The Grenada sentinel., 1889-11-09
THE sLAlNE CONGRESS-
The Piumed Knights Efforts to Extopt
the Area of Industrial Slavery

Ahe riumea hnights Efforts to Extpn
Il the Area of Industrial Slavery.
1t is generally admitted that tn
1 Congress of Representatives of Amer
lean Republics is the result of Mr.
Blaine's endeavor. His friends nov
claim that he had this step in mini
while in Garfield's Cabinet, and tha
to him alone is due the credit of tn,
) suggestion that the protective system
of this country should be extended tc
cover the other republics calling
themselves American" Though
there may be some who envy the
glory attaching to his present posi-
tion 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 the institutions of a
State, but that it had clearly the right
TO prevent the extension of slavery
INTO virgin territory. Recognizing
tn,,th fhn al,
slavery North and South rejected the
assertion that this country could not
exist one-half free and the other half
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
TACT that as a system it could not COM
pete with tho free Institutions. 1t was
70 the soil, in that the cheap
labor (so-called) of the slaves was i'm
potent to stand beside better paid
abor OF the free States. The effect
was seen in the value of land in the
border States. Helper, in his Elm
pending Crisis" placed in iuxtaposi-
ion the land values of the States bor-
iering on the Ohio and Mississippi,
md demonstrated the devastating nat
ire OF slavery. The constant effort
If the South was for the extension of
lave territory, the aim of the North ,
vas to strangle slavery by constric- :
ion.
There is an exact parallel between ,,
he needs of chattel and industrial
lavery. The effect of protection is
OF indeed, to lower, but rather to |
alse at first the value of land. But it
only land in the manufacturing !.
enters to which the added value at /
aches permanently. The claim of
enetit to agriculture has been ex-
loded by the vacant farms and i'm
overishcd farmers of New England.
nd the older States of the West But Z
le tendency of the two systems is to
le same result. The very theory
pom which the protectionists' argu- v
tent is built, is that it develops and u
competition of production d
market which is by this means |.
mited. This must of necessity pro- u
ace the difficulties now experienced !,
Y the manufacturers of New En- =,
and. Their manufacturing indus VI
les are unable to stand the effect of -
'mpetition with those in more ia II
bred localities, and it is dawning "
oon their owners that something =
ust be done to extend their markets. p
hey have first demanded free raw ~
aterlals, and when they discover II
at they have asked for the over ~
row OF the very foundation of the v
stem OF protection, they will be :"
reed to accept the plan of extending ~
g territorial limits in which their
stem may operate, or else look for
her industries in which, for a time,
ey may feel the effect of the tariff CT
nefcially. The progress of nego- 81
atoms with the other American te
ates will be watched with interest by C
ose who understand the intentions
the originators of the scheme of an y,
American Union. Chicago Leader. of