The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-04-09
LABOR DISTURBANCES AND PROTECTION.

LABOR DISTURBANCES AND PROTECTION.
Democratic papers are chuckling owe
the fact thatlabor disturbances a not
ceased since President HarrisOn's cleo
ton, that wages have been reduced in
some industries and localities, while In
others the force has been cut down. 1T
all that the free-trade organs are assert
ing were true, and much more, it would
not prove that a protective tariff is not
the best and wisest policy fortheU United
States. The advocates of protection
have never claimed that it would usher
in the millennium, o that it would do
away with labor disturbances, periods
of industrial depression, occasional re-
ductiOn of wages, or closing of factories.
Such things occur in all commercial
countries and under all conditions.
They will continue to occur as long as
the world lasts or human society endures.
We are quite sure protection will not en-
tirely prevent them, and we donot think
free trade would. The latter never has
lone so in Great Britain, and the nearest
approach we have had to it in this Oun
try under Democratic tariffs for revenue
only has failed signally. i.
We say, the advocates of a protective
tariff policy have never claimed that it
would put an end to labor
disturbances or occasional periods
of industrial depression. What they
have claimed, and do claim, is, that as a
permanent economic policy, to be judged
by its adaptability to the conditions ex-
listing in this country and among this
people, and by the aggregate results of
long terms of years, protection is incOm-
parably better for the United States
than free trade. No human policy is
perfect. Republican form of govern
ment is not perfect, but no doubt it is
better than any other, and infinitely the
best for the American people. Perhaps
a constitutional monarchy is best for
and despotism, tempered by assassin
alton, for Russia. The American people
are suited to republican form of govern
ment, and for them, at least, it is the
best. SO of protection. 1t suits the
genius of this people, and the physical,
economic, social and industrial con-
ditions of the country. Therefore, it is
best for us.
A governmental or economic policy is
not to be judged by the results of a few
months. Two or three decades are not
too long to confirm a conclusion or ven
demonstrate a tendency. We know
what the condition of this country was
in 1860, after a long period of low tariff,
and we know what it is now, after
twenty-five years of protection. During
the last quarter of a century there have
been many labor disturbances, many
periods of industrial depression and
commercial disaster, but the general
course of the country has been steadily
onward and upward. The steamer that
crosses the Atlantic may be in the
trough of the sea half of the time, but
if she FORCES steadily ahead and makes
her port it is pretty good proof that she
has progressed, even though she did not
ride all the time on the crest of the
wave. A comparison of twenty years of
protection with a like period of tariff
for-revenue only will show when and
where the progress of the country has
been made. The benefits of protection
would continue to be felt with diminish
ing force for a considerable time,
even after a change of policy, and
it might take twenty years to
fully develop the disastrous results of
free trade. 1t has taken a good many
| years of protection to make this country
| what it is, and it might take as many of
| free trade to undo the work. The latter
might not be years of uninterrupted dis
aster more than the former have been
years of uninterrupted prosperity, but
| the aggregate result in one case would
| be national disaster and exhaustion as
| inevitably as they have been, in the
other, national prosperity and enrich
ment.
We do not expect the administration
Of President Harrison to be free from
| labor disturbances and the ordinary in
| cidents of the business world; but we are
very sure the country will hold steadily
to that policy which has brought it the
Onlyreal prosperity and independence it
| has ever enjoyed.