Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-08-31
Is Ma hAp 1He srArlsflcs.

Concerning some questions intended to
require proof and demonstration Of the
benefits OF protectionism in Wilmington
the Georgetown Republican says
The questions asked In the columns of
the EVENING JOURNAL of the gath are
not puzzlers, and we could easily give
answers to them II we only had the
statistics Of that city Of the past twenty
years. We suppose we could get them by
applying to the proper authorities, but
we are not sufficiently interested In the
matter to take that trouble.
That Is precisely where the writer is
mistaken; there are no statistics Of this
city, now or twenty years ago, to prove
that. it has, been benefited by protection
ism. That is wherein the advocates of the
protective policy are all misguided IN
fair, and even immoral They advocate
a tax which is burdensome and Unjust,
and which the majority Of the people in
the country have condemned, on the ny
pothesis that statistics" prove 1t e. be
beneficial. No such statistics" can be
produced
This writer, after asserting that pro-
tectionism was benefit to this city, and
showing interest enough to come into
discussion pending here to assert that
the case could be easily made up, now
declines to make It up because he has
not Interest enough" to Prove that he
knows what he was writing about, not
interest enough to discuss an unjust
piece Of legislation he advocates.
The people in Wilmington who are in
protected businesses are few, those who
are in any wise benefited by the protee-
ton policy are fewer, while the number
OF those whose wages are increased
thereby is smaller still by comparison
and average. II the advocates OF this
craze would make an investigation and
an actual enumeration of these In
comparison with the number Of people
whose business, labor, profits and wages
are In no wise benefited or increased by
the protective taxes they would be
startled. They do not investigate,
count or think en- this important matter
Of taxes, and profits, and loss; they
accept the unsupported assertions simply
Of the benehciaries that they must be
protected.
Now, the advocates Of a system Of
taxation which costs the people of WI
mlngton, a manufacturing city.so dearly
and, which is alleged to produce so much
prosperity, ought to have some "ststis
tics, some facts on tap, ready for i'm
mediate use. to show that a sufficient
number of persons in the community are
benefited TO render the tax at least
debAtable matter, II no compensation car
be shown.
That is not the case. There are not
enough protected industries or enough
protected" employees in them in THU
city to make a respectable showing il
comparison with the unprotected indus
tries and the unprotected employees, Tn,
crsnks do not have their statistics ready
when called for because the facts ar,
contrary to their beliefs and wishes. Tn,
actual benefits are not even debatable
There are no facts 10 show that anyhod,
obtains any benefits; il is all matter o
. glittering generalities. That is strang
statement from the standpoint of a pro
tectionism advocate; it star.ses him. be
cause, in his blind faith, like the George
town Republican, he is under the in