Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-01-29
Why | Am a PrOteCtiOniSt.
BY DAVID J. HILL, OF ROCHESTER,.

am PrOtcctlOnlSt Tor the fOllOWlng
reasons:
First.-The policy of Protection en-
ables our country to develop industries
of which other countries, if it were not
for Protection, would enjoy a practical
monopoly. Although not profitable in
the United States unless Protected
these industries are important to our
national development and independ-
ence, and should not be allowed to
become extinct.
Second.-A Protective Tariff unques-
tionably increases the rewards of labor
(G) by creating a demand for skilled
labor, (b) diversifying the kinds of
labor in II country and thus ditferen-
tiating both demand and supply, and
(c) by making for producers of every
kind home market. This increase of
the labCrer's rewards is confined to the
Protected industries, but elevates wages
i'll every sphere, (0) by the sympathetic
effect of high wages generally, and CO..
by withdrawing from the non-Protected
industries and from agriculture sur
plus of wage-carners who would divide
and reduce wages if they competed
against each other.
Third. Protective Tariff
increases prices Immediately after its
adoption, the resulting activity and the
abundant home production under Pro-
lection tend constantly TO reduce the
prices of manufactured articles as in
dustry becomes better organized. AS a
result the country becomes wealthier
both absolutely and relatively-abso-
lutely, because the aggregate of home
produced commodities Is vastly increas-
ed; and relatively, because wages are
kept above the European level by a
high-Taritf barrier to foreign competi-
ton. Under Free Trade, ora Tariff for
revenue only, we would have to send
our gold out of the country to pay for
imported goods and To compete with
the entire world in disposing of our
own products at home, thus lowering
our wages to the level of those paid to
the cheap labor of Europe.
Fourth.-The United states is Il con-
tinental nation and should adopt a
continental policy. Free Trade is
adopted only i'll insular nations, and
no continental nation has adopted Il
Free Trade policy. We are the most
continental of all the continental peo-
Piles and have the most diversified
products. A naturally specialized ma
llhC NTIGdl DIlldlll, CdIl dlMdYS
drive us out of the market in that ma
tons speciality in the long run, because
it MUST do so to maintain its own exist
ence. On the one hand, we should
not plunge our people into so desperate
a competition with Il specialized COM
petitor, for this could end only in
driving our people from the field; and
on the other hand, we should not per-
a
by being limited by those productions
only in which 1t has natural superior
ity under existing conditions. The only
way out of the dilemma is to Protect
those industries which it is necessary
to foster in order to secure diversified
and harmonious national development.
Fifth.-The deepest root of my adj
herence to Protective policy is, how
ever, moral one, believe that we, as
a nation, have great material advan-
tages for the building up of a free, in
telligent and happy people such az the
world has not yet seen. | believe that
these advantages are surrendered if too
widely shared. We are dlvlnely set as
nation to work out the political prob
lem of mankind. AS Il patriot, | claim
that, having manifest national desti-
uy W DC NOlhCu Oub ny llobOllO DlO-
cess, we should not part with our birth
right. AS well might u father of
family. Just started i'll prosperous
business with n small capital, distribute
his little property equally among the
poor of his neighbOrhood, deprivIng
himself of the means of providing for
and educating hls children, as tor TINS
nation TO share with the old World
every increment of power and SUPERB
orty to be found IN the new, assuming
its burdens of mendicancy and debt,
and receiving the peasant as the peer
of the American citizen. The greatest
anomaly in our history is the free -e-
ception accorded TO those who have
come TO our shores to claim rights
which they are united to exercise.
Free-Trade secures to every other
country all the advantages that belong
TO this, as soon as IL is adopted, by put
ting American labor III open competi-
tion with the labor of Europe and ASIA.
Free immigration at least obliges the
participant in American prosperity to
come to America. Free-Irade would
send him the fruit of American indus
try without the trouble of crossing the
Ocean. Whether il be against foreign
goods, ideas or men, | would raise
protecting barrier that would secure
this God-given continent to the preser-
vation and development of the institu-
tons of our fathers. The article in
cur political creed that most needs em-
phasis is america for Americans