The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-04

FaNorS IarlH FOR preserving WIKI
in Ourselves the Means Of National
Defense and ndependenee-Some
Figures to Show the Benefeent e.
feet of a Protective Tariff.
The charge that is being made that
the tariff is responsible for the higher
cost Of living will probably be believed
by ignorant men, who know nothing
Of the subject now and in all prob
ability never will until they have over
thrown the system that has been 30
beneficent. There appears to be a
deep popular desire to have the tariff
reduced, in order that the consumer
may not be taxed.
This experiment was tried by the
Wilson tariff act during Grover Cleve-
lands second term. Under this low
tariff, or tariff for revenue, thousands
Of men were thrown out of employ
ment and their families were hungry.
A free bread fund was conducted by
the New York World one year after
the Inauguration of a free trade presi-
Did the New York World or any other
free trade organ ever find it necessary
to collect funds to feed the hungry un-
der the Mckinley, the Dingley or the
Payne-Aldrich tariff acts, which en-
body the ideas earnestly supported by
General Jackson, as shown in his let
ter Of 1924 to l.. H. Colman, of Vir-
ginia? In this letter he further states
Providence has filled our noun
tains and our plains with minerals,
with lead, iron and copper and given
US a climate and soil for the growing
of hemp and WOOL These being the
grand materials of our national de-
Tense, they ought to have extended to
them adequate and fair protection, so
that we may have within our own
country a supply of those leading and
important articles so essential to all"
General Jackson was not unmindful
of the experience of the patriots dur
ing the American Revolution. When
Washington's army was recruited
there was not a single wool manufact-
uring concern in the country. When
General Washington assembled his
army there was not the slightest pre-
| tense made to uniform it. They came
to the flag with the homespun fabrics
that were within their reach. After
the campaign their clothing was abso-
| lutely worn out. At Valley Forge 1000
! patriots had actually to be relieved
from duty because they were literally
naked.
Taught by Experience.
The Revolution would have failed
then and there for want of wool manu-
| factories as a munition of war had it
not been that John Adams and Benja-
min Franklin obtained loan from the
! king of France with which they pur-
chased in Holland blankets and cloth
ing for Washingtons army. 1t is with
this experience in mind that General
Jackson in the aforesaid letter to Col
man said:
81 am in favor of the tariff for pre-
serving within ourselves the means
of national defense and independence.
Particularly in state of war would
l advocate supporting it. The expert
us a lesson never to be forgotten. If
our liberty and our republican form
of government, procured for us by
our Revolutionary fathers, are worth
the blood and treasure at which they
were obtained, it surely is our duty to
protect and defend it. Can there be
an American patriot, who saw the pri-
vations, dangers and difficulties eX-
perienced for want of a proper means
of defense, who would be willing again
to hazard the safety of the country?
| hope there is not, and if there is,
am sure he does not deserve to enjoy
the blessing Of freedom"
In view of the fact that during the
last twelve years of the high duties
of the war tariff, the wool clip OF the
United States increased 100 per cent,
when that of Great Britain, with eli
matte conditions superior to ours and
with free trade, decreased more than
19 per cent, and also in view of the
fact that under the present tariff act
the number of sheep has increased 54
per cent since the present protective
duties upon wool were established in
1897, what would General Jackson, II
here today, say to Mr.. Underwood IS
report No. As on his wool bill III. r.
11,O10, saying:
"The test of law and experience, by
which every human project must
stand, fully proves that protective du,
ties on wool do not serve a useful
purpose. The fact must be faced that
forty years of high protective duties
have entirely failed to help the wool
growing industry"
THEODORE JUSTICE.