Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-07-20
EREE rRApE Anp pEsrRucrlon.
Ths History Of UnrsstFistsd couunere'
Proves Its Great Advantage


ne History Of UnrsstrIstsd cou.nsres
Proves Its Great Advantage
II might be supposed that protection
manufacturers and editors would some
day learn that the people Of this country
can no longer be fooled by q pretended
comparison Of protected" with unpro-
tected countries which stops when it
has mentioned Great Britain and the
United States. The Philadelphia Manu-
facturer Of June "a says;
"The picture drawn by cur CORE
spondent in London Of the great crowds
Of men assembling at Liverpool on the
chance that they might be sent to Hull
to get work on the docks there at the
time Of the dockers' strike shows what
it must be here as soon as the free trade
incendiaries successfully apply to the
fabric of our industries the torch Of de-
struction which they have been brandish-
ing"
Are there, then, no other countries on
this big round earthi II there are, they
must of necessity be protection or free
trade countries. As q matter of fact
there are q half dozen countries, all in
Europe, which for age, degree of civili-
zation and natural opportunities are far
better adapted for comparison with each
other than with any newer and bigger
country. These countries are Great
Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy
and Turkey. Each Of these countries
has at some period been master of Eu-
rope and held tho ascendency in COM
merce. Until near the middle of the
present century it was not certain which
of the first three countries would take
the lead in manufactures, commerce and
trade.
The free trade incendiary torch was
first applied toEngland's industries. In
stead of destroying it fired them with
new life and energy. England chose
freedom and light, and the growth of
her industries is without parallel on the
eastern continent. She is supreme in
commerce. She is overfowing with
wealth and loans capital to the rest of
the world. She pays higher wages than
is paid by any of her old country rivals
and yet undersells them all. She is the
only country of the old world to which
emigrants turn with hope of bettering
their financial conditions.
The other countries mentioned chose
restrictions of commerce and are still
wandering in darkness and misery. Italy
and Spain, with most restrictions, have
sunk almost out of sight in the COM
mercial world. France and Germany
are losing step with the march of prog
ress and must soon fall out of line
if they do not initiate the example Of
Great Britain. The idleness in London
is partly due to the congestion there Of
the miserable wretches who have been
squeezed out of continental Europe by
commercial bandages which decrease
earnings and increase the cost of living.
Protection may be panacea for eco.
nomic ills, as the manufacturer takes
for granted, but it has been peculiarly
unfortunate in the old country, except
where it has been abolished. Stagna
tion, depression and misery mark the
path of protection" in Europe. The
same signs appear in this country, but
because of our greatness as to territory
and our unrivaled natural opportunities
restrictive tariffs have not been able te
stop our progress, though they have
greatly retarded it. If Europe from the
bay of Biscay 20 tEe Ural mountain.
and frnrn tho Mediterranean sac ~ +h-