The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-11-05

Cleyelandism has been coming to the
'front.' This is because those who gov
ern public opinion in the south want
free trade or tariff for revenue and a
gold standard with bank money, rather
tnan republicanism which means pro-
lection, with a gold standard and bank
money. In the south. however, the
race problem is uppermost in their
minds, and they will not vote re-
publican ticket because they think
that it means negro supremacy. In
the south there is not so much inter-
est in national issues as in the north.
But with new party In the field, in
the south, not heretofore Identified
with the old issue Of negro slavery nor
with free trade which has always been
closely connected with negro slavery,
there is great opportunity. | don't
believe that the idea of free trade or
tariff for revenue only would ever
have taken root In this country, If 1t
had not been for the institution of ne
gro slavery, which was the cheapest
labor in the world, and which made
protection unnecessary for the south
that is, the slave owners who gov
erned the south and north. Free trade
or tariff for revenue only took deep
root in England about the same time,
not on account of slavery, but because
English statesmen and the leaders of
public opinion thought that England
could with free trade, become the
greatest manufacturing and CONNER
cial nation of the world This had
great influence on public opinion in
this country and made 1t more easy
for the owners of slaves in this coun
| try to convince the American people
that free trade or tariff for revenue
only was the correct policy, when in
fact 1t benefited nobody Tin this coun-
try but the owners of slaves in the
south and some democratic politicians
in the north, who wanted to get into
office on the issue. Grover Cleveland
is now one of many northern states
men who is trying to be elected presi-
dent on the issue. There have been
many heretofore since the days of An
| drew Jackson and Martin Van Buren,.
Now that negro slavery is dead in
the United States Tor soon will be-
and that England is about to change
her fiscal policy, populists' ought to
stop and think a good many times
before they advocate tariff for revenue
only. The motive for protection in
Great Britain is different from what
1t is here. In England they want to
keep their vast empire together, which
her leading statesmen now believe can
be done only by having tariff duties
on all goods coming from the United
States and other great manufacturing
and commercial nations flood perhaps
excepted) and free trade or nearly so
between Great Britain and her colon
io5 This, it is easy to see, will nable
England to hold her colonies, and,
perhaps, prevent Canada from COM
ing to us. 1t may even prevent us
from making reciprocity treaty with
Canada. But whatever the conse-
quences either here or In Great Brit
ain may be, or whatever the motive
may be in England we are not advo-
eating protection for the purpose of
keeping our empire together, because
we have no colonies of any coDse-
quence which we desire to keep, much
less to hold against their will. What
we want protection for in this country
is to prevent. competition between our
free labor and foreign slave labor.
We, as a nation, should stand by our
selves and have national tariff that
suits our own purposes and interest,
whether 1t suits other nations or not.
AS long as the manufacturing and
commercial nations are competing for
work business and trade, it is the
duty of each nation to look out for
ITSELF
| am not advocating protection be-
cause 1t is eternally just or expedient
but because 1t Is infinitely better
more just and expedient-than tar
iff for revenue only-and because we
are obliged 10 make choice between
the two. III we take tariff for revenue
only and reject protection, then duties
on all goods that we can produce will
be very low and foreign goods Of this
class will come in and our ARTISANS
and laborers" will be Obliged to work
Tor the same wages as prevail abroad
IL there Ia slave labor abroad, then
eur workmen will get no more than
foreign slaves. And. as 20 goods
which We cannot produce. the duties
Il a. "a