The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-12-23
MOODS.

"a burnt child breads the fire. is an
old saying, but moths fly into the can
die" is as old. Both are true of men and
nations as well as of children and moths.
We have our understandings wise,
sometimes otherwise. Some days we
gladly learn from experience, on Others
we refuse it's lessons. We must Judge a
man not by the passing mood of an hour,
but by the general tenor and trend of his
life. This is true also of nations. Judge
France by its John Law bubble of the
last century, and we might think the Ma
ton made up of blind and crazy fools,
but look at France for hundred years
as it has come up from the Bourbons TO
the Republic, and its people have made
large gains.
In our country we sec the same varied
moods well illustrated in our course in
regard to Protection and Free Trade. In
1877 we started with ProtectiOn-a Con-
stitution empowering Congress to legis-
late for it, an act of the First Congress
establishing it, the views and actions of
the great men mos beloved and trusted
upholding it. Prosperity followed, but
in few years came strange change Of
mood. The Democracy won power, and
in 1916 customs duties were reduced
Then came depression and distress, che
people saw their mistake and learned q
lesson from it. In 1924 duties on i'm
ports were made Protective and our
greatest prosperity came, SO said
Henry Clay.
Bnt the mood changed in 1893. The
slave power laid its strong hand on the
Democracy, demagogues did their work
for Free Trade, and the fearful panic of
1887 wrought ruin.
This severe lesson was Needed and III
1912 came Protection under Wing rule.
James X. Polk, a Democratic Presi-
dent, stated it's result in his annual mes
sage as prosperity without an example"
but that party, under the lash of the slave
power, like the negro fearing the slave
whip of the overseer, brought us Free
Trade or revenue tariff in 1916, which
lasted until the days of James Buchanan,
when the Government was compelled to
pay s to II per cent, interest fora few
millions to keep its affairs in motion.
Then came great uprising, and OPEN
ing of blind eyes, learning from expert
ence, a wiser and higher mood. War was
forced on us by the South, the Confed-
eracy died, slavery and Free Trade, it's
NOlC DlOhCH III PlCCCNt anu
Freedom and Protection came instead,
and with them a Union more real, aprOs-
perity more wonderful, than we ever be-
fore enjoyed.
Now comes another mood; the same
blindness, the same disregard for the les
sons of experience, the same restless and
unreasoning wish for change, the Solid
South ruling the Democracy, as did the
old slave power, and Free Trade con-
fronting us like black cloud, big with
the destructive tornado.
Look at our Nation for century and
we see that while it's moods have varied
yet on the whole, wisdom has gained and
we have made marked and cheering pro-
gress.
The lesson is one of faith and hope,
and strength for needed work.
The Nations experience, and the ex-
perience of the civilized world, show the
benefits of Protection and the perilS of
Free Trade. We can, each and all, work
and wait for higher moOd-a change
that shall sweep away Free Trade as by
the rush of a mighty wind. 1t will come.
Short Tariff Sermons, in american
Economist.