The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1890-01-04
PROTECTION NOT PROHIBITION


There may be protection which
amounts to prohibition, or there may
be absolute free-trade. Neither ex
treme is followed by any country to-
day, or perhaps ever will. Great
Britain is the nearest free-trad of any
nation, and yet she derives ccnsidera-
ble revenue FROM a tariff on Imports.
The American policy is in favor of
protection, and yet there are many
articles on the free list. 1t requires
wisdom and nice discrimination to
frame a tariff bill, and we doubt if
either party could form one that
would be satisfactory to the two polit-
ical parties in this country. The Mills
bill of the last session was particularly
Objectionable. because it placed pro-
ductions in the north-such as wool,
iron, etc., industries which were
susceptible of great development,
on the free list, and re
tained nearly the full duty on sugar,
which was produced only in two or
three southern states, and then not in
sufficient quantity to supply the loca
demand. There is not much doubt
that beet sugar could be manufactured
in the United States very advantage
ons;y, and, if government aid were ex
tended to our farmers, in little while
enough sugar could be produced for
home consumption. For this end we
are in favor of placing sugar on the
free list, and giving farmers bounty
to engage in growing beets and manu-
featuring the article. To this our
esteemed contemporary, the Albany
Democrat objects, and says:
The MoUNTAINEER would have con-
gress grant bonus to those who will
engage IN raising beet sugar. 1t thinks
this would not be paternal govern
ment. On the contrary it would be
difficult to conceive of more obnox
ious form of paternal government. 1t
would he saying to one class of people
that the government would tax an
other class to raise bounty money to
ray to the former class to make it
successful in business Upon the very
face of it the proposition is an out
rageous one, and we cannot under
stand how an intelligent man, imbued
with the spirit of fair dealing between
freemen, could for moment entertain
it.
If our intelligent brother thinks
this is an outrageous proposition, with
the same purity of reasoning he must
denounce the Mills bill a wholesale
robbery, which aimed to tax every
man in the country who used sugar for
the benefit of Mississippi and Loui-
siana planters, and opened wide every
door to the cheap wool of Australia
and South America. The revenue of
the government comes from imports
and internal revenue, and the bonus
given to oeetraisers would be no
greater Imposition on the people than
the money now spent on rivers and
harbors, and eventually it would be
principle of great economy IN cheapen-
ing the price of the product, stopping
the outflow of money and encouraging
home industry. In speaking of iute,
the Democrat says:
The MoUNTAINEER we'll knows that
jute is not, and can not, be raised in
this country and yet, it has meyer
raised its voice against this tax on the
the farmer. Its represent
atives in congress voted against taking
this tax from jute and it approved
their course. When its words might
have had some weight in promoting
the interests of millions of people
without injury to any one, 1t remained
silent. This is merely scheme to
dodge the issue when it is up, and
meet it face to face when it is not be-
ing considered.
We are not in the least doubt that
jute cannot he raised in this country
and do not believe that our farmers
will be dependent on the jute raised
in foreign countries for many years.
Ii attention can be turned to home
product by taxing the imported article,
it is the province of government,
which exists for the people, to do so.
Ii it is impossible to grow the article
nere, or find substitute, then we
,hall Join hands. with our esteemed
in placing it on the free
list. Protection Is not prohibitioL- t
I is simply patriotic encouragement
. home industry, and practical means t
Ised to keep as much money in the
ountry as possible.
We believe next year will witness G
rea:er progress in The Dalles than ,
ny former one. The right spirit is
oming to tie surface, and people who G
ave hitherto been apathetic regard !,
10 enterDrlse are becoming awakened