Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-06-06
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Effects o. q Tariff Manipulated Dy ShoaP-
John Politicians.
The protectionist propaganoisos arg
seeking to WOO the States OF the South
into the ranks of the Republican party
bv cunningly pressing the idea that
nrotectiou will make them great and
prosperous manufacturing centers.
The number Of manufactures is in
creasins fast in the Southern States,
and evidence is not wanting that some
of the manufacturers there have been
impressed by the appeals made to
these alleged interests. A more care
Jul consideration of the subject will
con vince the Southern manufacturers
that there is nothing to be gained oy
giving their adherence to the snort
sighted tariff policy of the Repuohcan
party.
The iron interests of Alabama have
never had any thing to fear from Ior-
eign competition. The problem with
them at the beginning was to be abe
to compete with the older establish
ments of Pennsylvania They have
demonstrated their ability to do this
and demonstrated it so effectuaily that
the iron operators of Eastern Pennsyl-
vania are threatened with serious dis
aSter.
Meantime New England has come
to feel the pressure OF domestic COM
petition, and the demand there for free
raw material is constantly growing
louder An iron furnace in Massachu-
sets, denied the privilege of import
ing coal duty free, which would give
it a chance of life, is making last
struggle for, existence by trying the
experiment of using an inferior quail
ity of coal from a mine in Rhode Island
If this do not prove successful the ousl-
ness W i'll have to be abandoned.
Other branches of industry are ex-
periencing trouble of the same kind.
Here, for example, Is Wade's Fiber
and Fabric inquiring for the good
times which were promised as the sure
and necessary result Of the election OF
Harrison. The fiber and Fabric is
for protection, but it desires species
of protection which will protect. 1--WE
are a firm believer" it says, Gin pro-
tecting American industries, If it could
be done under the guidance of honest
statesmen, but in the hands of quack
politicians terrible work is made of
protection. Aspecimen of this species
of work is cited in the continuance of
the tariff on wool, when any one can
see, if he will, that free wool would
be a great move toward honest pro-
tection."
By honest protection we are. of
course, to understand such regulations
as best protect the particular individ-
ual who happens to be speaking or
writing. 1t seems difficult for many
protec:ionists to understand that it is
impossible to frame a system of pro-
lection that will protect every body.
Mr.. Kelley. of Pennsylvania, long ago
unprecedented this point, and answered
demands for protection to outside in
terests by pointing out that to protect
every body was to protect nobody. To
respond to the demands OF wool man
ufacturers is to leave wool unprotected;
to answer the wishes of iron men in
Massachusetts is to take the duty off
coal. and SO in hundreds of other in
stances.
The Iron manufacturers, whose bust
ness. despite the fact that they have
an abundance of protection, is now
greatly depressed. are tearfully noting
the fact that there is boom in iron
abroad. particularly in England and
Belgium. In countries where no iron
is produced the demand for iron is
active The United States have the
iron. but can not sell it abroad, be-
cause protection has SO increased the
cost of making it as to shut us out of
the foreign market Cour-
ier-Journal.