Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-05-26
The Expense Of Protection.


It takes a large and we'll developed
country to stand the test Of protection"
without leaving big scars. Unless a
country's industries are well diversified
and developed and unless it has back Of
it big population and boundless re-
sources in fertile lands and raw mate
rails it cannot without great hardship
attempt to build up its home industries
by tariffs that cut off trade with the rest
of the world. But two or three coun-
tries of the world can indulge in high
protection without great injury, and
even these will suffer greatly if the ex-
pertinent be too long continued. The
United States, with all of its wealth of
materials and resources, is staggering
under its load of McKinleyism. Mort
gagged farms and bankrupt farmers, hun
dreds Of thousands Of idle workmen,
trusts in control Of production, prices
and wages, millionaires and paupers-
these are the heritage Of 80 years of pro-
lection.
Russia is perhaps the next great coun-
try in population and resources. Pro-
lection has made it one Of the most mis-
cradle spots on the earth. A citizen not
q land owner or protected miner or man
ufacturer is fortunate if he can get to-
gether enough money to pay his way out
of Russia and off of the continent Pro-
lection is in vogue all over continental
Europe, and as most Of the countries are
small and dependent for many foods and
supplies upon other countries, the effect
is marked, and the people are emigrating
by tens of thousands. The pinch of pro-
lection is too strong for these small
countries
Canada is a great and undeveloped
new country. Il began to experiment
with protection but IA years ago, before
its manufactures were firmlyestablished
and its population was great. It is al
ready sick of the system and will soon
repudiate it. Nearly 100000 Canadians
have immigrated to the United States
to obtain greater freedom to buy and
sell. Canada, according to the New
York Mail and Express and other
Republican authorities, now employs
agents in the United, States to give pre-
miums to men who will immigrate to
Manitoba and Ontario. When Canada
sheds its protection coat and has free
trade with the rest of the world, it's fer
tile lands and rich mines and forests will
talk for it in languages that will be I'M
derstood by the oppressed of all of the
protected nations of Europe.
But it is in Australia that we get the
most perfect fruit of protection. The
newest and least developed continent Of
the earth, it has population of only one
to each square mile of territory, and the
100000 are the most intelligent and in
dustrious people on the globe. Surely
they ought to be prosperous, and they
were until in their admiration for the
United States and all Of it's institutions
they began to adopt protection in their
different colonies few years ago. Since
New South Wales adopted protection
about two years ago Australia has had
the most perfect system Of protection
imaginable. Each colony is doubly bar
ricaded with tariff walls from every other
colony.
Believing that what is worth doing at
all is worth doing well, they have taken
great pains to prevent the passage Of
pauper goods across their borders. Their
Mckinley laws are SO stringent that
when farmer was returning to Vic
toria from a visit to his married daugh-
ter, who lived few miles across the
border in New South Wales, with his
mare and foal born during the visit,
he was unable to proceed home until he
had paid heavy duty on the foal.
Australia's infant industries were too
young to stand artificial foods. Their
tender stomachs rebel at the stimulants.
Hence we learn from American Indus
tries that "there are millions of square
miles of rich land in Australia awaiting
the advent Of the plow. Yet the armies
of unemployed in Melbourne, Sydney,
Adelaide and Brisbane are to be num-
bered by their tens of thousands. In
these cities there are as foul sweating
dens as in any part of the world. In the
country districts there are thousands Of
men Systematically 'cadging their tuck
erin other words, perambulating the
country and begging daily meal from
far1nhouses or sheep stations. That such
things should be in Australia is simply
in consistency with the law that those
who SOW the wind shall reap the whirl-
wind"
The April report Of the emigrant's in
formation Office, London, says:
New South Wales, Victoria, Queens
land and Tasmania continue to suffer
from commercial depression, and great
damage has been done in Queensland by
the recent floods. In none of these colo
MES is there any demand for labor, ex-
cent for female domestic servants. and