New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
lille A,,rp1cAN pROTECTIYE SYSTEM.

TIE AMERICAN PROTECTIVE SlSlEM'
PROTECTIVE PHILOSOPHY hro Dsfg.'SR s, OF 's
Embodied in the Mckinley BIZ Hy DAVID do nan
rice. l. ". Large l2mo' cloth. Boston George
This work seems to be honest argument III
favor of the American protective system" by
man who has a clear head and who sincerely be-
nevcs in the system himself Too many writers
and sneakers upon this subject are only half-and-
half protcctionists. and weaken their cause IN
the outset. This author opens his case IKE
skilled lawyer, and from the beginning to the
end of his argument ono is impressed ~ith the
sincerity of his purpose and with his thorough
belief in the business and truth of his cause
Mr. Rice first shows beyond all power of refuta-
ttou tha, ono civilized nation has ever been able
10 conduct It's government and regulate It's IN
ternational concerns without some kind o. Gus
tom duties" lie then marks the distinction
very plainly between what he calls irce-trade
tariff and a protective tariff. The term " free
trade tariff" is good when used to designate "a
tariff for revenue only" and has been often used
before one notable instance of such use being
that by Mr.. Blaine in his controversy with Mr..
Gladstone in The North American Review The
authors definition of protection appears to bc so
complete as 10 warrant reproduction OF it here.
lie says: Protection is that economic system
which requires that its sufficient duties shall
only be levied upon such commodities besides
mere luxurics) as We are capable of producing III
economy and quality 10 regulate prices IN thf
home market" lie then proceeds 10 show how
such tariff duties always have succeeded and
always must succeed in chcapcnng the price of
such articles for the consumers; while at the same
time genuine prosperity is assured 10 all home
producers, both those who produce what is com
monty called the material and those who turn
out the manufactured articles.
His demonstration that ENTERPRISE and
tinuous work can cheaper the real cost of pro-
ducng any article is especially fine and con
vincing and he shows that at the same time the
producer is enabled TO pay the men who do the
work high wages There is nothing III the book
more clearly proved than this fact. and we doubt
il any better statement can be anywhere found
than the following conclusion Of one OF his chap
ters That protection demands neither a high
tariff nor a low tariff, but wage tariff l. e. such
q rate Of duty as shall be adequate 10 maintain
in prosperity the domestic industry by which, and
from which those wages are derived. in the
production Of the commodity which is the subject
Of the duty
Another fact which the author proves beyond
the power of successful contradiction is this,
stated in his own words: The free-trade tariff
lcvics its tax largely upon the wages Of the peo-
pie and allows accumulated wealth, or capital, TO
escape without paving its fair share Of taxation.
lie instances the SZUUOO,UVO cOlIecIfu cdcn veal
by Great Britain on tea alone That enormous
sum must of necessity come mostly from the wages
of the poor. their numbers being so large in com
parisOn with the number of capitalists, and tea
being an article that is used by all the people
without regard TO their financial condition. Again.
how true is this statement: Wages are the life
blood Of American industry. and superior wages
are what give vigOr to American working men and
Cut wages in one industry, and how
quick all Others feel the pressure for a reduction.
Hence one chief function of wealth in the Nation
is TO furnish wages to. and 10 improve the wages
Of domestic labor: and il should be afforded
every opportunity and encouragement to increase
AMI diversity industry 10 this end
Tie author also discusses the pcrpleXng queS
tion Of trusts. and shows how they the out
growth of frce-trade tariff. and that the only
way to prevent them is by competition so broad
and complete at home 10 render their schemes
imperative. The chapter how protection
gathers wealth is sood. hut not so complete as we
wish il were. II would have required large
amount Of labor TO have made the statement com
plcte; but, once made. there is no doubt that the
results in favor of the protective system would
br simply astounding and entirely UnanSwc able.
Let MS hope that some man who has an aptitude
for that kind of wOrlI-somc man who is a natu.
ral-horn statStican will yet take up the growth
OF our country for the last thirty years. and show
in detail how we have outstrppcd all the other
nations Of the world. Tie mere publication Of
set OF tables. compiled with care. giving simply
the actual growth of the United States in all
branches Of producuyc industry under our Aysem
as against tho actual growth Of the old free trade
country Of Great Britain. in spite Of her accnmu-
lated wealth Of ten centuries. would silence at
once an army Of frce-trade f1lsiicrs
The chapter on reciprocity is also too brief. The
subject some very Suggestive hints but leaves MS
in doubt as TO lust where be stands on that qucS-
ton he has told US some things about it. but he
could have told rs many more that would have
thrown light the question. 1t if he
really has not given his best thought about
reciprocity. and for some reason preferred not 10
do his hest in regard 10 that topic. No other
chapter in the entire book leaves the reader with
any such impressions. lie closes his work with
answers 10 a long list of frce-trade fallaccs. These
are incisive, and adhere strictly 10 the facts in
each case. Those replies alone are worth the
whole cost of the book.
No student of our tariff system can afford 20
leave this treatise unread. Indeed. = supplies a
long-felt want in tits class Of reading matter.
Hcrea ftcr let fee-trade theorist make the state
ment 50 often heard that there is no philosophy
in the doctrine OF protection" At least before
he again repeats the thIeadbarc assertion let him
answer the propositions so phoSopmcally stltcd
by Mr.. Rice. Should any free-tradc writer feel
adequate 10 such task, he will need tine a
Gear head and great perseverance for the work
before him. lie will find that he has undertaken
mo boiitlov ob