Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-31
Protection a Potent Factor in Prosperity

AS the time Tor. the fall electlOnS ap-
proaches, it is becoming more and more
| apparent that the Democrats are aban-
doning the retention of newly acquired
territory, the money question, and the
conduct of the war as possible campaign
issues and will fall back upon the tariff
to make the campaign. Fate seems to
be against the party OF retrogression in
the worthy object of finding something
new over which to climb into Office, and
the repudiated theory of free trade will
have to do service again as a spell
binder. In that case nothing suits the
Republicans better.
Daily expressions condemnatory of
protection, such as "the idea of protec-
ton has broken down under the new
conditions arising from the recent war"
and ''the Dingley law is a failure as a
revenue raiser," appear in Democratic
organs with remarkable frequency,
since it was learned that the masses of
the American people would have moth
ing to do with opposition to national ex-
pansion.
As to the truth of these expressions a
little examination is necessary. In the
first place, has protection broken down
under the new conditions?' All reports
sent out from commercial centers, from
foreign consuls and by the government
statisticians show that within the past
two years the exports Of American
manufacturers have increased many
fold, while the imports of foreign goods
and products have fallen off to a vast
degree. In these results Of the effect
of the Dingley tariff the very objects ,of
protection have been accomplished.
The home markets have been retained
for home products, and the markets of
the world, of which so much has been
heard from the free traders in recent
years, have been invaded and captured.
American labor has been employed and
paid, made a consumer of American
products and prosperity has come to the
nation as a result. These are the re-
suits the Republican party has been
striving for since its inception.
Is the Dingley law a failure as a
revenue producing measure? Figures
say not. Reports of the revenue col
lected under that law up to August
show that emitting the expenditures for
the war, the law has accumulated a
surplus of 40, O0O, 900 for the past five
months. But really the primary object
of protection is not to raise revenue, al.
though under that policy this govern
ment has always had plenty Of none!
to meet every obligation and to lay up 3
surplus for a rainy day. The people OF
the United States can better afford tt
pay the expenses Of the government b,
direct taxation, if every man in the
land were employed at remunerativt
wages, than they can to have those ex
penses met by the collection Of revenue
on imported goods and have the greater
part of the population Idle because O.
~importations. Let the Dingley law re
main in force another five years and thu
statesmen will be wondering what is tt
be done with the surplus and thu
working men of the country will be in
condition to take vacations wheneve.
they feel so disposed. Protection is as
potent a factor in national prosperit.
today as it was in 1865, and the FREE
traders will never again make the vot
ers believe otherwise.
The Republican party is willing tt
meet the Democrats on that issue. Th'
people have had a lesson in the effect
of tariff reform in the past decade which
will suffice until new generations COM
upon the stage, and even then tn
stories of soup houses and suffering tina
will be handed down from the men VIII
walked the country in search of work ii
the dark years of Clevelandism will dete
the inexperienced from making sucl
another experiment. u
Protection has not been pushed asid
by the changes brought about by tn,
war with Spain and the requirement o
new lands, as the Democrats will flint
when the votes are counted in the state
in November next.