The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-17
HOW THE DOCTRINE OF FREE RA"
MATERIALS" AROSE.

New England is the poorest part Of the
limited States. Her soil is barren, and she
has no minerals worth the name. Never
theless, New England is the richest part
OF the country. The rest Of the country
produces the wealth; New England COB
bles II I'D. How has she done this? 1t
IS as plain as the sun at noon. The pro-
fectiye tariff laws forbid England and
France and Germany and the rest OF the
world to send here the articles which
Americans must have in everyday life,
and they are therefore compelled TO buy
those articles from New England manu-
facturers Of them. Thus II comes about
that the rest of America creates wealth
which New England 1lches away from ii,
and stores away in its money chest.
All the new and. TO the great body Of the
people. unintelligible talk about free
raw materials" proceeds from New Eng
land theorists who have seen very plain
~ that the balance OF America would get
on 10 their cnch" after a while. and
would demand that the protective tariff
laws be repealed, 80 that they could buy
what they needed from the people that
would sell 1t TO them cheapest, when
New England would have 10 take a back
seat ana i've Oh MHdl II ildu IbDbtb
other Americans out Of until that was
consumed. and after that live on what
II could grub out of its arid soil So.
within the past few years, seeing that
the cyclone was brewing, her theorists
have set up a great howl about the In
justice that would be done If manufac-
tories built up under protection and with
the expectation that protection would be
continued, should all at once be turned
over to the competitions of free trade.
which they could not possibly meet. Az
ter making this appeal to sentiment. they
then came forward with the doctrine Of
Stree raw materials" as the real thing
that was wanted. instead of simple and
plain reductions OF the unjust and unfair
duties that were imposed on imports
They said, ''If you admit raw materials
free, you compensate the manufacturer
for what you compel him to take from
the price Of his wares by reducing duties
and thus you cheaper the article to the
consumer while you retain the laws in a
shape that will enable the New England
manufacturers TO make profits still"
This argument seems to have caught Mr.
Cleveland and he has accordingly adopt
ed IT as the basis OF all his Democracy.
nor will he tolerate the idea that any one
can be Democrat unless he adopts that
New England proposition as a part of
his creed. We are utterly unable TO do
II, because 1t violates the fundamental
principle Of our Democracy-that the
laws must bear equally upon abby per-
uniting one man to bring his imports into
the country tax free. while 1t makes an
other man pay taxes upon his imports
We are compelled TO reject the whole
thing. stock, lock and barrel. as Republi-
canism. and not Democracy
And how viii IL work? VIII the Ameri-
can people get anything cheaper. IL it
were adopted as the principle Jof our
tafiff laws? Unquestionably not so long
as those laws provided. as Mr.. Wilson's
bill did. for a scale Of tariff taxation
which, while lower than that of Mckinley,
was. nevertheless. a protective scale. The
New Englander would certainly put on the
price of his article ali of the duty. and
thus. While he was enabled to produce Il
through free raw materials" much
cheaper than before. ne would not re-
ouce the price at which he sold IL one
cent below what the duty enabled him
10 sen IL at. sine protective duty, then,
would nave enabled him 10 exclude foreign
goods; the free raw materials" would
hare enabled him to manufacture far
mere cheaply, but when he came 10 sell
ne would make the price the last cent
wrich that duty allowed him TO charge
"fiie Keeping out foreign goods. The
whole thing Is for the benefit Of the New
EHsiand manufacturer. at the cost OF
tn"se other Americans. who produce the
thsps which he calls raw materlals"in his
business. The Virginian is forced 10 sell
me- coal and iron ore and lumber and
"coi IN competition with all the rest
OF the world. while he Is confined In his
purchases 20 what New England manufac-
lures. which he must buy at the price
WHICH protective duties enable them to