The morning call., 1890-04-28
BLIND CARLISLE.

The followingis from the Boston Herald
The first point IN The admirable report of Con-
gresham. Carlisle for tie minority OF the Ways
aud Means Committee upon tie tariff is in its
calling attention TO the virtual ACKNOWLEDGING mt
now made OF the failure OF high protection in
this country. It Is forty years since Henry Clay
the great apostle OF protection, told the people
that il they would confer reasonable protection
for five years, the country could get along with
our any protection at all in the future.
The virtual acknowledgment that high
protection is a failure only comes from
men who have always opposed protection.
The New England manufacturer may be
convinced that raw material should be ad-
mitted free, but he is not convinced that
the finished goods he manufactures should
likewise be admitted free. The movement
against the tariff in New England is sec
tional rather than national New England
wants products free which she cannot pro-
uuce and wants those protected which she
can produce. New England is no more sell
fish than any other section would be under
Ike conditions. Forty years ago the South
opposed protection in any form, On the
ground that it added to the cost of articles
the South had to buy. but added nothing to
the prices of articles the South had TO sell.
The position Of the 5 outh was then as sec
tionaI as the position of New England now
is in regard to the free admission of raw
material. Other parts of the country are
producing the raw material New England
wants admitted free, but New England has
no more consideration for The interests Of
those other parts than the South had in
1886 Tor The interests Of New England.
The uan who regards protection as a
failure must belong TO the class of the blind
D. r.-7HE 49, +
country now and compare it with our con-
diiiOn when the war ended and say that the
fiscal policy under which this transforma-
ton has been effected is a failure? The
increase in wealth in these twenty-five
years is without parallel in the world S
history. A public debt Of s., 500, Geo, COO has
been considerably more than half paid.
The public credit has been established on
SO firm basis that capital holds Government
bonds at the low rate OF ? per cent interest
a year. Industries that had no hold in the
country twenty-five years ago are now so
successfully prosecuted that prices of
products are nearly the same in this as in
the countries that formerly had a monopoly
OF them. Vast fortunes have been aceumu-
lated by private individuals, and at the
same time labor is better paid than it was
forty years ago. The working people as a
class are richer. spend more money. live
better and exercise wider influence than at
any previous time in our history. In what
respect. then, is the protective policy a
failure2
The remark attributed to Mr.. Clay illus
trates the shortsIghtedness of the most
astute human minds. Believing in the ne
cessity of protection as he did, he could not
foresee its inevitable results when applied
to great country like ours. He did not
probably realize the full effects Of protee-
ton upon our industrial standard. He did
not know, and perhaps did not dream, that
the development of our home Industries
would elevate the lab0ring class in the
= United States above the standard of that
class elsewhere. If protection was needed
then to enable infant industries to grow, it
is needed now to preserve the standard Of
wages that has grown up with the growth
Of our industries. Mr.. Carlisle should not
shut his eyes to facts, lie may believe that
the country has reached a point at which
protection may be discarded, but he casts a
reflection upon his own intelligence when
he pronounces the protective policy
failure.