The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-08-11
Protection Consistency.

Protection COnBIstouoy'
The following Is taken from q speech
! BY Senator Whiting at Rockford, ILL.,, July
4th:
This ia An entire new departure on the
tariff question. The argument founded on
"infant industries" swami of capital" and
~isck NJ skilled wOrkmen," having expired
hv iimi,atiou, new catch words must be
iT,anted. "Protection to American labor"
and "maktng a market for the farmer"
.re constantly sounded, though the tariff
would be worthless to them except as II
increases the price of their goods, they
sssure consumers that Ito effect Is to make
goods cheaper, and that the tariff tax on
fmnorted goods is paid by the foreigner.
They urge the importance Of keeping
the money at home, while they are spend
Ing their millions In Europe on their sum-
ma vacations. They have left Henry
Clay and Horace Greedy In the rear. Such
tariff as they advocated is now declared
be free trade.
The tariff now demanded Is on the CHI
nese principle of exclusion-to make room
II Ia on the assumption that high tariff IL
a blessing, and Is to be made perpetual
that TO accomplish this the internal taxes
on spirits and tobacco are to be worse than
collected, and then thrown away.
There Is a test OF the sincerity OF pro-
tectionists, When Chicago was to be re-
built after the fire, high tariff men Joined
tariff reforners In requesting congress to
suspend the operation Of the tariff for
year in the city of Chicago. The Board OF
Trade, Mayor, City Council, and leading
citizens wanted free trade long enough &c
rebuild Chicago. Congress granted the
PRAYER on all building material except
lumber. Why not on LUMBER No reason
only the lumber lords were more innuen-
tisl than Chicago. If Chicago could have
spread the tariff tax on the country at large
there would not have been the call to have
had a sort of peoples dispensation OF the
tariff. But when It was to come out OF
their own pockets they forgot their creed
that q tariff makes things cheaper" thai
the foreigner pays the tariff tax" "tha'
the American laborer must be protected.
Keep your money at home was forgotten
when they saw the advantages OF buying
In the cheapest market.
One more object lesson may be given or
the same point. Some years ago Senator
Farwell was member of the house. be
brought In bill to permit an association
of gentlemen of Chicago and New York
TO purchase, duty free, steel ships built or
the Clyde instead of dealing with Johr
Roach on the Delaware. He said they
proposed to establish fast line to sail I'm
der the American flag that they could bt
bought abroad for 100000 each, but JohI
Roach must have $250,OOO. Mr.. Farwel
professed full devotion to the doctrine OF
protection, but thought In this case the
doctrine should be little relaxed. If Mr.
Farwell's friends had seen way to spread
out the tariff on these ships on the country
as other tariff taxes are spread, would they
have concerned themselves to have the
tariff set aside!
There is another Chicago built In the
Northwest each year--not In compacteC
structures along paved streets lighted with
gas, but in frail tenements scattered Ovel
bleak prairies swept by sudden Arctic
storms, which carry death and destruction
In their pc tn to the poorly provided pho
neers. If the rich and great Chicago
needed tariff dIspensation why not those
struggling pioneers? The tools and ma
chinery of the farmer of the NOrthwes
aggregate somewhere near as much az
that proposed line of steel ships; but we
have not seen that Senator Farwell has
concerned himself In getting them any
relief from the tariff exactiOns. A rura
editor not long ago declared war on all OF
his party who advocated the damnablt
heresy of free trade, as he called tariff
reform. If he were to emigrate to Dakots
Door in purse, few billiards. might work
In him change Of heart. Selling the
crop In Liverpool in competition with the
cheapest of all labor of Europe and Asia
and desiring to purchase with Its availi
blankets and other necessaries of life, ht
would think II strange he could not buy
his supplies where he sold his crop. Tha
law which should force him to buy of some
New England combine, paying out of his
scanty money One-fOurth to one half II
exactlons might look to him as the dam
nable heresy." When his government did
not need tax from him, to force him Il
pay one to private pockets would look t
him little less than robbery,
But the poor pioneers struggling to Sc
cure home must be robbed by tariff ex-
actions for the benefit, not of government
but to enrich great lumber lords and Other
protected classes.
The government owns that II no longer
needs the money exacted by the war tariff
The confederated high tariffites demand
that the system be continued for their ben
eft. To create necessity for 1t they have
agreed to urge upon the country the reno
val Of tax on whisky and tobacco Die
audacity ever make more impudent de-
mand? If western farmers, If consumers
will vote such system upon themselves al
the bidding OF long-pampered class
interest, they become voluntary slaves.
tits now opportune to assert sound prin-
ciples of public economy. That bueiness
which cannot sustain itself without boun-
ties should close shop If it will not pay
Its owner 1t will not pay the community tc
carry 1t. To protect one Is to rob another
Let our manufacturing establishments
which are ample to supply continent try
the experiment of running on full time
and claim the world for market. 1t Is
weak, cowardly, unAmericau to stink into
corner and profess to be too weak TO,
such contest.
The time Is near when this will be
done with unexpected success Commerce
will once more be counted as of old with
agriculture and manufactures. To make
our manufacturing brethren prosperous
through system of suppressing produc-
ton, running on half time, exacting prices
for their goods fixed by the greed of com
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