The San Francisco call., 1896-04-22
THE DOCTRINE OF PROTECTION.

The productive possibilities of the United
States are beyond measurement, but the
genius and energy of our people are
su perior to any demand the development
of the resources of the country could make
upon them. The wealth of the nation as
seen in our agricultural industries and in
commerce, vast as it is. is little more than
a reflection of that which lies in possibility.
There is no article of necessity, convenience
or luxury the raw material of which
is not waiting the skill of our people to
transform 1t into a merchantable COM
modify. Hill, valley, forest and stream
abound in undeveloped wealth, but since
March, 1893, the leading forth of materials
that they might be transformed into fabrics
and wares for the peoples use ana good
has been seriously retarded, first by
threats of interference with the processes
of the Nations growth, and later by a
most vicious assault upon our industries
by the Wilson tariff act.
The philosophy of the Democratic
party's political economy, as clearly taught
and demonstrated by the existing schedule
Of custom-house charges, is that inter-
national trade exchange on the basis of
holding this country continually in debt
to other nations for goods and wares is the
best possible condition of existence for the
people of this country. 1t is home con-
sumption of the product of foreign mills
and factories rather than home consump-
ton of the product of home industries
The fallacy, or stupidity we might better
say, of such an economic policy is seen in
the operation of the Wilson act. 1t is
oil ont 10 hot ba foil 1f h.
to provide revenue for conducting the
affairs of the Government is conspicuous.
The books of the treasury show that
Democratic tinkering with the Nations s
sources of revenue has already increased
the Governments interest-bearing debt
by more than $500, O00, 900. besides deficit
in the current accounts of the treasury of
anywhere from $50,OO0,0o0 to S75, 600, 600,
and caused the resumption of the control
of our commodity markets by foreign
manufacturers.
1t is a historical fact that the United
States was barren of industrial plants
prior to the ascension of the Republican
party to power, and it is also a histori-
cal fact that for thirty ears thereafter, by
a sound and wise policy of protection to
American industries, the increase in in
dustrial enterprise was phenomenal, and
meanwhile the public debt grew less from
year to year. Our own factories and mills
supplied us with all kinds and qualities
of goods, wares and machinery; besides
they gave permanent and highly remuner-
atlve employment to hundreds of thou
sands of skilled and unskilled working
people, as well as provided profitable
home markets for farm products and pro-
visions. One need only to look over the
country to see what wreck and ruin has
been wrought in the mill, the factory and
upon the farm in the last three years.
The folly, the criminal folly of Democratic
effort to let foreign industrial concerns
override and overturn our business insti-
tutions is seen everywhere in the enforced
idleness OF armies of men, and in country
wide commercial depression.
If such severe and costly lesson was
needed by our people to teach them the
true value of home protection and Ameri-
can institutions, the enormous losses in
money and comforts which they have
been forced to sustain in the last three
years are not too great if they were needed
to open the eyes of the people to the i'm
portance of ever hereafter being watchful
and viglIant lest the enemy of the peace,
the happiness and the prosperity of the
community, of the family and of the in
dividual again break through and destroy
the opportunity for home making. The
doctrine of protection to all the interests
of the people of the United States is
doubly vindicated by the operation of the
economic theories of the Democratic
party; but the signs Of the times are more
encouraging, confidence is being restored,
and there is a feeling abroad in the land
that the country is on the eve of long
period of satisfying prosperity, all of which
is attributable to the avowed determine
ton of the people to return to those sound
principles of Americanism which will be
re-enunciated by the Republican National
Convention at St. Louis In JUNE next.