The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-29

Against Protection.

s Tho editor of the Every Evening cndeav.
prsito show their opposition to the protec.
tion of American industry by Congros.
sional enactment, whenever they may have
the opporiunityto do SO. They are among
Those WIN believe that tho proper way 10
kccp tho peoplovirtuous Is to keep them
poor. They fear that should they be able
70 accumulate little property, they will
become corrupt. They therefore quote au
extract from the address of ex-Ambassador
Thomas +. Bayard, delivered before tho
Edinburgh Philosophical Institute. Nov
0inber 2, 1895:
Sin my own country / have witnessed
the Unsuitable growth Of that form OF
State socialism called Protection" which
lbeliev0 has done more to foster class log.
tslHtion and create inequality of fortune,
20 corrupt public life, TO banish men OF
independent mind and character from tho
public councils. and to lower tho tone of
public representation blunt public coli.
science, create false standards in the popu.
lar mind, to familiariza 1t with reliance
upon State aid and guardianship in private
NffAirs, divorce ethics from politics and
place politics upon tho low level of n NOR.
.cennry scramble, than any other single
cause.
Step by step. and largely owing to the
confusion OF civil strife, /. ha, succeeded
inobtaining control Of the sovereign power
OF taxation, never hesitating at any alli-
Ance, or the 4 resort to any combination
that promised to assist its purpose Of
peryerting public taxation from its only
true justification and function, Of Great
ing revenue for the support of the govern.
lneRt Of tho whole people, into an engine
for the selfish and private profit Of allied
beneflciarieH and comhinhtions, called
'.Trusts." Under Its dictation Individual
enterprise and independence has been OPP
pressed, and the energy OF discovery and
invention debilitated aud discouraged. ,.--
II has Enthusiastically allied itself with
every policy which tends to commercial
isolation, dangerously depletes the treas
ury, and saps the popular conscience by
schemes Of corrupting favor and largcsse
to special classes, whose support IL thereby
attracted. Thus it has done much to
throw legislation into the political market
where jobbers aud chaifurers take the
place Of statesmen.
'Workingmen Of all parties should rcnd
the above carefully and then determine if
1t 4, not better to starve to death than to
obtain an abundance of food aud clothing
under the Dingley bill. Tho lesson i'm
parted during tho past four years shonld
lead our people to reject with scorn such
doctrine. Men like Mr. Baynrd, who draw
big salaries, may talk Of tho feur Of tho
accumulation Of riches and the corruption
Of the great mass Of the people, but tho
mon who fill our workshops have no such
fear. Big salaries for public service and
the formation Of q class Of men who seek
Office in order that they may live without
manual labor will do more towards
undermining tho government than any
system designed to give the people employ.
ment and render our country independent
In fact as well as in name. It is tho aim
Of the true statesman to encourage onter-
prise and thrift, to develop tho resources
ofthe country and to furnish employment
for the people and render them contented
and happy. Only demagogues will en-
deavor to create disaffection among tho
working classes, and under tho cry Of re-
form seek to secure office through o party
triumph. Mr.. Bayard may DO sincere In
his Views, but the election of Grover Glove.
land, through the cry Of tariff REFORM
and q profession of lovo for tho laborers,
cost the people more suffering than they
experienced In n long series OF years. That
triumph of Cleveland did much to throw
legislation into the political market, where
jobbers and chafferors took the place of
statesmen"