The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-12-22
AN uN..meRicAN PRINCIPLE.
The Homliia,lng Appeal Conveyed In the
Protection Doctrine.


Protection Doctrine.
There is nothing in the doctrine n
protection as "A principle that is not re-
pellent To tho principles upon which
the American republic was founded.
W. are not arguing that the country is
In "A condition to do away with protec-
tion now; circumstances have placed
her where She Is not. II all the world
was organized on the same republican
basis rs Is America. we would probably
do without il; certainly we could with
other nations cooperation. We are
held down To a degree OF protection
because we cannot get away in IA day
from customs which nations less en-
iightcncd than ourselves in their form
of government have fixed upon the
worlds intercourse. But W. hold to
protection i'll this point of view solely
as "A matter OF expediency, not at all rs
n of principle. As a principle it is
rcpugnant to everything American.
The American people are "A people who
have freedom first at heart The ma
ton was a nation founded first of all To
promote freedom. 1t prided itself upon
being a nation to promote the utmost
freedom in all respects Its motto was
free soil, free speech. free worship. free
ships, free men. The most bigotcd
protectionist will not deny that the
natural corollary of this was free trade.
In fact, free trade was made the ma
tional motto at an interesting period Of
our history. when free trade and sail
ors' rights was cmblazoned on the ma
tional banners on land and sea.
IL the nation stopped short at free
trade in importations, it was partly be-
cause the world. which had beer SD long
under the control of monarchical ideas,
had no reached this stage of enlighten-
ment in the interest of human freedom,
but more because the country was not
in a condition to carry out fully the
principles it had adopted for its guild
ance.
But while it is conceded that the coun-
try is not vet ready f.. the fullest free
trade, If there is anything character
istic of the American idea in govern
ment, it is the aspiration for frcer
trade. President Garfield voiced this
sentiment when he said that all our
legislation should he with this end in
view. What stands in the way of it
now? The me un-American idea con-
ceivablc. The most distinctive Ameri-
can principle is the principle Of free
dom and equality. The grandest Amer
lean trait is the trait % self-reliance.
The appeal Of protection to-day is to
the antipode of this. 1t is an appeal TO
American G. ~ardice. This is more
humiliating even than the appeal to
American selfishness that accompanies
it. We are told that we must have ex-
treme protection because without it
our people cannot hold their own in
competition with the nations of the
world 1t is a libel upon them to say
SO. 1t is denying their strongest point
The American can hold his own against
the world in any trial of strength. lie
has superior advantages to any nation
in the world in the character of his
country and the men who compose it,
and if there is one point stronger than
another in the capacity of American
men. it is their capacity to trade. They
ore %proverbial for it at home; it is the
most utter cowardice to deny that they
are not equal to it abroad.
Gov. Mckinley is untrue to American
ideas when he says that protection is a
great American principle; he is untrue
to American men when he declares that,
with this country to back them and
their native capacity. they cannot
contend with the world in the contest
Tor success.-Boston Herald.