Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-12-05
Bryan on PrOtectionism.

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the protective principle is indefensi-
BILE from every standpoint.
1t is wrong in principle, wrong in
policy, and it's influence must always
and everywhere be harmful.
As unrestricted trade is the natural
condition, the advocate of protection
must be prepared to establish three
propositions before he can maintain
his position. f
1. He must prove that the princi-
pie of protection is right; I
2. That the policy is wise; and
8. That the protection asked for is
necessary.
What protectionist has ever at
tempted to establish any one of these
propositions?
We contend that the principle is
wrong.
A protective tariff is an indirect
bounty. In the case of bounty the
government collects the money and
turns it over to the favored individual
or corporation. In the case of a pro-
tective tariff the government imposes
duty upon the imported article, and
the theory is that this duty, being
added to the price of the imported ar
ticle, so increases the cost of the I'M
ported article that the manufacturer
can collect from the consumer an
amount equal to the tariff in excess OF
the amount that he could collect if
there were no tariff. The protective
tariff and the bounty do not differ in
principle, but merely in form. We
contend that the government has no
right to collect money from all the
people for the benefit ola few of the
people,. &
| In what is known as the Topeka
! Kan case, the United States Su-
preme Court held that the city of To-
peka could not tax the people of that
city to aid manufacturing plant, To-
Gated in or near that city, and the
court in rendering the opinion, said
q quote from memory.) "To lay
with one hand the power of the gov
ernment upon the property of the cit
izen and with the other to give it tC
private individuals to aid private en-
terprises and build up private for
tunes, is none the less robbery because
done under forms of law, and called
taxation"
If the city of Topeka, acting for {
majority of it's citizens, could not ta1
the people to aid an industry located
in the city, upon what principle can
the people of one part of a State be
taxed to aid an industry located in
another part of the State? Upon what
principle can the people of one State
be taxed to aid an industry located in
another State? Upon what principle
can the people of one section of the
country be taxed to aid the peopl }
who live in another section?
If the doctrine laid down in the To
peka case is sound, then the sheep
owners of western Texas have nc
right to tax the cotton growers of the
rest of the State.
If the doctrine laid down in the To
peka case is sound, upon what princi-
pie can the owners of timber lands
and sawmills collect tax upon the
builders of homes throughout the
land?
If we concede the right of the gov
ernment to tax all of the people, fol
the benefit of those who may secure
the favor of the government, there is
no ground upon which we can plant
ourselves in our fight for tariff fol
revenue only; and I may add, if the
protective principle is wrong, ther
how can we logically demand that i
shall be invoked in behalf of certain
sections or certain classes, merely be-
cause it has been wrongfully invoked
in behalf of other sections or othel
classes?
But even If we could defend th,
right of the government to tax thu
many for the benefit of the few, W,
would find difficulty in defending thu
policy, because of the evils to which
it leads in practice. The moment W.
concede the right of a man to use gov
ernment as an asset in his business
| we must expect him to become activ
in the control of the government.
The protective system has been pro
ductive of more corruption in govern
ment than any other agency. TIL
manufacturers have supplied the sin
ews of war for those candidates VIII
are willing to agree in advance to re
imburse the manufacturers out of tn
pockets of the people.
An alarming fact is that advocac,
of protection as principle and toler
alton toward its applied doctrine
tends not only to corruption Of pol
itics and acts injuriously to the peopl
who permit it, but is also menace t
public morals, in that it teaches that
mans vote should be determined b
the amount of money he is likely t
receive from legislation rather tina
by his desire to contribute to the com
mon good.
Years ago prominent Republica
coined phrase that has since been i
non, n, ~, .xaa wiz. ttE,xyiy ~ thn fot oI1