The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1890-05-03
THE PRINCIPLES OF PROTEC-
TTON.

IION.
When the principles on which pro-
lection is founded are clearly defined
there will not be much difficulty in
determining the character of any
measure having that object in view,
says the S. T. Bulletin, that may he
proposed. Protection must be ex-
tended to every American industry
that promises to supply any national
want. The rule must be held to ex-
tend to raw materials as we'll as to
finished products. There can be no
such thing as products which are de-
serving of protection and others that
are not deserving. One American in
dustry cannot be subordinated to an
other American industry.
There is no ineligible principle on
which the American wooden manufac-
turer is entitled to protection while
the grower of wool must face the com
petition of the wide reaches of Aus
tralia and the almost illimitable prai-
ries of the Argentine Republic. No
valid reason can be assigned why the
refners of sugar should be favored
and the growers of sugar cast aside.
No argument worthy of the name can
be put together to show why the man.
ufacturer of leather should be protect
ed against the cheaper workers of the
Old World, while the cattlemen are
left defenseless. A tariff founded on
any such notions as these would not
be entitled to be considered system.
1t would develop set of panpered
industries at the expense of the
others.
If raw wool, raw sugar and hides
should be free, then coal, iron, wheat
and barley should be free. There is
no escaping from the logic of this
statement. 1t follows that any meas
ure which leaves out any American
industry, for any reason OF no reason,
does not reach to the full height
of the protective principle. There is
an illegitimate strain of free trade in
it, which must, in time, work its over.
throw. Representative McKenna, in
his report, stated the exact economic
truth when he said that in protection
all must stand or fall together.
There can be no such thing as protec-
ton plus free trade There is no
room for any composite system. None
can be constructed that can possibly
be enduring. If there IS to be free
trade in any raw material produced in
this country and subject to foreign
competition now, there will have to be
free trade in all of them in the course
of time. When that point is reached
protection for manufactures will become
very difficult. Parties who are clam
orous for breaches here and there are
preparing the way for the destruction
Of the whole system.
Another principle of protection is
that duties shall be so graded as to
produce healthy competition be-
tween the foreign and native article.
The object is to place the American
manufacturer on an eq1al footing with
his foreign rival The advantage
which the latter enjoys of cheaper
labor is in this way neutralized. The
general result so far has been the
cbeapening of the article to the con-
sumer in the United States. There is
no allegation that any duties pre-
scriLed in the new tariff Till are pro-
hibitory in their nature. In some
cases they are rather below than above
the mark. There are cases in which
larger measure of protection might be
But for the breaks observable in one
or two instances. the bill drafted by
the committee of ways ard means
might be regarded as very complete,
and the best that could be framed un-
der the circumstances. The point for
to consider is that pro-
lection is to be viewed as q compre-
hensive whole, and not specially in |
ietail. No scheme of protection which
loes injustice in any quarter is going
o be long-lived. Amy breach that
nay be made will lie sure to widen.