South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-09-02

high wall round the country would
certainly be a very elective pro.
tective tariff; indeed, it would bt
the ideal of protection. But IL
would make us a community oil
prisoners, deprived of the liberty
both of buying from other notion.
and selling to them. Ii we atop
buying, we must stop selling too.
PROTECTION is SECTIONAL.
q. But ought we not to encour.
age our homs industries till they
are able to compete with those OF
other nations?
A. That time will never come, il
the protected interests arc TO de-
eide. They never admit that they
are ready to compete with foreign
ers.
Q. Is not protection national,
wise and patriotic?
A. There is nothing national In
1t. So far from this, it is essential
ly and oppressively sectional-for
1t benefits and enriches the manu-
featuring states of the Northeast,
at the cost OF the other states--ard
this cannot be either Wise or pa
triotic.
q. But viii it not, after while,
make US independent Of other ma
tons?
a. No: we can never become in
dependent of other nations, as long
as we remain civilized people
Only barbara and savage nations
are independent. Civilization may
be defined to be a complex and con-
slant interdependence between ma
tions-a continual and ever increas-
ing interchange of commodities
which each has to sell, and others
need to buy. The most civilized,
enlightened and powerful nations
are those that have the most for
eign commensurate is, those which
do the most buying and selling;
and the most despicable arc those
which have least to do with the out
side world.
PROTECTION A BURDEN ON
AGRICU LTURE.
Q. What section Of the country
IS most benefited by protection?
a. The Northeast section, en-
bTacing the nine states of Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, Connccti-
cut, New York, Pennsylvania and
New Jersey.
Q. Why is this Eection most ben
Gifted
a. Because it is the chief seat o..
the protected industries-those in
dustries that are selected for the
special favor OF the national gov
eminent.
Q. Are these nine manufacture
ing states any more prosperous
than the other states?
Il. Yes: they must be go, because
the other states pay large tribute to
them. AS an unprotected farmer
pays taxes to protected manufact-
urer, so all the agricultural states
pay taxes to the favored section
where the protected manufacturers
abound.
Q. Do you mean to assert that
under the protection pol cy, the
national government forces all 9TH
er sections to pay tribute to the
Northeast?
A. That Is the practical working
of the system.
Q, What interest suffers most
from this policy?
a. The farming interest.
@. Why?
A. Because farmers are the larg-
est class of workers in the country;
and because, also, they have no OPP
portunity for indemnifying them
selves against it. They raise un-
protected crops; and when raised,
they must take what they can get
for them.
O But does not protection ben
eft the farmer in the long run, by
multiplying mills and factories, in
creasing the number OK persons en-
ployed in them, and so giving him
a home market and high prices for
his crops.
A. No. The facts are just the
other way. The report Of the Com
missioner Of Agriculture, at Wash
ington, shows that the average
price Of horses has fallen from 800
in 1865, to $73 in 1889; mules, from
800 to SO; mich COWS, from csc
to f25; other cattle, from SIC so to
S17; sheep, from $3.50 to 81; and
hogs, from IS to s. so. And the
prices OF the staple grain crops
show the same downward tendency.
The Agricultural Bureau reports
exhibit a decline ia the price OF
corn from so cents bushel in
1877, TO 80 cents in 1888: wheat,
from s1.9S per bushel to 81 cent?:
rye, from eI.4O to "a cents; oats,
from 81 cents to 80 cents; barley,
from IS cents to 81 cents; buck
wheat, from s1.O9 TO 65 cents. The
price Of hay fell from t1O.4e a ton
in 1861, TO t7.2O a ton in 1856; and