The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-02-09
Theory and Fact.

| existence OF the protective larlH SyStem
but IN spite of it. The Professor, in
his final speech in support Of the wreck
er's bill, denied to the tariff all credit for
The industrial achievements of the
American people and insisted that we
have obtained the first rank among
manufacturing nations solely because OF
our natural opportunities.
| II we had failed 20 obtain prosperity, of
course the failure would have been charg
ed against the protective system. 1t is
nearly always safe to assert. after a re-
suit A sick man upon recovery may
physicians and the medicine. But in
one particular the logic of facts is square
y against Mr. Wilson. His plea has
always been that protection is obstruct-
i've, oppressive and destructive. The
prosperous condition ot the country one
year ago conclusively ~royed that he was
wrong. If he should claim that we
should have mad still higher prosperity
without protection, he may be asked
what proof can be supplied that this con-
tention is Just? He cannot point TO any
example OF such industrial growth under
a different system. Indeed, he cannot
produce single instance f any consider
able developments than those Supplied
by protective tariffs. England will not
answer his purpose. England gained
her supremacy as a manufacturing ma
ton under high protection. Under tree
trade she is to-day losing ground. Forty
years ago we were SO Tar behind England
as to be almost out Of the race. At this
moment. after thirty wears Of stiff pro-
lection, we have far surpassed her We
lead the world in manufactures.
There IS another consideration. For
the first time IN our history we have had
protective tariffs continuously tor thirty
three years Within that period we
made greater advancement than during
the preceding seventy years of quick
alterations from free trade to protection
and back again. We had IN 1880, 1910
and 1850 just the same natural oppor
tn mites that We have now. Why was
the expansion Of the national industries
10 dimensions OF imperial greatness
deferred until the time when there was
steadtast and unbroken projections
Nature supplies men with opportunity
only. Whether one result OF another
shall be produced fro IL this raw mater
ial OF opportunity depends upon the in
dividuals who have it in possession In
the case Of a nation, successful use Of
opportunity is usually supplied by wise
legislation. Turkey is naturally one of
the richest countries il the world. Ire
land naturally IS as capable of high pros
perity as Belgium In both cases un-
wise or deliberately wicked legislation
forbids men to employ the means at hand
for improving their condition. The
Southern States Of this country, ~ s. l.,
Climate and every other particular, have
a very large natural advantage over the
Eastern States. But the Northern peo-
pie are so far in advance Of the Southern
people in wealth and in industrial
achievement that they seem almost to
be the product Of different civilization
The difference lies solely il the Ia thai
the people of the North improved their
opportunities, whlle the people Of the
South ne eglected them.
Nobody claims that there is an lnher-
ent power Of productivity IN a protective
tariff. Such a measure Is not unlike the
fence 4 farmer puts around his garden
to keep out vermin and to shelter him
and his products from molestation. It
vii! do no good if the the farmer shall
play the fool inside the fence. The
North has pushed it's way, behind such
shelter, toward prosperity. Tho South
with a better chance, has refused to
make similar movement. The CON
dition upon which high prosperity may
be secured is the largest employment of
the wealth producing power Of the peo-
pie. This can he obtained only by wide
ly diyersifyiag industry and by provid-
idg that al work that can be done Vt
home shall he done at home To
achleye these purposes the competition
OF foreigners i'll the home market must he
reduced to minimum, and the protec-
tive tariff does that very thing.
Mr.. Wilson has theory, and it is a
part OF his theory. absolutely beyond