New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-30
sr,EsrgKINa IND ITS CONSEQUENCES

II il an old story many thousand years
old. But the question "Am l my brothers
keeper % cannot safely be left unanswered, even
in these later days. The men who fail to ed
ucate voters in free country have to pay IN
other ways thousand times what that educa-
tion would cost. The men who forget to care
for the interests of others, in the conduct OF
industries or business, pay heavily in the long
run for their indifference.
During tho last summer or fall, and prior to
the late election, many earnest appeals were
made to those who are most directly concerned
in unfolding the system of protection for home
industry. These appeals were for the educa-
ton and information of voters. 1t was desired
that they should not be left to get information
about the new tariff, and the workings OF that
policy. from the statements of partisans in the
midst of short campaign. Men to whom such
appeaIs were addressed know how they were
met. in many instances, it, safe to say, the
work of informing voters was treated as one
with which practical business men and directors
of industry had nothing to do, and for which
they were in no way responsible. They went
on with their plans for taking all possible ad-
vantage of legislation intended to benefit the
did not care whether the people understood the
matter rightly or not. When these individuals
cast up their accounts at the end OF the year
they will discover that they could not afford to
leave the voters in ignorance.
So there was much short-sighted self-seeking
in the management of industries. Men who
knew that new duties were designed to benefit
the whole people nevertheless set themselves
at once in some instances to contrive comblna-
tons and trusts by which to deprive the mill
ions of all participation in those benefits. Their
idea was to cut off home competition, which the
protective system aims to promote. They
reckon that the voters ought to be contented
with such benefits only as combination OF
dealers or producers might choose to leave them.
In other cases the change OF duties, though
placing employers in position to hope Tor bet
ter profits, did not prevent reduction OF wages
or refusal to make advances which were appar-
emily justified 1t should be said in justice to
a great body of citizens that few OF them
comparatively thus disregarded completely the
interests of others in seeking their own advan-
tage. But the acts of the few were reported
all over the land, while the more reasonable
conduct of the many passed without notice.
Does it not by this time seem to these indlvld-
uals that they might proftably have considered
the true object of protective duties? Their
business will not be as profitable, at least for
some time to come, as it would have been if the
intention to benefit the whole people had by
none been disregarded.
The few cannot afford to disregard the in
teMsts or the education of the many. Not often
does the lesson come in more impressive form.
The adverse votes of fraction of the voters
and the indifference and absence of another
fraction suffice to alter the result in good
many Congressional districts, to change the
prospect in the judgment OF many business men
as to the maintenance of new duties, and thus
to cut off considerable share Of the business
which was within reach. The millions will
lose, it is true in the aggregate far more than
the few. But the few who forgot what was
due to their country and to their brothers, in
hastily reaching after all the private advantage
they could gain have thrown away great
portion of the benefits which they desired to
realize. They forgot that in the commonwealth
all are bound together. None can thrive, if the
many do not thrive. None can prosper, if the
many are left in ignorance.