Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-04-04

IOurth. By causing people TO con-
sumo less.
These assumptions practically cover
all the ground, and in one or more of
these assumed ways it may be
asserted that protection increases pro-
dution. Let us severally examine
them in the order named.
The assertion that protection causes
men to engage in more productive en-
tcrprises, rests on the false assumption
that business men will not naturally
devote themselves and their capital to
profitable pursuits, except subsidized
to do 50. And this is SO manifestly
opposed to the facts, and so inherently
absurd, as to make any demonstration
of its falsity superfluOus.
The next assertion: that protection
increases the number and extent of
industries, and causes capitalists to
employ more labor and capital in their
development than they would otherwise
do, is practically in the same pre-
dicament as the first. 1t too, is based
on the false assumption, that business
men will not occupy all the profitable
fields of industry, without being bribed
to do SO; that they will not expand
industries when their prolitableness
can be increased by such expansion; that
self interest is not Il sufficient incent-
i've to action, but needs to be supple
mented by bride in the form of a
certain guarantee Of monopoly. If
these assumptions were true, no social
organization would be possible. Self
interest first brought men into social re
lations, and still keeps them there, and
prompts them to cooperate with each
other, and combine their efforts for
mutual benefit. Keen business men
everywhere, with instincts sharpened
by experience, brisk competition and
rivalry, are ever on the lookout for
new and profitable investments for
capital. And when all trade restric-
tions are removed, capital and labor
as naturally flow into productive chan
nelS as water runs down hill.
Then if it is true that protection in
creaSeS the number of industries; it
can be true of those only which are
Improbable. That is to say, those in
which the outlay for labor and other
things about equals, or exceeds the
returns; or, to put it in other words,
those in which consumption about
equals, or exceeds production, and the
profits have to be taken from other
more profitable occupations. If man
consumes Just as much as he produces,
then the state is neither better off
nor worse off for his having lived
If he adds to the general stock of
wealth more than he takes from it,
then he is increasing production. If
he eats, wears out, breaks and destroys,
and burns up, more wealth than he
produces; then he has destroyed part
of the product of some other persons
labor, as well rs all Of his own, and
has diminished production, and the
state is just SO much the poorer for
the exercise of MS peculiar abilities,
and his compatriots would have been
better off if he had never lived; and
what is true in this respect of one
person is true of any number Of per
sons.
If a collection of individuals cap
italiSts and laborcrS are carrying on
some enterprise in which their expenses
are just balanced by the returns, then
they are consuming just as much rs
they produce; not the same things, of
course. but things equal in value and
labor cost; then they are neither in
creaSing nor decreasing production;
and if they are only able to conduct
the business at a profit through assist
ance derived from protection, that is
through profits drawn from other pur-
suits. there is no increase of wealth; ;
but an unjust redistribution of it To
the extent that they are helped, some
one else is robbed; robbed because
they make no return; because they
cannot make any return; because ac-
cording to the hypothesis: they con-
sumo as much as they produce. If
the business they are engaged in, yields
less than it costs to conduct it, and
is made profitable to them through
protection; then they are destroying
more wealth than they create, and in
stead of increasing production they
are engaged in diminishing il. If an
intrinsically profitable industry, is en-
larged, and made more productive
through protection; then other indus