The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-06-24
FOR sELE.PREsERvATIoN,

If for No Other Reason. the Tariff should
BE Retained as a Defensive Measure.
A strong argument in favor of protec-
ton is that it is necessary as a means OF
national self-preservation. Free traders
affect to regard this proposition with
great contempt, but it is fact, never
theless, that many of our greatest minds
in this country have maintained it.
Suppose that, through some untoward
circumstances, we should become IN
volved in a war with one or more Euro
pean nations from which we import
many things necessary for us to have IN
time of war. Suppose that during all
our national existence we had followed
the advice so generously bestowed upon
us by free traders and had devoted our
selves principally TO farming pursuits,
and had allowed the nations with which
we were at war to make and sell TO us
most of the manufactures consumed by
us. including our mechanical tools and
implements, and also arms. ammunition
and military equipments. how would 1t
be possible for US to contend success
fully in war with such nations?
Of course. without manufactures Of (
our own we should be at the mercy OF
our enemies till such time as we could
establish them and produce our own
implements of warfare and other
needed supplies; and, if it ever could be
ACCOMPLISHED, it would be under the
most adverse conditions. especially as IN
such case we should be entirely with
out the skilled laborers and artisans
necessary for such an undertaking.
A great and diversified country like
ours has within it all the elements of
national self-develOpment, self-suppOrt
and self-preservation.
! But these elements cannot be proper
II developed without numerous and
/ diversified manufactures, and these
cannot be built up and maintained
/ without strong protective tariff.
In his first message to the first con-
! gress. Washington said:
The safety and interest Of the people require
that they should promote such manufac ture5 as
tend 10 render them Independent Of Others for
! essentials, and particularly for military sup
pies.
Alexander Hamilton, one OF the
! worlds greatest financiers, in his great
report on manufactures in 1870, said:
Not only the wealth but the indepenpence OF
a country appear TO be materially connected
with the prosperity Of manufactures. Every
nation with view % these great objects ought
TO endeavor to possess within itself all the es-
sentials Of national supply. These comprise the
means of subsistence. h1bitGtiOn, clOtting and
defense The possessiOn Of these IS necessary
10 the,perfectiOn of the body polite and to the
safety as well as the welfare Of society. The
want of either is the want of an important or
-, nd moftOr and. in the
various crises that await a state, II must
| seriously feel the effects OF any such deficiency
And he cites the extreme embarrass-
ments of the United States during the
Revolutionary war from their inability
to supply themselves with many things
that they greatly needed as a striking
proof of his statement, and shows how
these embarrassments may beovercome
by judicious protection to our manutac-
lures.
In 1916, John C. Calhoun, discussing
this question in congress, said:
The security of u country mainly depends upon
, its spirit and means; and as every people are
subject TO the vicissitudes Of peace and war, it
must ever be considered the plain dictate OF
wisdom in peace 10 prepare for war.
And then he shows that this can be
done only by establishing manufactures
and protecting them against foreign
competition by proper tariff duties.
In 1873. James \. Garfield uttered the
following wcighty words:
So important in my opinion is tho ability
of the nation TO manufacture al those
, articles necessary to arm, equip ard eiothe
, our people that, If it could not be secured
= in any other way, I you'd vote 10 pay
money out OF the federal treasury to maintain
government iron and steel, wOOlen and cotton
J mills az Whatever cost. Were we to neglect
these great interests and depend upon other ma
tons in what a condition OF helplessness would
: we fird ourselves when we should be again in
volved in war with the very nations on whom
: we were depending to furnish US with these
supplies The system adopted By our fathers Is
|, wiser, for il so encourages the great national
l Industries as 70 make it possible at all times
for our people to equip themselves for war, AM
at the same time 70 increase their intelligence
aud skill so as TO make them better for all the
; duties of citizenship both in peace and in war.
l We provide for the common defense By q system
which promotes the general welfare.
) Since 1SG1 we have been acting upon
{ these wise words of the wise men just
: quoted with results magnificent beyond
, comparison. Shall we now abandon these
/ principlesand give ourselves again to the
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