Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-02-08
ENGLAND UNDER PROTECTION
Extract from a Speech Delivered IN thc
House Of Representatives., June il,
1879 bu Tbd4Jeus Merens,

the Commonwealth under Crowell
produced some OF the ablest states
men Of the world.
England, at that time, was a
poor nation, with but few manu-
featuring establishments. uer
wise men saw that her insular
position, and her small territory,
rendered it impossible for her to
become rich aud powerful except
through commerce aud manu-
features. How were they to ae-
complish it2 Did they then preach
Free. Frade doctrinef That would
have exactly suited Holland. She
had an immense start in skill aud
capitaI, and that system would
have left her forever without a
rival; for the nation which Is tar
above all others IN knowledge and
means, that system which will keep
other nations from starting at all,
is the true one. Just so surely 1t
is the wrong one for those who are
behind. The statesmen OF England
were deluded by no such folly
They saw they must exclude the
manufactured articles OF other
nations, and give the home market
exclusively to their own artisans,
so AS to indhce them to embark
their time, capital, and talents IN
the creation of domestic fabrics
She admitted the raw material,
which she could not produce, free
prohibited the Importation OF many
articles, and laid heavy discrlmi-
mating duty on others. But her
main instrument vas the celebrat-
ed Navigation Act. ..H
The provisions of that famous
law it would be pedantic for me to
enumerate before a body of gentle
men, every one of whom Is
thoroughly acquainted with IT. 1t
is enough to say that its provisions
were the most stringent, and the
most highly protective, both OF
commerce and manufactures, OF
any that it was possible to form
Nothing could be further from
free trade. It's effect was all that
its projectors desired. England at
once became a manufacturing
country. She not only had a mon
opoly OF the home market, but was
soon able 10 compete with her great
rival in the markets of the world
AS a necessary consequence her
commercial marine increased rapid
"; that nursery fed her war navy,
until she has become the most
manufacturing, commercial, rich
and powerful nation that the world
ever saw. Aud where Is Holland
who, in her prlde, neglected these
precautions? She has sunk TO an
insignificant Power among Euro
pean nations; she is overshadowed
by her mighty rlyal .
England has acquired all this
power, wealth and grandeurthrough
her protective policy alone. And
now she breaches free trade 10
others-to young nations. Ana
there are found shallow dupes VINO
swallow the bait.
It is often objected to a protec
tive tariff, that it is for the benefit
of the rich capitalists. This argu
ment. | know, is never used by
statesmen, or writer's Oh political
economy; but often by dema
eogues, who fancy themselves
state smen.
Now, sir, 1t is easy to show that
protection against foreign compe
titlon is mainly for the benefit oil
the laborers. True, it helps the
CAPITALISTS for it is Impossible "a
benefit labor without aiding CAPT
tai, and 1t IS impossible to benefit
capital without aiding labor.
| have said that protection would
principally benefit labor. The CHIEF
value of most manufactured articles
consists IN labor. Take iron, fOl
example. The cost Of ton OF pig
metal, in the most favorable lOca
tons in this country, is about so
The capital invested consists OF the
real estate-the furnace and land
for fuel and ore. OF the S2O cost
the labor in producing the ore
coal and smelling, amounts to Over
S1S per ton. Not more than 81 Is
capital. Any protection given "a
the laborer in the proportion Of y
TO 81 TO capital.
The whole of the labor, to be
sure, is not done by the collier, the
miner, and furnace hands-a part
of il is the labor of the farmer, the
miller and the butcher, who supply
the grain, beef aud other pro
Visions Still, the protection is
mainly to the laborious industry OF
the country. SO it is with fabrics
of cotton and wool. The value Of
the raw material is Increased 10y
the labor of the operatives from
four to twenty times. And a great
part Of the value Of the raw mate
rial is the effect of labor, not capital
Whoever, therefore, sustains the
protection of domestic industry
sustalns the labor of the people
whoever opposes it, votes tor thelI
oppression and poverty. l have
said that every branch of national
/ industry is dependent on every
other, and partakes of its prosper
ity or depression. But, perhaps
no class is so largely benefited by
protection as the farmers, as none
contribute so largely to the power
and independence of nations. L
it were necessary that either CON
merce or agriculture should sacrl
{ fee something to the other, let Il
he COMMERCE. It is possible tt
push foreign trade too far. Cicero
in his treatise on the Republic
saws that the reason of the greaI
weakness of Carthage was, tha'
she gave too much attention TO hel
shipping. and neglected agricol
tnre. The wealth Of the farmer
arises from his surplus PRODUCTS
And their value depends upon
ready, a handy aud a constant
market. The nearer to his faru
You bring that market, the better
for him. The farmer who must
send his produce from Pennsyl
vania to England for a market
d .,,.t J.Inof fran the DTice The