The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-25
PROTECTION NONSENSE.

One Edwin A. Hartshorn proposes 20 write
I for the American Economist, New York pa
per published in the interest OF monopoly an
article entitled why am Protectionist,"
| and he gives among his reasons why no fayorS
| taxing the many for tho benefit OF the few the
| following:
4 Because steam and electricity have practi-
| callY annihileted space, while climatic conni-
| tions ronder living impossible upon tho same
/ income in Ill countries
| Because eelf-government undor lido!
system so degraded as 10 prohibit UNIVERSAL
I education ia an impossibuity
/ Because protection Is the first law on ma
tional. as well as individual preservation ana
sefproservaton Is the first law Of nature and
Because cheap labor and free foreign trade
were the fundamental principles Of the South
| ern Confedefacy which threatened the de-
| struction Of our priceless Government
II would DO hard 30 find anywhere else as
! much arrant nonsense concentrated in the
same short space as in the above series OF be-
causes So palpablv absurd indeed is every
! one Of the statements made, that it would be
! simply a waste Of time 10 notice them, but for
the fragrant misrepresentation Of the South
contained in the closing paragraph.
II this Mr.. Hartshorn makes the above
quoted misstatement about the South merely
/ for tho purpose Of deceiving.tho public, lie Is
q knave; If he really believes what he
says no is pitiable ignoTamus.
| That the South did not fight for cheap
| labor is abundantlv proven by the well
| established fact that FREQ negro IS much
cheaper than slave labor. The Southern
f~,ov o,,i ,,iortor ', n lo,,ror hoe .bn e,,pport
! maintenance and responsibility of providing
for his workmen in sickness and in health. in
infancy and in old age AS formerly. and Is,
therefore, saved hundreds and thou
sands of dollars per annum from this source
alone. The great difficulties with which he has
had TO contend since the war have been
the upheayal Of the Southern labor system
and the unreliabilty Of FREQ negroes rs work
ers, one Of the greatest drawbacks he has
had TO encounter being his hands leav-
ing him at the most critical moment to listsn
to some wild and foolish political harangue-
just such as this Mr. Hartshorn would be
likely TO make them, Thereby enailing on
him great inconvenience and loss If he could
control his labor as completely as when he
owned it, he would find it at least 100 per
cent cheaper now than then.
As to the charge that free trade with for
eign nations was one of the fundamental
principles of the Southern Confederacy, that is
as untrue as the other. The South beingmain-
ly agricultural was as much opposed before
the war to paying heavy tribute TO the North
ern manufacturer, thereby enabling him TO wax
tot ..,1 ric hor h.x tovo
ton, as she is now. But she never advocated
absolute free trade and direct taxation, and
always expected 10 derive revenue sufficient
TO meet the demands of her government
economically administered, by Il tariff as ju-
diciously laid and as little burdensome to
the masses of the people as possible.
As to the course of the South threatening
the destruction of our priceless Govern
ment." lot us look at the truth Of the matter
for IN instant. The.Southern States fought
for their rights and liberties under the Consti-
tuition; for the sovereignty which they had
won at the point of the bayonet from Great
Britain, and for the maintenance of the doc
trine of States Rights, which is the corner
stone Of this Republic. The North fought for
the subversion of all these principles, and the
result has been that under the guild
ance Of the Republican party since
the war we have seen the powers OF
the central Government at Washington largely
increased and still increasing; shoddy arts
tocracy of wealth formed and fostered by
monopolist legislation. and the rights of the
States and people completely ignored. Which
therefore. is more threatening to the integrity
of "our priceless Government" the South
who fought for constitutional liberty, OF the
North which seeks 10 weaken the States so rs
to strengthen the general Government estab-
lish privileged classes and finally create an
Empire on the ruins Of the Republic?
But Mr.. Hartshorn's yagaries. or worse, are
hardly worth the time and space required to
notice them. 1t is encouraging 10 the friends
of good government. however, to see that in
their desperation the protectionists are forced
to try and stem the tide Of pubic sentiment
against them by resorting once moro to the
worn out and stale device of waving the
ensanguined banner Of hate and prejudice.