The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-08-16
FARM AND FACTORY.
TRUE DEMOCRATIC POLICY AFFORDS
THEM PROTECTION.
Clay. Benton. Hamilton and McLsns Be-
lieved In American Interests - Would
Protect Our Raw Material and All Agri-
cultural Crops.

Protect Our Raw Material and All Agrt-
cultural Crops.
In March, 1882, Senator Benton, in
speaking ON Clay's tariff resolution,
called attention to the fact that our do
nestle manufacturers, having a high
tariff on their fabrics, were producing
many from the raw material of foreign
countries, to which he objected. He
showed that our fax fabrics were from
foreign fax, and he cited wool. hemp.
indigo, hides and furs, of which five ar
ticles we had imported in six years to
the value of more than $25. 900, 900. He
noted that this immense sum has been
paid to foreigners instead Of to Ameri-
can citizens, and said he trusted that
i'm the modification of the tariff:
1.-The farmers and planters Of the
United States would be admitted into
the benefits of the American system and
secured in the domestic supply of the
raw materials to our manufacturers.
hope for this much for the farmers and
for the honor of the system. For moth
ing can be- more absurd than to erect
domestic manufactures upon foreign
(raw) material; nothing more contra
dictory than to predicate independence
for goods upon dependence for materials
to make them Of nothing more iniqui-
tous than to give to the manufacturers
the home market of goods and not to
give the farmers the home market of
raw materials. am friend Of domestic
industry and intend to give it fair pro-
lection under regular exercise of the
revenue raising power. Above all, am
a friend Of the cultivators of the earth. "
Cong. Debates, 22d, 1st (lS3l2), vol.
ume s. part /. page 5S7-59O).
This is not quoted to show that Mr..
Benton was protectionist, beyond what
was known as discriminating" or
incidental protection, but to prove
that he stood with Silas Wright, James
Buchanan and all the great lights of the
earlier Democracy on the agricultural
question of home grown raw material
and not for free or foreign raw material
Mr.. Clay in February, 1882, said:
1T has been alleged that bar iron,
being raw material, ought to be adj
mitted free, or with low duties, for the
sake of the manufacturers themselves
But l take this to be the true principle:
That if our country is producing raw
material of prime necessity, and if with
reasonable protection we can produce it
in sufficient quantity TO supply our
wants that raw material ought to be
protected, although it may be proper to
protect the article also out of which il
is manufactured. "
In Mr.. David A. Wells special report
as commissioner of revenue of Jan. 3,
1867, he recommends the recognition
and adoption, as the basis of present and
future legislation, of the principles of
"abating the duty on raw materials TO
the lowest point consistent with the re-
quirements of revenue, and of placing
on the free list such raw materials-the
product mainly of tropical countries
as are essential elements in great lead
ing branches of manufacturing industry,
and which do not come in competition
with any domestic product" Senate
Doc. 80, I'd, No. 1, page 34.
These sentiments apply 10 sugar, TO
cotton, rice, hemp, tobacco, fax, barley
and to coal, lumber and iron ore. The
theory of free raw material is as delu
sive, unsound and erroneous in concep-
ton as it would be disastrous to our
country. 1t finds no warrant in the po-
litical history of this country worthy of
Endorsement. 1t would be especially
harmful TO agriculture if allowed TO run
its course, and once adopted as policy,
at what point or product would it stop?
1t is true that leading men in both
parties, at an earlier period in the his
tory of the country, endeavored to dis
cover some way in which our manu-
facturers might be given the raw mate
rial grown on our own soil without the
duty. They desired to do this in order
to build up our manufacturing industry,
but it was never proposed To do so at
the expense Of our farmers. Mr. Hamil-
ton proposed to take the duty off of cot
ton, make il Gree" and then give the
planters bounty on it. Louis McLane
Of Delaware Dem. second secretary of
the treasury under Jackson, in his re-
port dated Dec. 2, 1881, said:
ANY amount of duty on raw ma
terial is to its extent an injury to the
manufacturer, requiring further counter
vailing protection against our own rather
than foreign regulations, and 1T is only
to be justified by the paramount inter-
ests of agriculture. In that case it would
deserve consideration whether the en-
enlargement of an object Of agriculture
might not be more properly reconciled
with the encouragement of the manufac-
ture, and with greater equality as re-
CARDS other interests by bounties rather
than by duty on the raw material
Desirable as it was thought to be to
give our manufacturers free raw ma
terial, it was never proposed to strike at
our farmers in order to secure that re-
suit.