The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-09-24
WHY I AM A pRoTEcTloNlsT.
The Reasons Of One of New York's Most
Prominent Merchants.

The Reasons OF One of New York's Most
Prominent Merchants.
First am a Protectionist because
with American ideas, American princi-
pies. American enterprises and Ameri-
can thought.
Second-For the reason that it guaran-
tees to the wage earners, whether male
or female, better remuneration for
their services than they can possibly OBJ
tain in any country on the face Of
the globe; and this remuneration does
not apply simply to factory operatives
manufacturing textile fabrics, but ap-
vocation in life, whether it be clerks.
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.
Third-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 $1,000, 100000, and our
country is Just that much richer than it
would have been had it not been for our
system of Protection. The result of this
is that instead Of being compelled to pay
the money lenders of the country from
to 10 per cent. per annum interest for
their money, they are very we'll satisfied
with from 4 to 8 per cent. per annum,
reducing the rate of interest quite one
half from what the average was to the
borrower thirty years ago
Fourth-For the reason that it en-
courages manufacturing enterprises Of
all kinds to increase throughout the
country, and the competition between
the manufacturers prevents large profits
from being made, and prevents monopo-
lies of all kinds in consequence of this
competition. The result of our manu-
featuring interests is we furnish the
people better class of goods at less
price than they would have to pay if
these different manufacturing establish
ments were not established in this coun-
try, creating demand for our agricul-
tural products, and realizing better
price for them in our own home market
than we get abroad.
Fifth-The United States government
collected in 1890 about $3.50, 900, 900 from
imports, and the most of this revenue
was collected from importers who bring
in class CT 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 15,O00,-
100000 annually, an excess of at least
| $4,000, 100000 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 breadwinners to the level
of wages paid in foreign countries? If
not, then the wage earners could well
afford to pay $3.50, 100000 collected by
the government, mostly from foreign
producers, in 1890 and keep up the pres
ent rate of wages.
As the wealthier classes use at least
seven-tenths of the amount of our i'm
ports, that portion of the duty paid by
consumers bears very lightly on the
poorer classes. consequently all of our
legislation favoring Protection is almost
wholly in the interest of these classes,
and the passing of such laws by a Re.
publican congress is legislating the
greatest good to the greatest number Of
people. W. l.. STRONG.