Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-05-02
PROTECTION AND SOCIALISM.

It might, possibly, be alleged, with
some show Of FEASIBILITY, that the
Interpretation of the facts stated in
my last article constitute a mi3repre-
sentation Of the views Of protection
lists, inasmuch, as it ascribes to them
sentiments, generally, hostile to com
merce; when, in fact, they may admit
that, us a rule, commerce is beneficial,
but insist on the qualification that
international commerce is less SO than
domestic commerce; and less import
ant than home industry; and that the
sacrifice Of foreign commerce is JUS
tiliable only us Il means of increasing
home industry. But, not even this
claim cansbe allowed; for if the people
Of country are benefited, by the
partial or complete prohibition of com
mercc, the conclusion is inevitable,
that they are better of without it than
with it; and this is to say, that it is a
positive injury TO them; and hence,
this claim is self destructive; and pro
tectionists appear to stand committed
to the theory, that all commerce, ex-
eept III those commodities, the home
manufacture of which il absolutely
prohibited by natural causes that are
insurmountable. is injurious. The
protectionist prides himself on his
superior iberality and broadness
Of views, as compared with the
free trader, when he comedies that
his system is one Of limited APP
plication Ilberalty is the offspring
Of knowledge; breadth of mind is
shown in capacity Of analyzing facts,
and goneralizing them, SO as to arrive
at Il knowledge of laws Lei us tx
anime this absurd claim in the light
Of this definition. If the pretectonist
modestly claims that his system is
beneficial under certain conditions, as
a local md temporary eNpedient; then
il is incumbent upon him to form
ulate the conditions OF its usefulness,
and define the range of its applicability,
and give lis some fixed rules, cstab-
lished either nationally or empirically.
10y which we may determine, with Ger
tainty, how much protection to afford
all the languishing industries Of the
country; give us some standard, 10y
which we may Justly apportion it
amongst them. according to their re-
spective needs and deserts; and be en-
abled to increase and diminish it, ac-
cording 10 their varying requirements;
afford us some iufaHible guide, that
will enable us to strike Just the
amount Of protection, in each instance.
that will afford the maximum benefit.
and never exceed this limit. nor fall
short Of il; give IFS some rule 10y which
we may determine what special in
dstries will be benefited, and indirectly
benefit the rest, through protection:
and formulate the symptoms by which
we may know when they have had
enough Of il, and when its longer CON
tinuance would prove hurtful; or, if it
is to be perpetual, tell us how it will
benefit the whole people, to make part
Of them cternaIly non self-supporting,
and compel the rest to support them
selves, and also, relieve the disabil-
tiles of the others; tell us the now
and WHY and WHEN and WHERE. and
HOW MCCH protection is useful. and
the law Of its variability.
If human reason, guided by all the
experience of the past, cannot do this;
If its advocates are unable to furnish
any definite rules for its practical ap-
IAkN<AAA1AAr 1A1Ais must tAlSsNs 11tl ONLY.
admit that it has absolutely, no seien-
titic basis, in fact; but that it com
prtses species of hypothetical knowl-
edge that admits of nc analysis, or
classification, or generalization, and
that II pertains, exclusively, Il the re-
gion Of the unknowable--b belongs to the
domain of pure speculation, and is. in
no respect, distinguishable from pure
fiction. Even though we were able to
reach the conclusion with absolute
certainty, that, under some indefinite
conditions, an indefinite amount OF
protection to an indefinite number OF
Industries, produced ar indefinite
amount of benefit, in some indefinite
way, for an indefinite period of time