Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-08-02
CAUSED BY PROTECTION.
The Present. Strike the Result of Repub
Hcan Legislation.

Inc promise LnaE bi16 pEeSlQ6nB Will
appoint a commission to inquire into
the origin and nature OF the contro-
versy out of which the great strike
grew ought to have e quieting effect
on all the parties to the controversy,
and on the country as well. Primar-
lily, of course, the commission will
have to deal with the conditions at
Pullman and Chicago; but it cannot
perform its work satisfactorily with
ont going back of all that to ascertain
what produced these conditions
If the inquiry is made as broad and
inclusive as it should be, and probably
will be, it can hardly fail to show that
one of the most important factors in
the production of the unfortunate con-
ditions referred to has been the pro-
tective policy of the government for
the past thirty years. The panic of
1893, from the effects of which the
country has not yet recovered-if it
can be said to have fairly started on
the road to recovery-was due very
largely to the elimination of that pol
icy in the Mckinley tariff. The i'm
mediate effect of the adoption
of that Ubiquitous measure was
the undue stimulation of all branches
of industry which had been made
beneficiaries under it. Foreign COM
petition being shut out and the right
guaranteed to the American producer
to control the market and charge
what he pleased for his wares, he
promptly awaited himself of the priv
ilege and proceeded to bleed the con-
sumner for his benefit. For time he
fought off the natural consequence of
such course-the provoking of COM
petition-by resorting to combinations
and trusts; but the inevitable result
followed. The unhealthy stimulus
overstocked the market; prices fell;
and even while the devotees of protec-
ton were shouting that this fall in
prices was the real intent and purpose
of their policy, it proceeded SO far
that stagnation came. Work ceased;
and tens of thousands all over the
country were thrown out of employ
ment and became burdens on public
which was in the worst possible condi-
ton for bearing increased burdens.
The bursting of the Mckinley bubble
to which while it was full the pro-
tectIonists pointed with so much pride
brought widespread disaster; and
the only hope of the country is in that
return to right principles for which
the country hopes as result of tariff
legislation by the recent congress.
But it is not in its direct results only
that the protective policy has proven
disastrous to the country, or that it is
to be held responsible for the existing
conditions. 1t has done more harm,
probably, by indirection than it has
directly, though that is putting the
case very strongly indeed. During the
past thirty years it has been mislead-
ing the people to their hurt as to the
true province and function of gov
errment, and especially of the United
States government. One-half, at least,
of the present trouble-if not one-half
of the other half-is due to the mis-
chievous notion that it is part of the
business of the government to legis-
late for the benefit of classes. Consid-
ering what the government has been
doing in this way for the past thirty
years, it is not at all surprising that
this mischievous notion should have
entered the heads of a great many
people. 1t is perfectly natural that
the workingman, when he finds
that the government has been passing
law for the express and avowed
purpose of enabling the Carnegies
or the Pullmans or any other of the
manufacturers in the country to en-
rich themselves, should conclude that
it is not only in the power, but that it
is the duty, of the government to pass
laws for the express purpose of enrich
ing him also. He has been told all his
life that this is a government of the
people, by the people, for all the peo-
pie, and not for part of the people
not for the manufacturers alone, but
for their employees as well; and he
very naturally wants his share. There
is no answer to such a demand but a
stern retracing on the steps that have
been taken in wrong direction. The
only doctrine to which appeal can be
made from the demand of the work.
ingman is the doctrine of equal
rights to all; special privileges to
none," and this means the uprooting
absolutely of the protective policy.
1t is to be hoped that the commission
which is to be appointed by the presi-
dent will be able to take up this
branch of the subject and report to
the country upon it.-Detroit Free
Press.
rHEN ADE NOT HEAaoODH-C