, and our agriculture and the wages of labor speedily followed. Financial pros tration was general, and the presence of debt was universal" According to Henry Clay values deprt clated not less than fifty per cent
 Getting enough of this sort of thing the 3 people resolved to go back to protection and in 1924 we had a new, and, what ii 8 called, OrOtectiUe tanf. Prosperity agaiI = follow, d. Four years later duties were in creased. At the eud of another year Pres ident Jackson said in his message: "Oui - country presents on every side, marks O ; prosperity and happiness, unequaled, per haps, in any other portion of the world" At this very time arose new spirit il l the south. When the first tariff was en U acted the south thought she could train he slaves to spin and weave, as we'll as hoe anC pick cotton, hence, she was in favor of do c mestic manufactures. Time, however f proved that slaves could not work to ad ], vantage in cotton mills. For reasons, tn e slave owners would not use the poor white !, in manufacturing, hence, the mill industr. was given up. In the meanwhile a spiri : of antagonism was growing up in the soutl against the north. Business hourished ii the north but languished in the south The difference was foolishly laid to tn tariff. Southern politicians determined t bring the country to free trade policy 8 that the business of the south might b transferred from the north to England They were successful. Jackson oppose this but congress went against him. Pro tective tariff was repealed and law estat fishing very low duties took its place.
 This measure was to reduce all duties il eight years ito a uniform rate of 20 pc cent, except on about 100 articles whic
 were to come in free. When this rate ar rived at the horizontal 20 per cent. it be came our first example of tariff for rev enue only In accordance with this dut, of 20 cts. on every 100 or ono dollar, would result from the average wages pal, at this time in Europe, that in producing an article costing one dollar in wages, tn other expenses being equal, the Englisl manufacture would have over the Americal the advantage of 30 cts. the French an, German AZ the Italian 55. That is, tn American manufacturer paid 100 cts. ii wages where the English pays 50 th
 French B the Germans 33; and tn
 Italian 25." (See Patton's American Cues tions, P. 93)
 We shall have to leave the statement c the results of this legislation to another ar tlcle. O. P. O.
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