The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-16


One of the most notable articles which
have appeared in any publication for long
time is that on "The Decadence of New
England in The Forum for October, by Hon
George S. Boutwell,. In regard TO New
England affairs there is no man in the coun-
try better fitted to speak than ex- Gov. Bout
wei, and the way he demolishes q favorite
Doggy of the free traders is good to see. In
cidentally he makes out a very good case
for the protective system generally in de-
Veloping the prosperity of the whole country,
In the beginning he takes the condition oil
the country when we had practically free
trade-that is, from 1882 to 1861. We had
then all the natural advantages that any
country could claim,-an abundance of fer
tile land, an industrious, ingenious and ever
increasing body of workers,-yet, compared
with the period between 1870 and 1890, the
prices of the articles of daily family use
were one-third higher, while wages were SO
per cent. lower 1t is only fair to assume
that the influence which, with the same
country and the came people, raised the
workingman's wages one-third, and yet de-
creased his cost of living one-third, was pro-
lection.
During the free-trade period New England
was certainly as prosperous as any other por-
ton of the country. There are many promi-
publicand businesspen in New England
whose memory covers the whole period since
| 1882, and Gov. Boutwell, is certain that every
one of them wilhsay that the least prosper
Gus year between 1861 and 1890 was more
prosperous than the most prosperous year
between 1882 and 1860.
After paying his respects to some absurd
statements by Hon. Roger Q. Mills, Mr..
Boutwell, says:
The alleged decadence OF New England is at
trlbuted 10 the growth OF manufactures and to the
spread Of manufacturing industries in the South
! and West and against this formidable and ncrcaa-
Ing competition, ms Ia well said. tarifr can fur
nish protection. All this may DO 40; but can Mr..
Mills tell New England how or why, or when free
trade In raw materials would give 10 that imperied
section OF country any protection against the com
petition of Alabama and Wisconsin, Would not
those States and all other States OF tho South aud
West, gain or lose by FREQ materials In exact
ito with New Englnnd7 Would the prospects OF
New England be then any better than they now
aref H. however. II be made 10 appear thnt the
In he 4.
no consequence that futile remedy IL rendered.
There Is no occasion TO conceal er TO qualify the
facts on which tho alleged decndouco Of New Eng
land lie made TO rest. First Of ALL aud most ilnpor
tant Is the loss OF Tonnage engaged In foreign COM
msrce, and the incident loss OF employment for
men upon tho ocean. In answer TO this fact or In
explanation OF It, IL may bo said that the more gen
crai use OF steam In iron ships would have I'm
paired materially the business Of building wooden
sailing vessels under system OF trade however
frees while by tho protective ays;em there has been
fun compensation. In the liberalization OF indus
tries, In the increased demand for labor and ia the
advance In tho rate OF wages The loss OF employ
ment upon the sea has been fully met by tho pros
ence Of opportunities for more remunoratlve eu,.
ployment upon the land. In this way and only "a
this way, has the protective syssom contributed TO
the destruction OF Our foreign commerce. Every
valuable invention every Improvement In the way
lie present and temporary injury to those who are
compelled to the old devices, or who persist In
following tho old waysI but progress IL made only
through change, and the general and continuous
prosperity OF the laboriag people oan DO secured
only by progress.
Next In importance and not less instructive are
the facts that many ancient homes leads have been
abandoned. and that the area Of waste or unculti-
waited land is greater than II was % years ago. In
q - k..tf-
land has undergone great changes As recently as
tho year 1910. the farmers en- .god in raising
horses, cattle, and grain for market and tho wives
and daughters OF farmers were occupied in making
butter aud cheese. At q period not much more re-
mote. they were engaged In making cloth and
clothing for family use. With the exception por-
haps. OF tho mountain regions and the remoter
parts OF Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine,
these occupations have disappeared altogether In
the business ofraising cattle aud borsen for market
and for the production OF butter and oheese ia
quantity, large areas Of land were required, and
not infrequenty large holdings were accumulated.
Rough and Hferliie lands could be used for pastur
age and for occasional crops Of small grains Fira
the central States took possession OF the market
Tor these products la part then the States Of tho
Mississippi Valley tramped out all competition In
grain, and finally the great plains OF the Rocky
Mountain slopes monopoiiEed tho mark ct for neat
oalto ana horses. Under these circumstances and
conditions. which with the growth Of tho country
were inevitable, New England would have been
prosTated utterly except for the tariff In these 30
years OF protection, great manufacturing towns
have been created. The number Of persons en- |
gagged In agriculture has not Increased materially
while there has been an enormous addition 20 tho |
body OF consumers. The greater number Of far |
mnrs are engaged in producing milk aud Ia raising
vegetables fruits and even flowers for both local
aud distant markets. For these purposes only linn
tied quantities. Of land are required and of ootrse
the lands which are best in quality and nearest to
the markets are first chosen. Hence the hin aide
homes and mountain pastures have been aban. |
donedi but their former occupants gave up what |
they had because they before them something |
better aud In the main they have not been dlsap-
pointed. Somoare engaged In manufactures, some |
In tThdes aud Ia the mechanic Erts which arc the |
Incidents Of manufactures, some In rneroanfIls |
pursuits, and some in the new agriculture
Where the free traders find evidences of
"decadence 1t is impossible to say. STATIC
tics do not give any support to this idea
The population of Massachusetts has in
creased from 1,783,065 in 1880 to 2.20O 600
in 1890. An increase of nearly 30 per cent
is very far from "decadence." The increase
in manufacturing facilities Is In far greater
ratio than that of population. In 1875 the
total horsepower in Massachusetts, enyaoed