Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-23
THE DEGENERACY OF PROTEC-
TON.

In nothing is re cent political degener-
acy so well exemplifed as in the pro-
gress or evolution of the protection idea.
Consider for moment what it has been
and now is.
To go no further back than the war of
the rebellion, It was claimed that high
rate of duties known as the war tariff
was necessary for two purposes, to-wit:
To raise n revenue to meet the extraor-
binary expense OF the war and to en-
courage infant industries. The high
rates thus justified appeared not entirely
unreasonable, and were pretty generally
acquiesced in-the more so because the
people were assured by the authors of
the Morrill, bill that the rates were only
temporary, and would be reduced as
soon as circumstances would admit.
In the course of time the taxpayers
fell to complaining about their burdens.
and asking when that promised reduc-
ton was to be made, pointing at the
same time to the injustice of longer sub
sidizing manufactures that appeared TO
be resting on solid foundations. The
protectionists, seeing that the infant in
dustry racket was played out, took up
the cry OF high wages, and protection to
American labor. "Ah, yes,' echoed
the factory barons, with Snug hypocrisy,
"we want to pay our workmen the high
est possible wages, SO as to elevate and
ennoble American labor. To do that,
we must be protected. We can be de-
pended on TO divide up honestly with our
operatives.
But soon the notion got abroad that
they were not dividing up honestly, and
that whatever advantage in wages the
American laborer enjoyed over the Euro
pean psuper was due, not TO the tariff.
but to the great possibilities of the coun-
try, and the settlement and development
of the vast region west of the Mississippi.
It was seen that tradesmen in unpro-
tected industries were getting better
wages, as they still are, than those In
the protected ones. 1t then became
necessary to discover another pretext for
continuing protection.
1t was soon found, and the cry Of pro-
lection to the Hhome MARKET wes
raised. But that is now mouldy ches-
nut. and entirely worthless. The home
market idea has been buried In the grave
of reciprocity, and "the greatest living |
statesman, and erstwhiie protection
champion is consumed with burning de-
sire to enlarge the foreign market for |
domestic products by which he terms |
"the annexation of trade' or "friendly |
barter"
On what then does the present exor-
bitant tariff rest since an appeal can |
no longer be made to protection for in- |
FAINT industries, for American labor, or
for the home market? The answer is !
plain enough; on the cohesive power OF |
public plumber and the needs of the |
party. The tariff question has Gegener-
ated into a most demoralzing, debasing
and rapacious game OF grab. 1t has SO
shamefully debauched the morals OF /
Republican leaders that it lie now openly |
and deflantly employed to extort enor-
nous slush funds from its benefciaries
TO be used by the QuaY's, Dudley's and
Others IN wholesale bribery OF voters. II
is q grand political compact between Re-
publican politicians and the wauufactur-
ing uabobs to rob and plumber the
masses and to maintain the g. o. p. in
power Hence the oVerfowing Golfers of
Republican campaign committees.
which are openly boastsd of by their or
gans. while Democratic committees are
absolutely penniiess. 1t Is absolutely
withou: pretext, scorniug any Longer
TO mask its brigandish character Its
.sstaud and deliver" Is far more afro
cious than the summons of Claude
Duval or Dick Turpin, because its plum
derings inure to the benefit of horde of
faithless and depraved political cormo-
rants and wolves.