The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-28
THE TWO DANGERS.

In his speech before the Massachusetts
Reform Club. Henry Watterson said: 1.-TWO
dangers seem TO me at this time to threaten
the integrity Of the Union and the prosperity
of the people. One of these Is the gospel OF
force, the other the doctrine of protection"
An examination of these dangers does not
warrant the apprehension that Mr.. Waiter
son entertains. The gospel of force means
simply the enforcement of laws made to
carry out provisions of the Constitution
which Mr.. Watterson himself advocated.
and the doctrine of protection is nothing
more nor less than system of laws which
give our people an advantage in the Ameri-
can market over the people of foreign coun-
tries. The man must have lively imagina-
ton who perceves danger from either of
these two sources. Mr.. Watterson says
also: II wish that the men who have sue
ceedei Lincoln and Seward, Chase and
Sumner, Fessenden, Tfumbull and Greeley in
command possessed a little of their m0dera-
ton and patriotism" If we remember
right the people in whose behalf Mr.. Wat
terson now speaks did not like the statesmen
he has mentioned better than Mr.. Watterson
now likes Reed and Mckinley. The great
men of the preceding generation carried out
their policy and died. ODly one or them is
now living. They we're reyiled in their
day as extremists. The policy Of force with
which they preserv The Union was pro-
claimed by Democrats North and South MS
unconstitutional Lincoln, the most moderate
of all, was playfuly described as a hyena.
Nothing was too bad to be SAID of him.
Watterson did not begin to admire him until
he had been dead twenty years But nothing
succeeds like success. The Union restored,
the country made 10 double its wealth and
population in one generation after the war,
the small men who then criticized Lincoln
now extol him and criticize his successors.
Still Mr.. WatterSon is a sincere man. He
thinks he sees the evil he points out He is
one of the figures that lumber along at the
tail end of procession, vowing that the
country is going to the dogs. Mr.. Waiter
sons notions on the protection policy have
been practically refuted by the unexampled
growth of the county under that policy.
Mr.. Watterson perceives this prosperity, but
with the perversity of thoroughly illogical
mind attributes it to something else. Mr..
Watterson says: 81 deny that impost taxes
eau create wealth." He has seen wealth
created with a rapidly unexamped in the
history of nations under system Of impost
taxes. but he fails to see that the system has
had any influence upon the result With a
| little encouragement Mr.. Watters0u would
| probably deny that sunshine and rain have
| anything to do with the productiyeness of
| the earth If Mr.. Watterson will cast his
| eyes southwark be will see that under the
| protective policy which has done so much
for the North the South is now promoting
the varied industries which are the real
secret of national prosperity. The nation
which utilities its own labor in the produc-
zion of the comforts and luXuries of life will,
with but little regard for natural resources,
grow great and rich faster than one which
devotes its energies mainly to the cultivation
of one product. Labor is the real source Of
wealth, and it is only on varied industries
that labor can be well emplOypd