The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-01-16
THURSDAY, JAN. Is, 1896.
The Permanenceof Protection.


The remarkable revulsion last
year of the American people against
Free Trade and toward Protection
for home industry was not simply
the result of the disgust excited by
the brief experience Of the hurtful-
ness of Democratic misrule. 1t
represented the return Of the Nation
to submission to the instinct of self
preservation. The people once
again put themselves into line with
the best precedents in their own
history and with the policies of
their fellow men all over the globe.
The first tariff act passed (by
some of the men who laid the
foundations of the Republic) PLAIN
ly declared in the preamble that
one of Its purposes was to promote
home industry. The fundamental
theory was found then, and 1t is
found now, in the right Of every
nation to develop its own national
life. The soundness of this theory
and the wisdom of employing this
particular method are demonstrated
by the fact that, outside of the
British Islands, 1t is in practical
operation in every part of the civil
lied world.
This IS a point of no small sig
nificance. Every country in CONT
mental Europe gives tariff Protec-
ton to its industries. Free Trade
outright Is found nowhere in our
hemisphere. Even the colonies of
Great Britain, which are strong
enough to do as they please, are
protected against Great Britain.
Germany and France and some of
the Australian colonies tried Free
Trade for a time; but all of them
abandoned it and returned to Pro-
lection. Thus men of different
races, speaking various languages,
living under all forms of govern
ment, from pure absolutlsm to Re-
publicanism, and producing mater
ials of the most diverse character,
agree in one thing-namely, that
tariff Protection is required by self
interest. Thus the Protective doc
trine may, without much exaggera-
ton, be said to exist by the COM
mon consent Of mankind. What
other principle of government is ac-
cepted with such unanimity? Con-
corning what other economic policy
are differences of opinion so small?
Examined in the light of such a
fact, is will be perceived that no
standing room is left for the favor
lite Free Trade contention that Pro-
lection is for the sole advantage of
certain favored manufacturers. 1t
is more than absurd to argue that
men engaged in manufacturing in-
dustry dominate the Legislation of
the world to the injury of men who
employ themselves in other kinds
Of business. If the American man
ufacturer can bride Congressman to
give him fayors, who brides the des-
pot of Russia, the nearly absolute
Emperor of Germany, the dictator
in Mexico, and the ruling powers
in all the other protected countries?
Such an accusation is answered
finally by the manifest impossibiIity
that single industry should have
such potential influence. No other
explanation of the almost universal
preference of the nations for this
system can be discovered but in the
conviction Of all Of them that the
benefits are gained by the whole
body of the people, and not cxclus-
lively by the few The man, there
fore. who fears or hopes that Protec-
ton sooner or later will be aband-
oned by this Nation is certain to
encounter disappointment. The
Protective system will become more
secure, rather than less secure, as
the years roll by.-N. Y. Press.