The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-18

~ G@%l-tkE -f-A ~ <1sN ~ $1,000. -hN~ 49,
vfse1 them both The defense Ct cur
commerce against foreign discrininatio1s
was = proxiEate cause q the movement
which resulted in the constitution OF tire
United States, and closely allied 10 Il vas
the anxious g5sa 70 develop our indus
trial sources and our domestic Industry.
Henry Cabot ledge tells most iaterest ting
Is bow he first sporadic attempts 70 start
rev industries failed. partly through lack
e. capital and experience bur chiefly 70
fovesgr competition. which killed them a.
r2ost at their hirfh-
Cont-aste3 with this view IS that Of
william Graham Sumner. who, II his life
q Andrew Jackson. takes The free trada
vleyv Of the subject ara. referring 70 the
tariff Of ls-s. says that the TAX on relied
iron wh.ch was not then introduced into
this country. robbed the American PEG
PIE Of .helr share IN the advantage o. q
rev Industrial achievement" II IS NOS
possible 70 say what the present condition
OF the iron Industry would have been had
its frs, efforts not been protected by 4
hsgh tariff. but Il could hardly have been
better than ii IS today. when American
rails are sold all over TIE world and can
he pat into Japan ar lower price than
The European product OF equal quality.
the price mas steadily decreased, either
in spite Of or in consequence OF the duty.
II IS fair then TO refer 10 the predic-
tons OF washington made In support OF
a policy whose purpose-whether wisely
or not-wes 10 promote the home manu-
facture Of articles which could then only
be obtained from foreign countries. AL
though the first tariff Of i7se was intended
peremptorily only 10 raise a much needed
revenue. the protective idea was there in
/ germ. II had been strongly advocated by
/ Hamilton IN his famous report on manu-
| features and IL was supported by the
I Pennsylvania members, although New
England, which depended SO much more
then than now upon its traffic with for
+ elgn countries. was opposed TO any meas
+ ure calculated to lessen its trade.
Washington's opinions are entitled to
I more consideration because he had lived
all his life under system which came
as near as possible TO the ideal Of the
modern free trader. The people Of Viz
glnia depended upon tobacco growing:
they sold their product abroad. and Brit
ish merchants supplied all their wants
and advanced them money on their crops.
/ They sold in the dearest market and
bought IN the cheapest. AS Lodge says,
cheap labor. a single staple Attending
wide fluctuations Of value, and absolute
free trade should have produced an earth
~ paradise. AS a matter Of fact, Vir-
ginia planters had little ready money and
were deeply in debt. Virginia stood still
for many years, while the states which
depended upon manufactures have gone
ahead in marvellous degree. In that
time the duty on rolled iron has been re-
/ oucod from ST ton TO Sl2 a ton, on steel
. from $50 TO S a ton; molasses from 10
cents TO cents a gallon; flax from s35
10 $40 a ton.
Washington wrote to Lafayette that
certain 1t is, great savings are already
made in many articles Of apparel, furni-
ture and consumption. Equally certain il
is that no diminution in agriculture has
Adhcil pfsAtI OF tAAAE tA4AASs NAtA bANaNt4
and more substantial improvements in
/ manufactures are making than were ever
before k. own in America
After signing the tariff bill. he said in
/ an address to congress: The promotion
of domestic manufactures WILL in my con-
ception. be among the first consequences
which may naturally be expected to flow
from an energetic government" He de-
clared also in letter 10 Gen. Randolph
his belief in a bounty system for wooden
manufacture in Virginia. By little leg
islatiye encouragement, he said, the farm
| ers Of Connecticut had in two years added
one hundred thousand sheep TO their
docks.
In 1926 Washington. in his speech to
congress. said that body had repeatedly,
and not without success, directed their
attention to the encouragement OF manu-
features; the object is Of too much conse-
Queuce not 10 insure a continuance CT
their efforts in every way which shall
appear eligible" Commenting upon his
policy Lodse says truly: lie had set
lis hand TO the building of a nation. he
had studied his country and understood
it. ana with cain. far-see.ng eyes he had
looked into the future Of the people"
Ills policy, whenever pursued. has fos-
tered enterprise. developed industries ana
insured prosperity; his predictions have
been fulfilled. contrary policy has al
NAYS brought disturbances to business.
siaeoIton to manufactures. taleness to