Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-03-26
WHY He is A PRoTEcTIoNlsT.
Strong Reason. by Pre.iaen. MIN. of Rosh

Strong Reasons by President min. of Roch-
ester University.
! am Protectionist for the following
reasons:
First-The policy of Protection enables
our country to develop ministries Of
which other countries. if it were not for
Protection. would enjoy a practical mo.
nopoly. Although not profitable in the
United States unless protected. these in
dustries are important TO our national de-
velopment and independence and should
not be allowed to become extinct.
Second-A protective tariff cnqGes-
tionably increases the rewards of labor
(al by creating demand for skilled labor,
(b) by diversifying the kinds of labor in
country and thus differentiating both
demand and supply. and tc) by making
for producers of every kind home mar
ket. This increase of the laborer's re-
ward is not confined TO the protected in
dustries. but elevates wages in every
sphere. (a) by the sympathetic effect of
high wages generally and tb) by with
drawing from the nonprotected indus
tries and from agriculture a surplus of
wage earners who wonld divide and re-
duce wages if they competed against
each other.
Third-Although protective tariff in
creases prices Immediately after its adop.
tiJn. the resulting activity and the album.
dant home production under Protection
tend constantly to reduce the prices of
manufactured articles as industry be-
comes better organized As result the
country becomes Weather both abso-
lutely and relatively-absolutely, be-
cause the aggregate of home produced
commodities is vastly increased; and
relatively. because wages are kept above
the European level by Il high tariff bar
rier to foreign competition. Under Free
trade, or tariff for revenue only. we
should have to send our gold ont of the
country to pay for imported goods and to
compete with the entire world in dispos-
my 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 cont.
mental nation and should adopt a con
tinental policy. Free-trade is adapted
only TO inSular nations, and no cont
mental nation has adopted a Free-tradc
policy. We are the most continental Of
all the continental peoples and have til.
most diversified products. A naturally
specialized nation like Great Britain,
| can always drive us ont of the market
in that nations speciality in the long run
because it must do so to maintain its
| own existence. On the one hand. we
should not plunge our people into so
desperate competition with the special
lied competitor. for this could end only
in driving our people from the field;
and. on the other hand, we should not
permit our country to be itself special
lied by being limited to those produc-
tons only in which it has a natural
superiority under existing conditions
The only way out of the dilemma is to
/ protect those industries which it is nee
essary to foster in order to secure diver
sitied and harmonious national develop
merit.
Fifth-The deepest root of my adher-
ence to protective policy is, however.
moral one. | believe that we, as a
nation. have great material advantages
for the building up of free. intelhgcn.
and happy people such rs the world has
not yet seen. believe that these adj
vantages are surrendered if too wisely
shared. We are divinely set as nation
to work out the political problem Of
mankind. As a patriot ! claim that,
having manifest national destiny 70 be
worked out by historic process, VIC
should not part with our birthlight. As
well might father Of a family, just
started in a prosperous business with a
small capital. distribute his little prop
erty equally among the poor of his neigh
borhood. depriving himself Of the means
Of providing for and educating his chill
dren, as for this nation to share with the
Old World every increment of power
and superiority 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
/ hiOt lCNNptlph dNNOtAlEiA " NAbAC Nlp
have come to our shores to claim rights
which they We're untitled TO exercise.
Free-trade secures to every other coun-
try all the advantages that belong 10
this, as soon as it is adopted, by putting
American labor in open competition
with, the labor of Europe and Asia. Free
immigration at least obliges the partici-
pant in American prosperity to come 10
America. Free-trade would send him
the fruit Of American industry without
the trouble of crossing the ocean.
Whether it be against foreign goods
ideas or men. would raise protecting
barrier that would secure this God-givon
continent to the preservation and deyel-
opment Of the institutions of our fathers
The article in our political creed that
most needs emphasis is America for
| Americans.