The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-12-09
PROTECTION FOR WHAT?

The American people are engaged
in working out a great experiment
the experiment of popular govern
ment. Our labor problem is an en-
deavor to make an idustrial order con-
form to our political, educational and
religious institutions; that is, to make
it democratic. By that we mean
TO adopt Abraham Lincoln's definition
of democracy-in industry of the people,
by the people. and for the people.
We have transformed the slave labor
ers of half the nation into free men.
We are now engaged in a half-consci
Gus endeavor to transform the wage
earners of the whole Nation into part
ners in free cooperative industry.
That is not Socialism. for Socialism
is not free; it is not individualism.
for individualism is not cooperative.
To do this for nation is an enor-
mously difficult undertaking. To do
it for the world is an impossible un-
dertaking. The real object of Pro-
lection is to protect American people
from foreign competition while they
are making their own industries CO.
operative. 1t is an Industrial Monroe
Doctrine. 1t is not protection of in
FAINT industries; our industries are no
longer infantile. 1t is not protect
ion of special interest at the cost of
the general public; this would be
perilously near legalized robbery.
It's object is not. what it is was in
Alexander Hamilton's time. to pro-
mote diversified industry; our indus
try is already diversified. 1t is to
separate ourselves industrially from
the rest Of the world enough, and
only enough, to enable US to work
out without interference our problem
of industrial democracy. Protection
makes of the people of United
States--employers and employed
one vast labor union, and adopts for
it modified form Of tn e closed shop.
Last week, on the day before
Thanksgiving, thousands of the unem-
ployed marched through the streets
of London carrying q large banner
bearing the words: "Work or Revo-
luton; the Government Must De.
cide.' 1t these unemployed are ad-
mitted to our country. we must raise
them to the level of self-respecting
workers, or lower that level. II
,hey are empoyed at starvation wages
in England, and their product il ad
mitted to our country to compete with
American made goods. we still have
to raise them to that level. or lower
our own. Protection says: We will
work out our problem of transforming
industry from competition which is
industrial war to a cooperation which
is industrial partnership for ourselves,
before we attempt to work out fol
the rest Of the industrial world.
1t is clear. or ought to be clear
what is required to make effectiv,
the protection of America from for
eign competition while it transform
its industrial system from one o
. competition to one of cooperation.
1t requires a careful supervision
and regulation of immigration. N
doubt the exclusion of Asiatic labor
ers from the Pacific Coast retards it
agricultural development and incon
: veniences its homes in sore need q
n domestics. No doubt the contrac
s labor law does something to chez
! the rapid development of Easter
a mines and mills and more to max
r their output expensive. But If tn
y Pacific Coast employer may impol
the Asiatic coolie to till his vine
yards, and if the Eastern manufactul
: er may import the Hungarian and tn
t Pole to underbid the American work
e ingman. we shall not succeed in rails
. ing the condition of the foreign labor
: ers. and we shall succeed in lowerin
y the condition of our own. This
e the argument for our enthusiastic Law
8 and our contract labor laws. w
are engaged not merely in maxim
shoes and raising fruit; we are er
: gagged in raising men and in max
ing an industrial commonwealth. an
we sacrifice the minor to the maje
end we have in view.
1t requires such tariff on foreig
goods as will prevent them from con
i peting with American goods by under
selling them at lower prices.
the tariff is not enough to comp'
the foreign maker to charge at leal
e as much for his product as the Amer
8 can charges for his. the tariff is il
e adequate. If it is more than enoug
st to exclude the foreign product fro
= competition with the domestic. it
: unnecessary. If American watche
er American typewriters. America
III steel rails. are habitually sold abros
ii for less than they are sold at home
lie the tariff is not protecting Ameri,