Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-21
PROTECTION HAS SHOWN ITS FALSlTY

people 70 their fiscal pOllcy, nave &C.
liberately ana rightly decided that the
existing tariff is wrong in principle and
grievously unjust IN operation"
Such is the opening paragraph of the
majority report submitted by the Demo
cratic members of the ways and means
committee, to-day, to theIfull committee.
The report was written by Chairman
Wilson. 1t was laid by him before his
Democratic associates last night, and
received their cordial approval
Continuing, the report says:
NOT A COMPLETE RESPONSE.
The bill on which the committee has
expended much patient and anxious
laboi is not offered as u complete re-
Spouse to the mandate Of the American
people. 1t no more processes to be
purged of all protection than to be free
of all error in its complex and manifold
details. However we may deny the
existence of any legislative pledge, or OF
the right of any Congress to make such
pledge, for the continuance of duties
that carry with them more or less
acknowledged protection.
We must recognize that great interests
do exist whose existence and prupriety
is no part of our reform, either to i'm
peril or to curtail. We believe, and we
have the warrant Of our own past expe-
| rlence FLOR believing, that reduction ef
| duties will not injure but give more
abundant life to all our great manufac-
turing industries, however nlnch they
may dread the change. In dealing with
the tariff question as with every other
long-standlng abuse has interviewer
| itself with our social or industrial sys.
tenn, the legislator must always remem-
Der that, i'll the beginning, temperate re-
form is safest, having in itself the prin-
| ciple of growth.
| PROTECTION HAS SHOWN IT'S FALsITY.
A glance at the tariff legislation OF
our own country ought to satisfy every
intelligent student that protection has
always shown its falsity as a system of
economy by its absolute failure to insure
healthy and stable prosperity to manu-
features. IL teaches men to depend on
artificial help, on laws taxing their
countrymen for prosperity in business
rather than upon their own Skill and
effort 1t throws business out of its ma
tural channels into artificial channels
where there must always be tluctuation
and uncertainty, and it makes tariff
system the football of party politics,
and the stability OF large business inter
ests the stake of every popular cleo
ton. None have recognized this
truth more fully than the wiser men
who from time to time have engaged in
the so-called protected industries.
Years ago Mr.. Edward Everett stated
in an Grafton at Lowell that the saga.
cious men who founded the manufac.
lures of New England were never
friends of a high tariff policy. Hon.
Amasa Walker, n former member of this
House from Massachusetts, and one of
our foremost writers ON economic ques-
tons, declared it to be within his own
personal knowledge that when the pro-
posal was made to impose the protec-
tive tariff OF 1916 the leading manufac-
turers of Rhode Island, amongst whom
was Mr.. Slater, the fatherof cotton spin
ming in this country, met ut the count
ing-room of one of their number, and
after deliberate consultation came unani.
monslyto the conclusion that they had
rather be let alone; their business had
grown up naturally and succeeded well,
and they felt confident of its continued
prosperity, ii let alone by the govern
ment They argued that by laying a
protective tariff their Blu .iness lwould
be thrown out of its natural channels
and subjected to tiuctuation and uncer.
tainty. But, as usual, the clamor of
selfish and less far-sghted men and the
ambition of law-makers to usurp the
place of Providence prevailed. The
country entered on protective policy
with the unfalling result that govern
ment help begot violent demand Tor
more government help. The moderate
tariff OF 1916 rapidly grew into the
"tarlH OF denominations" that carried
the country to the verge of civil dis
cord and provoked natural
reyulsion. Protection has run Il
like course since 1861. When
Congress began to repeal war burdens
and to relieve manufacturers of the in
ternal taxes when they had used to
secure compromising duties on like
foreign products, there arose demand
throughout the country, without respect
TO party, for reduction of the war
tariff. Unable to resist this demand.
the protected industries baffled and
thwarted any reduction of consequence
until 1879, when they defeated House
Dill that did make substantial reduce
ton, by substituting Senate bill which
carried u horizontal cut of 10 per cent.
AS soon, however, us the election OF
1874 gave the next House to the Demo.
cratic party, that bill was repealed by
the outgoing Republicans and rates re-
stored to what they were before 1879.
RELIEVE THE MATERIALS OF INDUSTRY.
We have believed that the first stem
| "a r.afI II .,,;t -.
a release of taxes on the materials of
industry. There can be no substantial
and beneficial reduction upon the neces.
sary clothing and other mforts of the
American people, nor any substantial
ana beneficial enlargement Of the field
Oh American labor as long us we tax
Ihaterlals ana processes Of production.
Every tax upon the producer falls
Win increased force on the consumer.
Every tax ON the producer in this
country is protection to mis-
competitors in all other countries and
50 harroWs his market as to limit the
number aud lessen the wages OF those to
whom ne can give employment. Every
Sheapehlng ~ the cost or enlargement Of
slpply Oh his raw materials, while
primarily inurlng 10 the benefit of the
manufacturer himself, passes under free
competition Immediately and entirely t.
the consumer, who very soon gets even
more benefit out of it than such reduc.
tons seem T. carry, because with the
rapid widening OF his market, the manu-.
iaGturef is able TO sell at n smaller profit.
Ibis House in two Congresses. in
recent years, having, after full debate
passed laws putting wool upon the free
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