The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-07
1.-THE PASSINGo OF PATERNALIS-
TIC PROTECTION

Inc very f0IndrkdDlG speech OIL NC
kinley weeks ago in Boston still excites
comment. Well may his curious, and
perhaps insincere admission, that the
protective policy was a decaying policy,
and that henceforth this country would
enter upon both a new principle and a
new era, excite criticism and marvel.
Mckinley has been conspicuous as a
force bill leader against the south and
the wild, aggressive champion of a
huge, unconstitutional, grinding high
tariff tax for the few as against the
many. But, it is not hardly SUPPOSE
BILE that Mckinley is sincere, or that
the New England Chinese Wall pro-
lection robbers are with him. The high
tariff fails to bring the revenues, and
the teaching that American goods can
compete in the worlds markets any
where without a cents help from pro-
reasons why the coddlers of high tax
have been disposed to hold up for the
time and have changed their tune" of
special legislation for the rich. The
Kansas City Star a that the protec-
ton fellows are seeing that eve must
drop much of our narrow selfshness in
our economic policies, if We are really
to take our place among the nations as
a world power" In truth there has
been no reason for a protection tariff in
thirty years if at any time. 1t has
been shown again and again that
American goods enter the marts of the
world and easily hold their own against
all competitors without any aid from
bounty or ~paternalism Of any sort. The
Messenger has made this plain, often,
by actual citations of examples. The
Kansas City Star says:
1.-The country is entering into the
contest for the rade of the Orient.
Congress will be called upon to adopt
such laws as will best promote the well
fare and develop the industries of the
nations new dependencies. 1t will
have before it the example of other
nations, and the lesson is plain On
every side that those colonies where
there has been the greatest freedom of
trade have made the greatest progress.
= = Demanding fair trade in the
Orient and under obligations to main
tain the utmost freedom of trade in the
new island dependencies, how can the
United States logically continue to
maintain absurd barriers at home
against the trade of the world?"
1t is perhaps plain and assured that
whatever issues the republican party
may push to tbs front next year they
will not urge the continuance of the
present non-producing tariff tax, the
most drastic, the most unfair, the most
unconstitutional of all tariffs. Demo-
cratic policy and democratic principle
as to taxation is about to find a glori-
Gus, a most signal triumph. The able
Houston Post, the ablest Of democratic
newspapers in the great state Of Texas,
and always true and faithful TO demo-
cratic standards, says this of the hedg-
ing of the Mckinley crowd:
Inc aIlcI ICdu MANUFACTURED Is COM
peting so successfully and so extensive
ly in all foreign lands with the foreign
manufactures, that he not only can not
consistently ask for protection here
against foreign competition, but is
ceasing to feel the need Of it. OF course
u protectionists still wan protection
and will still advocate that policy, but
they are being forced to recognize and
admit the fact that selfishness, pure and
simple, is the only basis for their
claims.
After many years the democratic doc
trine Of a tariff for revenue only seems
likely to become the policy of this
country, wilhout serious opposition ex-
cept from a handful OF citizens, COM
paratively, whose only reason for op-
posing it viii be S evidently a grossly
selfish and grasping one that their pro-
tests will fail to ~inluenee ary coasid-
cradle portion Of the sentiment of the
nation"