The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-10
NOW AND ALWAYS.

tnelr nbuus 10 ncip tucln VI tuoif kioooeu
pole of policy out of the deep and dark
pit they found themselves in after the
late election.
They thought they felt some grit when
| they engineered the story that the Re-
publican party had become convinced
hat its protection policy had been too
pronounced, aud that il was the present
in tention to materially modify it.
This poor little ray Of hope faded away
just as soon as it was let out into the at
mosphere aud people had chance to see
what it looked like. II looked so much
like a genuine, all-wool, yard-wide
political lie that it was at once called a
lie, and let go at that.
The Democrats ought to select some
thing more probable for a canard than that
the Republican party will ever abandon
its great protection policy, even the
smallest feather-edged parng fromi it.
Such course would be very much in
the nature Of suicide. 1t would also be
betrayal of it's pledges TO the peopls,
which is not in the line of the history or
policy of the Republican party.
The Democratic howl against the
policy of protection of our own country
and its industries comes nearer TO posi-
tive disloyalty than any political shib-
boleth has come since secession, and its
twin, copperheadisn. were put down
by the force of federal arms 30 years
ago.
Protection has so wonderfully vindi-
Gated itself that the Republican party
would commit the most stupendous
piece Of political folly known in history
If it were to con ,ider any policy other
than the firm and persistent carrying
forward of the work nobly planned and
heroically prosecuted.
Not one of the great protected indus
tries, that the Democrats are so fond OF
alluding to as schemes for robbing the
people, but has been developed for the
direct benefit of the people to degree
OF protection in its own field that en-
beyond the reach of the wrecking
policy of England, and pre-
served for the American people. Not
one of these industries, for whose bsne-
tit the Democrats falsely claim that the
people are taxed" but has returned TO
the pockets of the American people
money far in excess Of all the duty
collected from foreigners to preserve the
American market.
Take the iron and steel industry. the
chief beneficiary of the protection policy,
according to the Democrats. In what
condition is it todayI 1t is beginning
to compste in the markets of the world.
1t is able to meet England on her own
ground aud successfully compete with
her. 1t is great, a wonderfully great,
industry. Where would it have been il
the Republican policy of protection had
not given it chance to develop? 1t
would not have been in existence.
Take the woolen-fabric business. 1t
is in a position today to defy English
competition. even under the conditions
imposed by the Democrats for
the purpose of breaking our own
business down and building up
the English business up. It's security in
this market has enabled it to establish
large plants and refine its processes until
it can pay fair wages to its operatives
and yet compete with the pauper-pro-
duced fabrics of England.
What could the woolen industry have
hoped for without protection? What
could America have hoped for without
it. We should have been reduced to
the industrial pauperism of Ireland
without it. We could not have main
tanned an industrial equality with
England, even il we had sunk our
wordngmen to our level Of wage and
social condition.
The Republican party is built upon
protection; and the growth, power,
wealth and happiness of the American
people is built upon protection
also. The Republican party would
have no warrant for existence
If it ever reached point
where it could consider either the
Abandonment or modification of its pro-
lection policy. That policy is not, how
ever, to be defined by its enemies. II is
not to be understood that the Republi-
can protection policy contemplates
either fixed rates of tariff duties or a
fixed free-list. No industry has ever
been protected beyond its needs, nor ever
will be, by Republican enactment of
law.
The Democratic attitude of unreason-
ing opposition to protection is an atti-
tude against the welfare of the American
people, and the Republicans are quite
content that it shall be monopolized by
the Democrats.