The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-09-02
Why Am a Protectionist.
BY COL. WILLIAM L. STRONG


BY COL. WILLIAM I. STRONG.
First am proteetionist becauseI
arm an American, thoroughly imbuet
with American ideas, American princi~
pies, American enterprises and Amer
lean thought
Second-For the reason that it guar
antees to the wage-earners whether
male or female, better remuneration
for their services than they can possibly
obtain in any country on the face Of the
globe; and this remuneration does not
apply simply to factory operatives.
manufacturing textile fabrics, but APP.
plies equally to the employed in every
statesmen, professors of colleges, or sal.
aried officers in railroads, banks, or in
corporated companies OF any kind, SO
that any human being in any vocation
in this country who works for salary,
either by the day or year, is benefited
by the American policy of protection.
Thirtt-It has caused the balance OF
trade to turn in our favor during the
last thirty years to such an extent that
the nations of the earth, during this
time, have paid us eighteen hundred
millions of dollars, and our country is
just that much richer than it would
have been had it not been for our sys-
tenn of protection. The result OF this is
that instead of being compelled to pay
the monsy lenders Of the country from
to 10 per cent, per annum interest for.
their money, they are very well salts
fed with from four to five per cent. per
annum, reducing the rate of interest
quite one-half from what the average
was to'the borrower thirty ago.
Fourtk-For the reason that it en-
courages manufacturing enterprises OF
all kinds to increase throughout the
country, and the competition between
the manufacturers prevent large profits
from being made, and prevents. mo-.
nopolies of all kinds in consequence Of
this competition The result of our
manufacturing interest is, we furnish
the people better class of goods~at a
less price than they would have if these
differentmanufacturing establishments
were not established in this country,
creating demand for our agricultural
/ products, and realizing better price
for them in our own home market1than
we get abroad
Fifth--The United States government
collected in 1890 about two hundred
and thirty millions of dollars from i'm
ports, and the most Of this revenue was
collected from importers, who bring in
). a, class OF merchandise that is not used
;, generally by the medium and lower
classes, and particularly SO since the
duties have been taken off sugar
The lowest estimate Of the amount Of
money earned by the wage-earners OF
all classes in this country is about
fifteen thousand millions of dollars an.
nually, an excess of at least six thou
sand millions over the earnings of the
, same number Of people living in other
countries.
; Can this country do away with our
protective policy without reducing the
wages of the bread-winners to the level
) of wages paid in foreign countries? II
5 not, then the wage-earners- could well
afford to pay the two hundred and thirty
million dollars collected by the govern.
, ment, mostly from foreign producers, in
1890 and keep up the present rate OF
,, wages.
AS the weather. classes, use at least
? seven-tenths of the amount:of our i'm.
ports, that portion OF the dnty paid by
{ consumers bears very lightly on the
poorer classes: consequently all of our
!, legislation favoring proteeionis almos,
wholly in the interest Of these classes,
and the passing of such laws by re-
publican congress is legislating the
greatest good to the greatsstnumbar OF
r people. -American Economist.
D Foreign Trade Under the NJ OK inlev Tariff