St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-09
HIGH TlRIR.l AKGuMENT

The tariff educational campaign Is
progressing much more satisfactorily
than when it was burd-ned with parti-
san politics. The discussion is now riS-
ing to the plane of craftsmanship, and
the subject is being handled in a mas
terly manner by the most eminent pDlit-
cal economists now living. What is now
being said and written will be treasured
away III the minds of thinking people,
to bear fruit when next they are called
upon to pass opinion on our American
system at the ballot box.
Among those who are taking part in
the public discussion of this subject
there are none more eminent and none
whose views will command more
universal attention than HENRY
GEORGE, WILLIAM E. GLADSTONE and
JAMES G. BLAINE. The two former
pose as the advocates of the free trade
theory, while Mr.. BLAINE assumes the
role of champion of the protection idea.
A brief review of the position taken by
these gentlemen will be of interest to
the GLOBE readers, and will certainly
prove instructive to all who desire in
formation OH the tariff question.
In his article in the Arena for Janu-
airy Mr.. GEORGE defines his position
with characteristic terSeneSs and point
when he says he does not favor "a
sneaking, half-hearted and half-witted
tariff reform. but he does favor that ab-
solute, thorough free trade which
would not only abolish the custom
house and the excise, but would do
away with every tax on the products of
labor and every restriction on the eXer-
ton OF labor, and would leave every
one free to dowhatever did not infringe
the Ten Commandments"
In his article in the January number
of the North American Review Mr..
GLADSTONE celebrates the idea sug-
gested in Mr.. GEORGES paper-that of
the immortality of protective system.
He discusses the moral aspect of the
subject with force and clearness that
suggested to the publishers of the North
American Review the necessity for
having an answer to his paper in the
same number of the periodical in which
Mr.. GLADsToNE's argument appeared.
Inasmuch as Mr.. BLAINE is recognized
as the leading exponent of the Ameri-
can protective system, he was appealed
to with request to furnish an article
that would break the force of GLAD
STONES argument. Being furnished
with proof sheet of the GLADSTONE
paper, Mr.. BLAINE did the best he could
under the circumstances; and, while he
writes with the ability of special
pleader, the pr0tectioniSts themselves
are not satisfied with his argument. 1t
is more in the nature of special plea
for steamship subsidies than it is an at
tempt to refute the unanswerable argu-
ment of the great English statesman.
Mr.. GLADSTONE says: 81 believe the
people of the United States to be peo-
pie who, like that race from which they
are sprung, love plain speaking; and do
not believe that to suppress opinions de-
liberately and couscientiously held
would be the way to win their respect.
urge, then. that all protection is NOR
ally. as well as economically, bad. This
is very different thing from saying
that all protectionistS are bad. Many
of them, withal, are gOOd-nay. excel
lent-as were in this country many sup
p0rters OF the corn laws. 1t is of the
VI oIotCin IiietG L opSdh,
which operate variously, upon most men
unconsciously, upon some men not at
all; and surely that system cannot be
good which makes an individual, or
set of individuals, live on the reso urces
of the community and causes him rela-
lively to diminish that store which
duty to his fellow citizens and to their
equal rights shonld teach him by his
contributions to augment. The habit of
mind thus engendered is not such as al
together benefits free country or har-
monies with an independent character.
And the more the system of protection
is discussed and contested, the more
those whom it favors are driven to strug-
gle for its maintenance, the farther they
must deviate from the law of equal
rights, and perhaps even from the tone
of genuine personal independence"
We have but to look around us and
contrast the conditions of American life
to-day with what they were forty years