The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-13
JIM BLAInE's CONGRESS.
The PIumed knights Efforts to Exeeho
the Area OF Industrial Slavery.

The PIumcd knights EHorts 10 LAso"
the Area OF industrial, Slavery.
II is generally admitted that the
Congress OF Representatives OF Amer
lean Republics is the result OF Mr..
Blaine's cndeayOr. His friends now
claim that he had this step in mind
while in Garfield's Cabinet, and that
10 him alone is due the credit OF the
suggestion that the protective system
of this country should be extended to
cover the other republics calling
themselves American. Though
there may be some who envy the
glory attaching to his present posi-
ton it is not probable that the future
will have any thing but reproach for
the author of this effort to extend the
area of industrial slavery.
There was no fact more generally
admitted than that the old form OF
chattel slavery could not continue in
this country if it were to be confined
to the narrow limits OF the States
south OF the so-called Mason and
Dixon line. Upon this was founded
the contention of the Republican
party-not that the Government had
the right to abolish slavery, or to in
terfere with tho institutions OF
State, but that it had clearly the right
to prevent the extension OF slavery
into virgin territory. Recognizing
no aHVnnafpS
slavery North and South rejected the
assertion that this country could not
exist one-half free and the other hall
slave territory, and also the other
claim that any State had a right to
prevent the citizens OF other common
wealths from taking their property
wherever they saw fit within the Ma
tion's boundaries.
The reason for the belief in the ne
cessity for the extension OF the terri
tory of slavery is plain to the students
OF political economy. 1t lies In the
fact that as q system it could not COM
pete with the free institutions. 1t was
exhausting to the soil, in that the cheap
labor (so-calledO of the slaves was i'm
potent to stand beside better paid
labor of the free States. The effect
was seen in the value of land in the
border States. Helper, in his sim.
pending Crisis" placed in juxtaposi.
ton tho land values Of tho States Dor.
dering on the Ohio and Mississippi,
and demonstrated the devastating nat
ure of slavery. The constant effort
of the South was for the extension OF
slave territory, the aim of the North
was to strangle slavery by constric.
ton.
There is an exact parallel between
the needs of chattel and industrial
slavery. The effect OF protection il
not, indeed, to lower, but rather tc
raise at first the value of land. But i
is only land in the manufacturing
centers to which the added value at
taches permanently. The claim o
benefit to agriculture has been ex
plodcd by the vacant farms and i'm
poverished farmers of New England
and the older States of the West. Blu
the tendency of the two systems is t.
the same result. The very theor,
upon which the protectionists' argu
ment is built, is that it develops ant
stimulates competition Of production
in market which is by this mean
limited. This must OF necessity pro
duce the difficulties now experience,
by the manufacturers of Now En-
gland. Their manufacturing indus
tries are unable to stand the effect {
competition with those in more fl
vored localities, and it Is dawnin
upon their owners that somethin
must be done to extend their markets
They have first demanded free "a
materials, and when they discove
that they have asked for the owe
throw of the very foundation of th
system OF protection, they will
forced to accept the plan of extendin
the territorial limits in which the
system may operate, or else look fe
other industries in which, for tim
they may feel the effect Of the tart
bencfcially. The progress of neg
tiations with the other America
states will be watched with interest
those who understand the intention
OF the originators of the scheme of {
all-American Union. Chicago Leade