Huntsville gazette., 1894-01-06
TARIFF FOR REVENUE RESULTS.
What First Rendered the Protection Sys-
tenn Necessary.

What First Rendered the Protection Sys-
tenn Necessary.
It is very easy to predict the conse-
quenceS of such tariff legislation as the
democrats are now proposing. The
country had an experience in that re-
spect before the war, and history tells
what a calamitous result ensued.
There are many citizens who have a
vivid personal recollection of that peri
Cd of stagnation and suffering; and
those of later generation can get full
information upon the subject by con-
sulting the newspapers and public doc
uments of the time The tariff then
in force was of anti-protection char
acter. generally speaking, and the Will
son bill duplicates it in many particu-
lars. 1t pro missed increased prosperity,
and it brought national disaster. Man.
ufactories were closed, wages were re-
duced and poverty entered the homes Of
people whose labor was made practical
~ useless to them PROFESSIONS of ragged
and hungry men, women and children
were seen in the streets of all the largs
cities. The clamor for food, shelter
and employment was SO great that
troops were detailed to preserve thu
peace and protect the public property.
Men were discharged by the thousands
in all lines of productive industry.
Meetings were held every where to
devise means for supplying destitute
families with the necessaries of life,
ind the charitable resources of differ
emit COMMITTEES were strained to the ut
most in the work Of caring for those
who were willing to work at any price,
but could find nothing to do.
There has been no repetition of that
terrible experience since the passage Of
the Merrill tariff law and the in
auguration Of the present protective
system. Under that practical and benef-
icent system, the country has prospered
as no country ever prospered before.
We have had no famine, no cutting of
wages, no lack of employment. Our
workingmen have Jared better than
those of any other part of the world in
any period of history. Homes have
been multiplied at an unprecedented
rate, and enterprises of all kinds have
HOuIlSHSu ia d IculdThdplo utgrGc i UG
proposition of the democrats is to do
away in large part with the system
which has thus promoted our welfare,
and to restore the conditions that ex-
listed before the war. They insist that
the experiment would now succeed,
and that we no longer need protection
to sustain our manufactures and insure
steady work and good wages to the la
boring population. But there is no
reason 10 believe that the same circum-
stances which brought disaster then
would now bring advantage. The les
sons of experience are to the effect
that like causes produce like results
That is the philosophy of our civiliza-
ton. as well as the instruction Of COM
mon sense. We know how a revenue
tariff he's operated in the past, and
that is the best basis of judgment as to
how it would operate at the present
time. The country cannot afford te
take the risk of inviting another catas.
tropha of the kind that fell upon it be
fore the war by reason of democratic
scheme to raise revenue according to
the thesry that proteetion Il fraud
and HoessEy. Est. lsenls tsaaks' peHr
tssat