Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-10-06

late business but this effect is generally fol-
lowed by undue competition occasioned BY the
very success incident to the fayorltlsm shown:
then overproduction results, then stagnation
of business ensues and in the END there comes
q reduction OF wages, fall in prices and bank
ruptcy 10 many industries
This is faithful picture Of the evils Of protec
ton drawn rom the business history OF this
country for over seventy years 1t is the natur-
al result of governmental interference in pri-
vate affairs, of the bluuder5 incident to a pa
ternal government and Of the folly Of attempt
Ing TO control the natural laws OF supply and
demand StimulantS to business through tariff
favoritism are unsatisfactory the contin-
ued and inordinate indulgence of Intoxicating
liquors by man The first effects are pleasant
enough but the inevitable general result 10 dis
astrous failure and utter ruin
"A gentleman once said that he liked 20 get
drunk well enough but the trouble arose in get
ting sober. Usually the more stimulants a
man is accustomed to use the more he needs,
and SO in business, an industry which has grown
| up under the fostering care of paternal gov
ernnent never seems to be strong enough to
permit its withdrawal without disastrous and
| humiliating collapse. Why should the govern
ment ~ tie use abuse of the taxing power of
| the government attempt to build up industries
| where the private enterprise and private cap
| ital are not willing to accept the risk: Why
should the whole people be unnecessarily taxed
| for half their lives and compelled 10 pay
travagant prices for certain manufactured
articles, in order to get them somew hat cheaper
| during the other half Of their hvess
why should the government, at the expense
| OF all the people, offer special Inducements to =
/ few 10 embark upon q particular business in a
| field where men of genius and enterprise have
I OF their own accord refused to enter: i do not
/ believe that our American manufacturers re-
/ Gure the protection which the republican
| party seems to be SO anxious TO fOiSt upon
| them, especially if they were provided with
| free raw materials, as the democratic part
/ proposes 10 do We are already underselling
! foreign manufacturers in most or many OF the
| markets OF the world, and if we can compete
! With them abroad, especially in their own mar
| kctS there would seem % &c no real necessity
| OF taxing our people longer il order TO enable
| OUT manufacturers to compete with foreign
| ones at verJ doors.
Neither is the pretensc any longer available
| that protection is absolutely necessary because
| of the difference wages paid IL this and for
| ei"n countries. 1t is true that wages are higher
| here than abroad, and the der ocratic party
! which has always upheld TIE dignity of labor
| and which is largely composed OK workiagrnen-
| rcioiceS in the fact, ard tolers.es no policy
/ which would tend to reduce them. But If
American workingmen receive higher wages it
! is also true that they perform better work than
| those abroad: they are better educated: they
! take a deeper and more intelligent interest liz
/ their labor: they own their own houseS: they
are entitled to the elective franchise and in
| every way better qualified 10 produce manufac
! lures which can bring better prices and which
1
| successfully compete with the rest of the world
..An that America needs is free field and
fair fight in the of life and she will prove
| invincible in nearly every department of human
| activity. 1t is a narrow and contracted view,
! however, that seeks to keep our country from
contact with the commerce of the world The
| republican orator who boastngly asserts that
| the United States can raise and manufacture
| everything need, that foreign commerce
should not be sought after foreign markets
| considered and that American farmers
| should be content with home markets and home
| prices, and that We and should be indepsn
dent of all the rest of the world may crafty the
selfish and false pride of his hearers, but he
! only exhibits his ignorance of history and his
| lack Of comprehension Of the true sources OF
| genuine prosperity.
| I'VE should not adopt any policy of admins
! tration which excludes the idea that there is
| more Of this world than the United States. and
| we should understand that we do not monopo-
| lie I'll the wealth. the Industries or the prod
| ucts o: the world
Our policy should be dictated by an en-
! lightencd self-interest. which comprehends the
wants, needs and capacities not only of our
selves, but of the people everywh here. 1t is the
| favorite claim of extreme protection
| friends that j majority of the people are more
or less directly or indirectly, interested in the
alleged benefits claimed to be derived from
| high protective tariff. and that only com-
! paraIively small portion of the community
really object to continuance of the system.
They are pleased 10 assert that if the gov
! eminent generously sees fit TO increase the
/ wealth of a single manufacturer in city the
other citizens of that city likely to receive
| some sort of a benefit from the prosperity of
their more favored neighbor, and that they
ought not to complain of the discrimination.
| The advantage which the other citizens secure
! Is so very remote, however, that they
| hardly be expected to appreciate it, especially
! in view of the fact that the government has col
I lccted from them 4 portion of the bounty which
| il has bestowed upon their more fortunate
| reichbcr. 1t may he that comparison of the
| amounts collected from them with the alleged
benefits received will show balance upon the
| wrong sid" of the account and prove the system
| in the end 10 be a very expensive luxury
| ut is probably true that if every business
/ man in city is required to pay tax of one
dollar annually to be put in the pockets OF some
large manufacturer employing Il considerable
number CT men, il might add something to the
general prosperity of the city. provided the
subsidized manufacturer should expcud the
contribution in advancing the wages of his
! workmen in expanding his business, but the
benefits realized would be slight well
as precarious. and the scheme is inner
emily improper that the experiment would be
| unsatisfactory
| Robbery is none the less Objectionable. even
| though the whole people receive equal share
| of the booty. Every honest community should
protest against such an Ubiquitous system, and
the policy of addition division and silence,
Pennsylvania, will not be adopted by honcSt
men elsewhere. The oft-repeated statement
that in every protected country the whole peo-
pie receive some share of the benefits which are
ostensibly received by few has never been
satisfactorily established and Is impossible
from the nature of things.
| Public taxation cannot make \ whole COM
munity rich There must inevitably be Unequal
tiles. The game of poker was once recommend
ed TO 4 gentleman game in which every
body something. He tried it-and he
knows more than he did Ee found that II any
| body won anything some one else had to lose.
So in cove rnmental affairs. II few men ac-
quire veal tn without earning IT. but through
the favor Of paternal government, il must be at
the expense of the great body Of TIE taxpayers.
II it is salUtary principle that legislation
should be so framed TO accomplish the great
est good for the greatest number the protective
system cannot have legislative sanction but
the claim that the masses are especially inter.
ested in its preservation is not supported by
facts.
"As we glance over great country how
few do we find OF the protected irduStrie and
occupations as compared with the unprotected
ones. How few people there are compared with
the great mass who can say that they are con
ScioGs that they receive the least particle OF
benefit, directly or indirectly. in their various
occupations from the system which the repub
licln party FOR many years has forced upon
the count ry against its Will. say forced upon
the co untry. because you will recollect that in
1883 the majority of the popular vote repudiated
this doctrine and emphasized their disapproya
in thunder tones in 1880
How vast are the number people cngagec
in various occupations VINO, their own selfish