The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-21
cannot do without protection, even if trusts

cannot do without protection, even if trusts
for time be not abolished.
1t is a popular claim mat every man has
a right to buy where he can buy the cheap
est. No one disputes this right. but
he ought not to expect the government to
procure a cheap market for him by law,
when it would be the means of deprlNlng
altogether thousands of other people OF the
right of market for their labor. II Is not
a question of higher or lower prices SO
much as of maintaining the standard OF
industrial life and making 1t possible ior
American industries and labor 10 be BUSY
at profitable employment Under Sich con-
ditionS our people can AFFORD thousand
times over 10 pay a little higher price for
products consumed than to pay a less price
for foreign goods. or for American goods
produced by labor reduced TO European
conditions.
Suppose in any city Of this State ped
dler~rom distant State comes upon the
streets with a lot of clothing or other goods
which can be disposed of at cheaper price
than that charged by the merchants deal
ing in those particular lines. The unthink-
ing farmer or laborer would grasp the idea
Immediately that it is better TO purchase
the peddler's goods. But he pays no taxes
to the city or county; he does not help
support the churches or schools or beneYo-
lences; in fact. he is not interested in the
community, and when he receives his pay
he takes it elsewhere, and in no sense mas
he properly compensated for the loss Of
money to the city. Many times over can
the purchaser afford to pay the price OF the
merchant who helps bear the burdens of
taxation, supports the churCneS, SCHOOLS
and benevolences. employs clerks who be-
come consumers of the products of the
farm and factories, and in many ways re-
pays to the people much of his earnings
Not only does the city take this view, but
in many instances in order to still further
protect the home merchant, it says to the
peddler, you must pay license fee into
the city treasury to compensate i'll part
the difference in price and assure to the
community part of the support that ought
to be due from every one who earns prohts
in this vicinity" And no one denies the right
or the justice of such a proceeding
This is only a simple illustration of the
protective system. The peddler is the for
eigner, the merchant is the american man
ufacturer and producer. while the license
fee is the tariff, and who can successfully
contend for the injustice of such an ac-
tion on the part of the government?
HOW PROTECTION WORKS.
There are many other arguments in be-
half of the system, but space forbids fur
ther enlargement of the question here. Let
the protective idea be again fully restored
and under it the investor and manufacturer
will find conditions congenial for devel-
Opment. The producer will be assured a
chance al the markets without the fear of
unfair competition, and with this conf
dence the wheels of industry will begin to
turn, tens of thousands of idle working
men will be given employment at remuner-
alive wages; all these VIII become COnSum-
ers of the products of the farm and fac
tory, which, in turn, must employ other
men, who become additional consumers, and
on, till the beneficial effects of the new
conditions are felt in every line of business
and department of life. With such condi-
tions fully restored there can be re-estab-
lishment of the system of reciprocity, which
is only different way of protecting certain
of our industres-that is, of assuring them
market for their products
Let no one imagine, then, that prosperity
will fully return until the surroundings are
such as will foster it's growth, and let no
instantaneous, because we have gone to
great depth and it takes longer to climb up
than it does to fall down. 1t is refreshing
to note, however, that there are many in
dications of a revival of business in antici-
patton of the work of the present Congress
in answer to the call of the President. just
as business depression began four years ago
before the passage of tariff law in antici-
patton Of fulfilled promises OF the low
tariff reformers.
There is a loud clamor to-day against cor
porations and the oppression of the poor
by the wealth of the land and no
one can deny that there are burdens in
America which ought not to exist. But
while the public is clamorng against the
domination of classes it should be remem-
bered that there is just as much danger
on the other hand of~deVeloping an inor-
dinate individual independence that will be
just as dangerous to- the public veal as
the expressions complained of to-day. HUI
when those who have been oppressed
through q series of years gain the ascend
ency, they become even greater OppreSSOrS
than were their former prosecutors. Hence
in the turbulence of public agitation to-
day, as patriots we must not lose sight of
the great central fact of popular govern
ment that the basis of our existence is the
welfare of all the people and righteousness
in the administration of government. The
perpetuity of our national life rests in the
integrity of it's citizenship, and in every
discussion there must be a recognition of
right principles and patriotic motive that
seeks the public good rather than selfish
ends. There are some grave and serious
tendencies in American life to-day, and no
methods of demagOgy will be able to coun-
teract them. A true patriotic feeling of
common interest in the publ and individ-
ual welfare. tempered by the idea of
righteousness in all things, will keep the
Republic true to it's original purposes and
make of it the best ideal in the civilization
of the centuries. A desire to accomplish
something in this direction. and a feeling
that undue advantages are being taken of
existing conditions by certain protested re-
formers are my only excuses for this
article. and it is written with q hope that
by it some little light may come to some
mind in a situation that is already dark
enough and made more so by the machina-
tons of those who would reap profit to
themselves by feeding off the calamity Of
others. S. e. NICHOLSON
Kokomo Ind, June 10.