Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-03-25
The QUESTION.
WHY "Protection" Has Not Bee, Over,
thrown.

we = y
thrown.
The questions involved are really
simple ones; but they have heretofor,
been studied mainly by two classes
those Interested 50 To manipulate pro
lection as Il profit by it, and theorists
interested more in philosophy than in
practical results
As between Interested classes and
philosophers the result of the discussion
ot the economic question is inevitable.
The interested classes get the practical
solution they want and the philoso-
pliers the consolation of being certain
that they are themselves in the right
each getting what he values most
OF the results Of a struggle intelli-
geEtly carried on between those inter-
ested in getting profits out of the tariff
ard the masses OF the people most d..
rettly interested, the world has seen
out one experience, That was dulinr
the corn law discussion in England.
As d result, the starving labore1s final.
Y to7eed free trade from their tory
tandloriS The only other case in
waith AZ q time when a government
Was practically the protective policy,
lis citizens have had sufficient ~intrlli.
Sence to discuss the question, is that of
the United States at prt sent The re
suit under universal suffrage must de
pend upon what the masses of the yot.
erS, now aroused, shall conclude ara
their interests. In no other eases than
that INST noted, have they possessed at
once sufficient intelligence and informa.
TO have made their opinion worth
consulting.
In The face of the organized support
OF protection" by those who have pro-
cared 1t for their own benefit. il is
rather a wonder that the cause of free
has of late made such substantial
advances. Recalling our own late his.
tory, the words of Adam Smith ara
ven more suggestive than when thew
we're uttered:
were the officers of the army to Cd.
bose with the same zeal and unanimitv
reduction in the number of forcas
sitn when master manufacturers set
themselves against every new law that
5 Ilkely to increase the number of their
In the home market: were the
ofmer to animate their soldiers in the
anne manner as the latter infiame their
'ofktnen to attack with violence and
'u.raSe Il proposersof any such reru-
iuioh, 10 attempt to reduce the army
'ouid be as dangerous as it has now
ecoine TO reduce in any respect the
iohopoly which our manufacturers
obtained against us"
Inc lact that protection has been and
sunaihs the economic creed of the
'orld proves no more as to its sound.
than did the fact that, for unnum.
sred ages, monarchy had been the
form of government, prove
nything for or against popular gov. |
'nment. So far as concerns precedent ,
the only instance in which an intel
gent people have settled this %oues-
on they have settled it in favor of !
&c trade. 30 far as an example should "
llde, we have to choose between that
ike ourselves in blood and in r
oerty, who at the end of "A thousand I
'afs OF national life, re~volutionized its s
'iley IN free trade, and the paternai il
OF protection which we V
proved from the aristocracv that d
led ankle Il and their ancestors be- C
re popular freedom had raised its II
al on either side of the water. Hon. =
I'm Dewitt Warner 1901