Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-02-14
ARE WE PATRIOljT1ICY
FREE.TRApERs WORRIED ABOUT
THIS QUESTION.
They Argue that We Love Our Conn
try Less Because We Are Prosper
ing So Greatly Under the Infu-
nce of a Protective Tariff.

e>S1 eG0S we 1fVNS OuL Jul
try Less Because We Are Prosper
Ing So Greatly Under the Influ-
ence of a Protective Tariff.
This is the caption of the last article
sent out by the Free Trade League
over the signature of Prof. John Pas
com of Williams College. The two
words, Protection and Patriotism, GER
tainly go well together and are closely
related. But, says Prof. Bascom,
Protection as developed in the United
States. is profoundly opposed to pat
riotism." And yet he does not prove 1T,
or even attempt to. He tells us that it
begets personal strife, but does not tell
us wherein personal strife and ambi-
ton become inimical to patriotism.
Continuing, the professor says:
1.-The little kernel Of sound theory
that may in the beginning have lain at
the bottom of protection was shortly
lost sight Of in a greedy struggle be-
tween ever-increasing claimants to re-
tain old and win new advantages"
1t is encouraging to see an old-time
free trader admitting that there was
ever even a kernel of sound theory in
the principle of protection. though it
has been lost sight of in the struggle
for advantage. Does the professor
mean to say that the strife to excel is
inpatriotic? Would he have u in
ventors stop thinking, II miners stop
digging, our farmers stop planting,
our mechanics stop fabricating, and so
only among themselves but over the
peoples Of other countries? Does he
want us to go back to the habits of the
aborigines and live the lives OF saw
ages? He complains because w have
set no limits to individual enterprise"
Why should we set u limit to ambition,
to attainment and accomplishment?
And then he complains again because
"the policy of private thrift, which
gained such a foothold in protection,
has spread everywhere"
If the professor is preaching social
ism or anarchy, that is IL thing, but
If he is preaching free trade because
1t would do away with competition and
destroy commercial advantages. that is
another. He concludes his little
| ..'piece" as follows:
patriotism cannot thrive in the at
.mosphere we have provided for it. II
we would restore and strengthen love
Of country, we must get back to he
prosperity of the masses of men-the
1881. ,-1 %l,o ~afioy,-o G tho t1r1n MIN,
Of government"
Does the professor question III love
of country? Was he awake during the
| Spanish war, when millions were angry
only because they could not fight for
| the Stars and Stripes? Did he not for
months see Old Glory waving from
every flagstaff, from every building,
and from every house? Who is there,
outside the little band Of American
Cobdenites, that does not think we
could lick any country on earth, or, If
needs be, all of them put together?
Does not the professor see any other
paper but the Springfield Republican,?
AS for getting back to the prosper
fly of the masses of men"-back where?
Back to 1887, or to 1857, or to 1886?
When have 1.-The masses of hen-the
| people and the nation'-been so pros
porous as they are to-day?
1t seems incredible that n man OF
average enlightenment could put forth
such twaddle as this paper of Prof.
Bascom's. 1t is not worth noticing ex-
cent to show to what pitiable ends the
Free Trade League is obliged to go to
get matter to send out to the few coun-
try papers that will print its stuff.
| Surely the free trade issue in the Uni
| ted States is at n low ebb indeed when
it must depend on such argument for
support. Prof. Bascom knows no mere
about patriotism than he does about
| protection. He knows no more about
the ambitions and national character.
istics of the people of the United States
than he does about the u%ncivilized
tribes of darkest Africa; or else, for the
sake of his pet theory, he would do
away with all eNertion and all labor,
Of mind or body. He should study the
strenuous life of his countrymen, from
the President down to the urchin with
his bundle OF "eNLraS. He should
take a trolley ride out of Williamstown
to Millivlle or Furnace Plains, and look
at the wheels go round. He should take
a progressive daily or weekly paper
and read the current history of his
country. Or, he might take the Presi-
dents message by installments and
gather a few ideas concerning the
progress and achievements of our in
stitutions. He should get a little Amer
lean Gag and count the stripes and then
the stars. He should get a portrait of
Washington and Of Mckinley, and lit
tie by little study the lives Of our other
great men. 1t may be a hopeless case,
but it would seem as If even Prof. Bas.
com might be injected with a little
American spirit and patriotism.-Amer.
lean Economist.
Reciprocity with Cuba.
Washington dispatches indicate a de-
cided change of sentiment regarding
the proposed reciprocal arrangement
with Cuba. Members of the Ways and
Means Committee are reported to have
changed their attitude from that of