New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-19
Ncw-York. Dec %. ls9i
THE FOUNDATION or SOUND POLICY.
PROSPERITY To BE RECLAIMED ONLY NJ RETURN
TO JUpIcIous PROTECTION OF AMERICAN
MANUFACrt RES.


TO JUpfCIOUs PROTECTION OF AMERICAN
MANUFACTURES
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir. / have read with great interest your timely
leader I'm to-day's Tribune. which touches the
principles lyine al the foundation Of sound com
mcrcial policy Until every human being on the
face 81 the earth is well fed clothed housed and
educated. it Is premature to raise the cry Of over
production OF things leading to the accomplish
mont OF this result. or course, this Is looking
AZ the question from the humanitarian point OF
view. Commercially. over-producton may and
frequently does. occur from making or having put
ones self In position to make more things than
can be sold when this occurs on large scale,
n shows that some untoward obstacle Hes between
those who can make more than they can sell and
those who want NOR, than they can buy. Free
traders say that this obstacle is protective tariff
Protcctionst. that 1t Is the want Of one. And
We. the latter arc right. Foreign manufactures
alone arc unable to supply the broad needs Of the
world. Indeed. there are. doubt, some things
which they are badly conditioned by nature for
making at ALL but by their perfected systems Of
economic production. due to a long period Of mo-
nopoly. they have been able. against nature. to
beat the American competitor whose methods are
stu crude from want of practice.
The British commercial and manufacturing sys-
tom has been built mp upon the bed-rock pIin-
them to open channels for their enormous trade.
cisely the reason This involves no paradox;
The market that all the world is striving for. and
In comparison to which all Others are insignificant.
is our own This desire and are entitled to
hold. Nor need this he a selfish policy. Pros
pcrity I'm the United states means prosperity all
over the world Should free trade ever become an
established fact in this country foreigners would
learn this their cost. They would have goods
TO sell. but would have no money to buy.
Moreover. free trade once established and our
own manufactures destroyed. prices would go up
higher than ever, for want OF home competition.
When our people drunk with prosperity. voted
In 1852 to Kill the goose that laid the golden eggs.
they inflicted a staggering blow. not only on their
own well being hut that Of all tn world beside.
The existing status at the time was far from per-
feet. but it status. and not an experiment.
The Mckinley tariff presented some serious DE-
fects but the genius OF the great statesman then
at the helm with his perfect mastery OF the grand
strategy of political economy knew how to pluck
the flower Safety from the nettle Danger. and to
turn its very defects into advantages by tudicious
reciprocity treaties, that Is by establishing free
trade relations where they would be beneficial. and
otherwise Withholding them; discriminating
free trade In fact. instead of sweeping one. that
would defeat It's object Gould this system
have been fully carried out, n seems certain that
a career OF unprecedented prosperity lay before
us. which. events show, Providence did not
consider worthy to ENJOY
We now hope for better things when our great