Telegram-herald., 1891-08-05

The American Economist IL doing
good work in settling before the
reading public the weli-eonsidered rea-
sons Of prominent men tor the protec-
tion faith which Is in them Its lat
est contribution comes from Col. viii
liam l.. strong. who renders an Ella
borate statement OF reasons. He says;
"First--r am Protectionist because
am an american. thoroughly imbued
with American ideas. American prin-
eiples, American enterprises and Amcri-
can thought.
'-Second-For the reason that IL
guarantees 10 the wage-earners.
whether male or female. better re-
muneration for their services than they
can possibly obtain In any country on
the face Of the globe and this rernsiner-
alton does not apply Simply TO factory
operatives. manufacturing textile ia
brics, but applies equally 10 the en-
ployed In every vocation In life.
whether IL be clerks. statesmen. pro-
fessors OF colleges. or saiaried officers
In railroads. banks. or Incorporated
companies Of any kind, so that any
human being in any vocation in this
country who works for a salary,
either by the day or year. is benefited
by the American policy of protection.
Third 1t has caused the balance OF
h,
last thirty years TO such an extent
that the nations Of the earth. dur
ing this time. have paid us eighteen
hundred millions OF dollars, and our
country Is just that much richer than
IL would have been had il not been for
our system of protection. The result
of this is that instead OF being COM
PEELED 70 pay the money lenders OF
the country from Z to 10 per cent. per
annum interest for their money. they
are we'll satisfied with from TO ) per
cent per annum, reducing the rate
OF interest quite one-half IRON what
the average was to the borrower
thirty years ago.
"Fourth-For the reason that 1t en-
courages manufacturing enterprises
of all kinds To increase throughout the
country. and the competition between
the manufacturers prevents large pro-
fits from being made. and prevents
monopoiics OF all kinds, in consequence
Of this competition. The result OF
our manufacturing interests Is we fur
nish the people better class OF goods
at n less price than they would have
20 pay II these different manufactur-
ing establishments were not estab-
lished in this country. creating de-
mand for our agricultural products,
and realizing a better price for them
In our own home market than we get
abroad
"Fifth-The United states Govern
mcnt collected In 1890 about two
hundred and thirty millions of dollars
from imports. and the most OF this
revenue was collected from importers.
who bring In class OF merchandise
that IL not used generally by the medi-
um ard lower classes, and particular
" so since the duties have been taken
of sugar.
The lowest estimate Of the amount
of money earned by the wagc-earncrs
of all classes In this country is about
ffteer thousand millions of dollars
annually. an excess of at least six
thousand millions over the earnings of
the same number OF people living in
In other countries.
'Can this country do away with
our protective policy without reduc-
the level Of wages paid In foreign coun-
tricsr N not. then the wage-carncrs
could well afford to pay the two hun
drcd and thirty million dollars col
lected by the Government. mostly from
foreign producers. in 1890 and keep
mp the present rate of wages.
As the Weather CLASSES use ae least
seven-tenths ~ the amount Of our inn
ports. that portion ~ the duty paid by
consumers hears very lightly on the
poorer classes; consequently all II our
legislation fsvosing protection ia
almost wholly in the interest ef these
CLASSES. and the passing of such laws
by n Republican Congress Is iegisiat-
ing the greatest good TO the greatest
number ~ people"